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Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society Inc. 82nd Board of Directors

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CONTENTS Board Meeting Packet

June 28, 2017

ITEM PAGE

AGENDA...................................................................................................................... 2

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ANNUAL CALENDAR………………………………………..………4

MONTHLY CO-OP SHARE REDEMPTION REQUEST…………………………………………7

GM MONTHLY UPDATE ….………………………………………………………………….,10

MONITORING – EL 12 – Board Logistical Support…………………………………………..26

APPENDIX A (May 24, 2017 meeting minutes & June 1, 2017 Special mtg minutes)..…....30

APPENDIX B (Co-op Articles)…………………………...……………….....………..……..….37

APPENDIX C (Product and Pricing & Net Promoter Score)………..…..……………………………..…44

APPENDIX D (2017-2018 Committee List)…………………………………………….………65

APPENDIX E (Election Committee report)……….. …………………………………………...67

APPENDIX F (HCCF Advisory Committee memo, Gerstenberger Scholarship, Cycle)………68

APPENDIX G (CCMA reports)………………………………………………………………….73


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AGENDA Board of Directors Meeting

June 28, 2017 6:00 p.m., Culinary Learning Center, Lebanon Store

T i m e A g e nd a T o p i c

5:15 Dinner

6:00 Consent Agenda

May 24, 2017 Minutes & June 20, 2017 Special Mtg Minutes (Appendix A)

Monthly Share Redemptions

6:30 Update & Monitoring

General Manager Report (Appendix B Co-op Articles)

EL 12 – Board Logistical Support

Price & Product (Amanda Charland, Jacob

Vincent, Leon Valia), Appendix C

B-GM Global – Board-GM Flow of Authority

B-GM 1 – Unity of Control

GP 10 – Board Committees (Appendix D – 2017-2018 Committee List)

7:30 Member Comments

7:40 Committee Updates

Formation of an Energy Committee (Liz)

Election Committee (Kevin), Appendix E

HCCF Advisory Committee & Golf Tournament update (Harrison), Appendix F

Member Engagement/Treatment of Employees (Victoria)

8:00 New Business/Action Items

Priorities for the Coming Year (TBC in July)

CCMA reports (attendees), Appendix G

Producer’s Fair Aug. 12th 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (contact: Sarah Simpson at [email protected])


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8:30 Executive Session

Legal Matter

8:45 Adjournment


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2017 – 2018 BOARD MEETING CALENDAR

July 26 Board of Directors Meeting, 6:00 p.m., CLC, Lebanon Store

August 23 Board of Directors Meeting, 6:00 p.m., CLC, Lebanon Store

September 27 Board of Directors Meeting, 6:00 p.m., CLC, Lebanon Store

October 25 Board of Directors Meeting, 6:00 p.m., CLC, Lebanon Store

November 15 Board of Directors Meeting, 6:00 p.m., CLC, Lebanon Store

December 20 Board of Directors Meeting, 6:00 p.m., CLC, Lebanon Store

January 23 Board of Directors Meeting, 6:00 p.m., CLC, Lebanon Store

February 27 Board of Directors Meeting, 6:00 p.m., CLC, Lebanon Store

March 27 Board of Directors Meeting, 6:00 p.m., CLC, Lebanon Store

April 24 Board of Directors Meeting, 6:00 p.m., CLC, Lebanon Store

May 22 Board of Directors Meeting, 6:00 p.m., CLC, Lebanon Store


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BOARD of DIRECTORS ANNUAL CALENDAR

January Board Annual Meeting Planning Details of Annual Meeting approved.

Election Committee Final call for Board candidates

Outreach & Member Services Call for nominees for King Award on website and social media and in stores

February Election Committee Finalize slate of Board Candidates Candidate statements and photos to Member Services Director for inclusion in Election Mailing and online voting website

Board Approve Auditor's Report at meeting Approve Patronage Refund Choose recipient of King Award Designate recipients of HCCF Funds Finalize wording of ballot materials to be mailed and posted online

Board Administrator Deadline for King Award Nominations (include in Board packet)

Outreach & Member Services Publish 30-day warning of voting, if applicable, through Election Mailing and website notice

March Board President or designee Board Treasurer or CFO

Board Annual Review of Year (Annual Report) Treasurer’s Report (Annual Report)

Outreach & Member Services Publish 10-day warning of voting, if applicable, through Election Mailing and website notice; Publish Annual Report in time for Annual Meeting

March -April Board Open voting period

April Board Annual Meeting within voting period

April - May Board Close voting period

Election Committee Count ballots Schedule new Board member orientation before May meeting

Outreach & Member Services Announce new Board members

May Board New Board members attend meeting Elect officers Choose Election Committee Chair, suggest committee members

Accounting Distribute Patronage Refund

Outreach & Member Services Begin drive for contribution of Patronage Refund to HCCF


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June Board / Bylaws Committee Begin work on proposed bylaw changes (if any)

July Election Committee Convene Election Committee

August Election Committee Review & edit Board Candidate Information Packet

September Election Committee Solicit Board input for potential nominees; contact individuals re: interest

Outreach & Member Services Call for Board nominees on website and social media and on posters in stores

October Election Committee Invite potential candidates to attend Board meeting

Choose date for Annual meeting and Voting Period

November Board Assign Annual Meeting Planning duties

Election Committee Invite potential candidates to attend Board meeting

Outreach & Member Services Second call for Board nominees on website and social media and on posters in stores

December Election Committee Invite potential candidates to attend Board meeting


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SHARE REDEMPTION REQUESTS

June, 2017

For the period ending June 19th, 2017, 32 members have requested redemption of shares. This includes 489 A shares and 38 B shares held directly by the members, and $19.95 in A share and $19.12 in B share extra held by the Co-op on account. The total cost of redemption is $2,674.07. The reasons for member redemptions are reflected on the attached list. The Co-op policy is when a member terminates his/her membership by redeeming his/her A shares any B shares and B share extra will be redeemed at the same time. For the period ending June 19th, 2017, 10 members have requested share transfers. This includes 308 A shares and 34 B shares held directly by the members and $17.26 in A share and $11.89 in B share extra held by the Co-op on account. The reasons for member transfers are reflected on the attached list. For the period from 2016 to May 17th, 2017, 212 members cancelled their membership and redeemed their A shares. This month we are redeeming the 1,049 B shares still held directly by these former members, and $509.79 in B shares extra held by the Co-op on account. The total cost of B share redemption is $5,754.79. For the period ending June 19th, 2019, no member has asked to exchange his/her old B share class for the new B share class. Redemption of these shares ($8,401.86 in total) will not adversely affect the cash position or cash flow of the Co-op at this time. Respectfully, Paul C. Guidone, CFA Director of Finance Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society, Inc.


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MONTHLY CO-OP SHARE REDEMPTION REQUEST

June, 2017

Reasons for redemption

Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec YTD %Moving 6 3 2 2 7 27 47 53%Moved-Clean Up 1 4 0 6 1 0 12 14%Deceased- Clean Up 1 2 2 8 1 1 15 17%Tired Of Coop B/S 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1%Clean-Up 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1%None provided 0 3 0 1 1 3 8 9%Wants Cash 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 2%Had two accounts 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1%Don't use account 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1%Total 10 13 4 18 11 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 88 100%

Reasons for Transfer

Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec YTD %Re-issuing in different name 0 8 2 2 12 40%Transferring to new account 1 1 1 1 4 13%Transfer to different account 1 0 1 2 4 13%Name change 0 1 3 5 9 30%Change Spelling of name 0 0 1 0 1 3%Total 0 0 2 10 8 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 100%


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GM Monthly Update: Communication and Counsel to the Board Submitted by: Edward Fox June 28, 2017 Reporting Period: May 2017 No action is required on this report. Overview/Status:

The Lebanon store continues to be the single largest factor contributor to the over-all sales being behind FY2017 projections. In addition, an extremely high costs for health care impacted the monthly expenses. According to the FY2017 business plan: The Coop-Kitchen program is planned to begin yielding benefits the week of June 5th; ECRS training is in full implementation and scheduled to launch in all stores in August; Staffing needs are being assessed continuously and allocated as needed. Sales Trends & Store Updates

Data Through May 2017Consolidated

Food Stores Hanover Lebanon CCM WRJ Service Center Gas Repairs

Actual Sales: % Change Current Month to 12 Months ago 0.47% 3.87% -3.90% -0.57% 6.39% -9.31% -8.04% -15.69%

Actual Sales: % Change YTD through Current Month to YTD 12 Months ago 0.01% 5.04% -4.50% -1.26% 3.11% 7.61% 10.05% -3.30%Actual YTD Sales $26,684,750 $9,507,072 $12,109,947 $808,356 $4,259,376 $1,418,669 $1,185,828 $232,842Actual YTD Budgeted Sales $27,324,448 $9,310,043 $12,965,911 $877,435 $4,171,059 $1,480,750 $1,191,750 $289,000Actual Variance in sales ($639,698) $197,029 ($855,964) ($69,079) $88,317 ($62,081) ($5,922) ($56,158)Potential Margin Impact $63,561 ($278,188) ($24,482) $27,829 ($33,928) ($233) ($33,695)


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Week YTD YTD YTD % YTD Gross Margin Weekly $ Change % Change YTD Customer Change % Change YTD Basket $ Change % Change

Ending Location Sales Budget Variance Variance Impact Sales prior week prior week Customers Count prior week prior week Avg Basket Size prior week prior week

5/27/17 Consolidated Stores $26,684,750 $27,324,448 -2.34% ($639,698) ($211,280) $1,408,689 $40,428 2.95% 731,361 37,679 (983) -2.54% $36.49 $37.39 $2.00 5.64%Hanover $9,507,072 $9,310,043 2.12% $197,029 $63,561 $497,597 $13,887 2.87% 227,723 11,659 (618) -5.03% $41.75 $42.68 $3.28 8.32%Lebanon $12,109,947 $12,965,911 -6.60% ($855,964) ($278,188) $639,261 $25,628 4.18% 273,464 13,728 21 0.15% $44.28 $46.57 $1.80 4.02%CCM $808,356 $877,435 -7.87% ($69,079) ($24,482) $44,879 ($1,843) -3.94% 76,142 4,348 (179) -3.95% $10.62 $10.32 $0.00 0.01%WRJ $4,259,376 $4,171,059 2.12% $88,317 $27,829 $226,952 $2,755 1.23% 154,032 7,944 (207) -2.54% $27.65 $28.57 $1.06 3.87%

5/27/17 Park Street $1,418,669 $1,479,750 -4.13% ($61,081) ($33,328) $70,308 $2,564 3.79%

Gas $1,185,828 $1,191,750 -0.50% ($5,922) ($233) $57,828 $1,054 1.86%Gallons Pumped 502,155 24,140 458 1.94%Average Price $2.36 $2.40 ($0.00) -0.08%Labor $114,045 $6,679 $1,612 31.82%Parts $118,796 $5,802 ($101) -1.72%Total repairs $232,842 $288,000 -19.15% ($55,158) ($33,095) $12,480 $1,511 13.77%

Stores & Park Street $28,103,419 $28,804,198 -2.43% ($700,779) ($244,608) $1,478,997 $42,992 2.99%

Week Ending Consolidated YTD Hanover YTD Lebanon YTD CCM YTD WRJ YTD 5/27/17 YTD Sales Budget variance YTD Sales Budget variance YTD Sales Budget variance YTD Sales Budget variance YTD Sales Budget variance

Bakery $1,289,033 $1,321,559 ($32,526) $455,180 $451,750 $3,430 $560,688 $592,548 ($31,860) $39,030 $38,810 $220 $234,136 $238,451 ($4,315)Beer $669,839 $665,956 $3,883 $182,969 $202,300 ($19,331) $254,611 $278,800 ($24,189) $40,705 $44,845 ($4,140) $191,555 $140,011 $51,544Beverage $677,840 $693,082 ($15,242) $213,376 $212,375 $1,001 $275,969 $294,100 ($18,131) $52,323 $62,533 ($10,210) $136,171 $124,074 $12,097Bin Bulk $1,431,015 $1,468,409 ($37,394) $532,290 $526,700 $5,590 $748,607 $804,029 ($55,423) $33,141 $31,015 $2,126 $116,978 $106,665 $10,313Cheese $688,346 $704,106 ($15,759) $292,067 $281,600 $10,467 $321,882 $348,335 ($26,452) $8,460 $7,460 $1,000 $65,937 $66,711 ($774)Dairy $2,768,953 $2,759,780 $9,173 $1,009,066 $977,750 $31,316 $1,161,157 $1,193,550 ($32,393) $85,876 $85,585 $291 $512,854 $502,895 $9,959Deli $571,606 $585,011 ($13,405) $182,641 $190,500 ($7,859) $263,045 $269,806 ($6,761) $8,868 $7,542 $1,326 $117,052 $117,163 ($111)Floral $634,811 $612,881 $21,930 $266,581 $249,250 $17,331 $295,234 $299,997 ($4,763) $11,046 $7,209 $3,837 $61,949 $56,425 $5,524Frozen $1,133,359 $1,116,133 $17,227 $385,508 $359,750 $25,758 $469,729 $481,910 ($12,180) $34,151 $34,620 ($469) $243,971 $239,853 $4,118Grocery $5,779,860 $5,994,433 ($214,573) $1,813,466 $1,737,700 $75,766 $2,731,069 $3,014,128 ($283,059) $138,092 $145,605 ($7,513) $1,097,233 $1,097,000 $233HABA $858,568 $855,310 $3,257 $328,904 $287,600 $41,304 $469,048 $517,526 ($48,478) $3,699 $3,691 $8 $56,917 $46,493 $10,424Kitchenware $89,615 $75,280 $14,335 $37,965 $23,400 $14,565 $44,088 $42,725 $1,363 $4 $0 $4 $7,558 $9,155 ($1,597)Meat $2,205,503 $2,266,481 ($60,978) $769,640 $764,795 $4,845 $999,190 $1,054,906 ($55,716) $25,460 $27,496 ($2,036) $411,212 $419,284 ($8,072)PFD $1,854,313 $1,973,618 ($119,305) $560,156 $577,000 ($16,844) $845,456 $904,306 ($58,850) $206,343 $252,685 ($46,342) $242,359 $239,627 $2,732Produce $4,024,893 $4,156,323 ($131,430) $1,690,685 $1,675,375 $15,310 $1,783,823 $1,919,331 ($135,508) $63,872 $71,754 ($7,882) $486,514 $489,863 ($3,349)Seafood $771,394 $799,805 ($28,410) $307,415 $309,723 ($2,308) $368,023 $392,621 ($24,598) $1,631 $1,761 ($130) $94,325 $95,700 ($1,375)Sushi $345,670 $362,118 ($16,448) $93,620 $90,400 $3,220 $213,218 $228,870 ($15,652) $12,642 $14,084 ($1,442) $26,190 $28,764 ($2,574)Wine $877,067 $914,164 ($37,098) $378,040 $392,075 ($14,035) $300,606 $328,424 ($27,819) $43,015 $40,740 $2,275 $155,407 $152,925 $2,482TOTAL $26,671,685 $27,324,448 ($652,763) $9,499,569 $9,310,043 $189,526 $12,105,443 $12,965,911 ($860,468) $808,357 $877,435 ($69,078) $4,258,316 $4,171,059 $87,257


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FY2017 Updated per Quarter

Hanover 2013 2014 2015 2016 FY 2017 Q1

SALES $25,902,622 $25,750,309 $20,018,423 $23,059,220 $5,757,964change from prior year ($152,313) ($5,731,886) $3,040,797 $257,965

CUSTOMER COUNT 575,588 562,726 479,855 545,215 136,441change from prior year (12,862) (82,871) 65,360 6,945

TOTAL ITEMS IN BASKET 6,899,487 6,677,391 4,978,131 5,803,428 1,522,354change from prior year (222,096) (1,699,260) 825,297

BASKET SIZE $ 45.00 $ 45.76 $ 41.72 $ 42.29 $ 42.20AVG ITEMS PER TRANSACTION 11.99 11.87 10.37 10.64 11.16AVG COST PER ITEM $ 3.75 $ 3.86 $ 4.02 $ 3.97 $ 3.78Lebanon 2013 2014 2015 2016 FY 2017 Q1

SALES $31,601,776 $32,029,624 $34,377,217 $32,396,410 $7,381,927change from prior year $427,849 $2,347,592 ($1,980,807) ($438,083)

CUSTOMER COUNT 717,729 727,149 757,367 726,294 166,039change from prior year 9,420 30,218 (31,073) (13,848)

TOTAL ITEMS IN BASKET 7,981,154 7,827,633 8,083,355 7,924,328 1,897,165change from prior year (153,521) 255,722 (159,027)

BASKET SIZE $ 44.03 $ 44.05 $ 45.39 $ 44.61 $ 44.46AVG ITEMS PER TRANSACTION 11.12 10.76 10.67 10.91 11.43AVG COST PER ITEM $ 3.96 $ 4.09 $ 4.25 $ 4.09 $ 3.89CCM 2013 2014 2015 2016 FY 2017 Q1

SALES $1,985,164 $2,051,492 $2,063,631 $2,075,339 $473,799change from prior year $66,328 $12,139 $11,709 $29

CUSTOMER COUNT 190,047 195,398 193,209 197,552 43,829change from prior year 5,351 (2,189) 4,343 196

TOTAL ITEMS IN BASKET 652,248 617,493 599,418 674,906 164,146change from prior year (34,755) (18,075) 75,488

BASKET SIZE $ 10.45 $ 10.50 $ 10.68 $ 10.51 $ 10.81AVG ITEMS PER TRANSACTION 3.43 3.16 3.10 3.42 3.75AVG COST PER ITEM $ 3.04 $ 3.32 $ 3.44 $ 3.08 $ 2.89WRJ 2013 2014 2015 2016 FY 2017 Q1

SALES $9,440,741 $9,727,611 $10,150,100 $10,408,005 $2,567,283change from prior year $286,870 $422,490 $257,905 $29,014

CUSTOMER COUNT 361,468 362,253 368,627 386,590 92,670change from prior year 785 6,374 17,963 (197)

TOTAL ITEMS IN BASKET 2,855,596 2,871,959 2,942,426 3,064,418 786,578change from prior year 16,363 70,467 121,992

BASKET SIZE $ 26.12 $ 26.85 $ 27.53 $ 26.92 $ 27.70AVG ITEMS PER TRANSACTION 7.90 7.93 7.98 7.93 8.49AVG COST PER ITEM $ 3.31 $ 3.39 $ 3.45 $ 3.40 $ 3.26


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Finance and IT: Letter of Intent (LOI) for Lebanon - We are close to reaching an agreed LOI for the Lebanon

Store. The broad terms are for a 15-year lease with 2 ten year options to renew, $21.00 sf in rent, future increases tied to the CPI with a potential catch up at the end of every 5 years and tenant improvement money from the landlord. Once the LOI is agreed, the contract language negotiations begin.

May’s Financial Results - Consolidated results show a savings before tax (SBT) of $41,724 versus a budgeted SBT of $60,590. Sales were $95,310 behind budget resulting in gross margin being $8,948 under budget. Year to date, consolidated SBT is ($313,805) versus a budgeted SBT of ($353,125). It is important to note, that SBT for the month and YTD are lower by approximately $49,000 and $98,000, respectively due to provisions being taken for our self-funded health plan. In other words, excluding our health care costs impact to the P&L, SBT for the month would have been approximately $91,000 versus $60,590 budgeted and year to date approximately ($217,000) versus ($353,125) budgeted.

Customer Count and Basket Size - Through May, consolidated customer count was down 10,777 versus the same period in 2016, but basket size was higher by $0.53 to an average of $36.49. Lebanon bears the brunt of the customer count decline being down 20,133 from the same period last year. However, Lebanon’s basket size is up $1.09 for an average basket size of $44.28. For the same period, Hanover’s customer count is up 9,622 and basket size is up +0.25 to an average of $41.75.

ECRS Update - Standard operating procedures (SOP’s) have been developed in working draft form for Password protection, Cashier Reconciliation, Receiving, Merchandising, Cash Handling and Member Services. This is the first critical step prior to the “Lab’ being opened to employees in the stores and Buck Road. Testing and training on the system will continue through July. The

Basket Size 2013 2014 2015 2016 FY 2017 Q1Consolidated Food Stores $ 37.36 $ 37.65 $ 37.02 $ 36.61 $ 36.86Hanover $ 45.00 $ 45.76 $ 41.72 $ 42.29 $ 42.20Lebanon $ 44.03 $ 44.05 $ 45.39 $ 44.61 $ 44.46CCM $ 10.45 $ 10.50 $ 10.68 $ 10.51 $ 10.81White River $ 26.12 $ 26.85 $ 27.53 $ 26.92 $ 27.70

Items per Transaction 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017Consolidated Food Stores 9.97 9.74 9.23 9.41 9.96Hanover 11.99 11.87 10.37 10.64 11.16Lebanon 11.12 10.76 10.67 10.91 11.43CCM 3.43 3.16 3.10 3.42 3.75White River 7.90 7.93 7.98 7.93 8.49

Cost per Item 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017Consolidated Food Stores $ 3.75 $ 3.87 $ 4.01 $ 3.89 $ 3.70Hanover $ 3.75 $ 3.86 $ 4.02 $ 3.97 $ 3.78Lebanon $ 3.96 $ 4.09 $ 4.25 $ 4.09 $ 3.89CCM $ 3.04 $ 3.32 $ 3.44 $ 3.08 $ 2.89White River $ 3.31 $ 3.39 $ 3.45 $ 3.40 $ 3.26

Notes:1. Basket Size = Sales /Customer Count2.Avg Items per Transaction = Items/Customer Count3. Avg Cost per Item = Sales/Items


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‘Go Live’ dates for rolling the system out to our receiving departments are: Lebanon on August 7th, Hanover on August 10th, WRJ on August 14th, and CCM on August 16th. The rollout dates for our front end in the stores (POS) are Lebanon on August 21st, Hanover on August 24th, WRJ on August 28th and CCM on August 31st.

Binary Investment Management System – has been acquired so we can more easily track member’s A shares (including partial and cash) as well as both Classes of B shares -original B as equity and New B as debt. The system will allow us to maturity dates for every rollover. My vision is to have the system produce ‘annual statements’ to members reflecting their share ownership, any maturity dates for B shares and ideally when ECRS is fully running, the amount of their spending at the Coop, including their discounts for shopping on the 15th and 16th. I view this feature as a 2018 rollout, with planning to begin now.

Lebanon Store Update

Continued focus on hot food sales through promotion of the theme day in PFD Continue to work with teams by helping them understand the effects of implementing ECRS

and Co Op kitchen initiatives Work with landlord to fix safety hazards around the store IE: raised curb outside Remerchandise “area 51” for strategic buys Write minimum staffing (MOCK) schedules to increase productivity and save labor dollars Monitor hours to prevent unnecessary overtime Train all department managers to put schedules into Paylocity to monitor clock in and out

times for better payroll controls Implement Ask ME buttons on front end for new member sign ups

Hanover Store Update Prepare for increased Floral sales for Dartmouth Graduation, Hanover High, and Lebanon.

Work to meet the demand for sales for Dartmouth Alumni week beginning before Dartmouth Graduation, and the following week.

Planning for increased sales in remainder of the store supporting graduation parties and functions.

Increased beverage, beer, and wine sales. Planning special displays to provide items we know out of shoppers will be looking for.

Working to support understaffed departments to meet increased demand for increased sales. Last week of the month will be devoted to planning for July 4th sales. We will be creating

special displays for that week-end. White River Store Update

Creating attractive displays and cross merchandising of new items. Placing additional displays of higher volume items throughout the store. Ex. bananas on

display near the cereal, wine stacks in front of the seafood case, onions/potatoes in wooden baskets near meat case.

Support HCCF fund through display of wine on endcap utilizing highly visible signage and marketing techniques.

Coop Kitchen Update

The Kitchen is now packaging all soups – increasing the available varieties in all locations


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Green salads are now delivered on the first truck daily – opportunity to build early morning sales

New windows and doors will be going in to the facility within 2 weeks Preparing for transition of Baking/Breakfast production

Community Market Update

Continued focus on the dinner program with some seasonal summer options Expanded staff cross-training to help store coverage and increase customer service in all

departments Wider selection of Floral products to include more cut flowers, hanging flowers, and potted

items More food, wine, and beer demos

Service Station New Technician starts 6/20 Strategizing plans as a team to make up sales dollars over the next 26 weeks of the year. How to better capture business –(not being so far scheduled out) More efficient scheduling Finish up Rewards program Completing a seasonal car care planner to use in the Cooperator Actuals Verses Prior FY/YTD Reporting Period:

Sales: Gasoline +10.05% Gallons -3.61% Price/Gallon: +14.16% Sales: Repair -.3.3%

Merchandising In cooperation with store Operations staff and some of our vendor partners, we hosted a

“Summer Kick-off” grilling sampling event on Friday May 26th. Customers were excited to sample product and meet our vendors.

We’ve been working with Marketing and store Operations to promote and display items that NCG is running on promotion and also providing a coupon for point-of-purchase. The promotional price plus the coupon discount is giving customers a deeper than usual savings. We’re showing a significant increase in sales for these items.

Working with one of our local distributors, Provisions International in WRJ, we’ve negotiated a better price on Jarlsberg specialty cheese and we’re able to offer at a much more competitive retail than we could before. This has been a very price sensitive product for our customers.

Due to staff changes within our department, and the implementation of ECRS coming shortly, we are looking to restructure and streamline the Merchandising department with the ultimate goals of efficiency and providing the greatest benefit to sales and support of store staff in implementing new items and promotions.


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Membership:

2017 January through May

New Members Cancellations Net Change in Memberships January 64 10 54 February 63 13 50 March 72 4 68 April 80 15 65 May 74 10 64 YTD 353 52 301 2016 YTD 491 45 446

91 8475 80 77

11194

141122

9583

70

109122

79

10081

105 110 116131

8771

5964 6372 80 74

102030405060708090

100110120130140150

New Members 2015-2017

2015 2016 2017

2

57

New Subscribers by LocationMay

Hanover

Lebanon

WhiteRiver

22

33

14

New Members by LocationMay


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Pennies for Change:

Total Member Donations Since June 2016: $239,905.83

Total Collected April 2017: $19,433.52

May Food Access Recipients Total Donated to Food Access Recipients 2017 Listen - $4,111.92 Listen - $ 20,461.26 Haven - $4,111.92 Haven - $ 20,461.26 Willing Hands -$ 4,111.92 Willing Hands - $ 20,461.26 May Community Partners Community Restorative Justice $6,167.89 Northern Stage $2,055.96

HR: Paylocity has been rolled out to all locations. Employees are now punching in and out

using the new time and attendance module. Lisa Tucker has gone to all locations to provide training to managers on how to use the new system and will continue to meet with managers and employees over the next few weeks to continue training and to answer any questions about the system and its features.

We have received payment from the State of NH for 50% of our expenditures for the manager training and technical training classes for employees which were held in 2015, 2016 and 2017. The State accepted our final report and reimbursement application as filed and sent us $36,997.75 in reimbursement funds. This was a collaborative effort headed by Lori Hildbrand and Paul Lambe with a huge assist from Kate Keating.

Members of Management Team visited with employees at 6 locations during the week beginning May 15th as part of our regular quarterly listening sessions with staff. The meetings are geared towards updating staff on organizational initiatives, our financial status and topics on which we would like to gather feedback from the employees. The most recent round of meetings included an update on the Co-op Kitchen (new name of the Commissary as voted on by employees) project and the implementation of Catapult, the new perpetual inventory software system. Further discussions on other topics followed in each location.

Our HR Director, Lori Hildbrand, has met with managers in Hanover, White River Junction and Lebanon to provide training on HR 101 – A refreshers for managers. The subject matter is based on the life cycle of an employee and what the manager’s role is at each stage. A fourth and final training on this topic will be held at Buck Road on June


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19th. More trainings are planned on a quarterly basis to work with managers on specific HR topics that will strengthen our managers’ skill sets.

A review of our employee handbook has been undertaken by a committee formed by our board to address member and employee concerns regarding at-will employment at the Co-op. The committee is made up of board members, members, employees and our own General Manager and Director of Human Resources. The at-will language has been a point of significant discussion for members and staff since June 2014 and is being replaced by new language that is aligned with our board policy EL5. New handbooks will be printed and distributed to all employees this summer.

Public Relations:

In early June, Allan attended the board meeting and annual conference of the Cooperative

Communicators Association. This annual event is a multi-day opportunity for professional training. As part of a fundraising auction, Reetz offered voice-over services to support the Shirley K. Sullivan Fund for Cooperative Scholarships. NCBA/CLUSA was the winning bidder and will likely use the service for marketing of its upcoming Co-op Impact event this fall.

Promotion of Sister Co-op Coffee program through local, regional and national media outlets.

Nomination of Terry Appleby for the Cooperative Hall of Fame is underway. Former colleagues have been contacted. Some responses have arrived. Nomination period officially opened on 6/15.

Coffee with a Cop held on May 18 was a success. We hope to have an event on the books for our White River Junction location by mid-July.

Communications planning for the coming 8-month period has been drafted by Allan and reviewed by Ed Fox. Topics to include: • HCCF • Local Food as Defined by State Law • Local Food Systems • Cooperative Business Model • Food Access and Education • Charitable Giving • The Importance of Seeds (Co-sponsorship of event held at Montshire Museum of Science)

Coordinate and participate in vendor and farm visits with the general manager. Upcoming visits include Taylor Farm and Garfield’s Smoke House.

Begin management of Hanover Co-op’s LinkedIn account.

GM:

Attended Hunger Mountain Coop Council Meeting: May 01 Met with NCG rep: Terry Bowling (and Paul Guidone): May 03 Participated in Board Committee: Member Engagement/Treatment of Staff: May 09 Attended financial orientation for board members: May 09 Attended Vital Communities: Corporate Council Meeting: May 10 Met with AGNE rep (and Paul Guidone): May 10 Participated in Coop Listening Sessions at all locations: May 15, 16, 17 & 18 Attended Vermont Business Roundtable meeting: May 16


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Attended VBSR annual meeting: May 17 Participated in Board Committee: Member Engagement/Treatment of Staff: May 19 Participated in Sr. Management team vision/engagement retreat: May 23 Met with Gabe Zoerheide ED of Willing Hands: May 24 Attended Listen Board of Directors meeting: May 25 Participated in HCCF Board Advisory Committee: May 31

Member Services:

New member-owner materials available at all stores. Lebanon Front End is testing buttons to recruit members.

CLC launched new class format with several new options for programs.

Co-op Kids: full camps running all summer, new series of free kids reading and cooking programs, girl scout education program ran in May, school visit in May to Hartford (~60 kids)

Filmed new co-op videos to run on monitors and social media for the summer.

Dinner in 30 program (meal kit) is doing well. Getting positive customer comments and people shopping the section all day.

A few employees attended Equal Exchange 'Action Forum' and are working with EE on developing new programs to spread the word about authentic fair trade.

B share exchange started- training for service desks, new forms created, drafting letter for direct mailings to canceled accounts and current members with B Shares.

Chew on This: first event went really well. Vibrant discussion on the changes to organic certification. Planning a panel on redefining local for early/mid August.

Paper Shred event was successful. Collected over 300 lbs of food (bought from the Co-op Basics line in the store) and shredded 5,500 lbs of paper. Another event being planned for the fall.


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Community Service:

Total # Hrs of Community Service in 2017

Total # of Staff Participated in Community Service Store

# of Staff Participated in Community Service by store

2017 Community Service Hrs

Hours Goal (2 hrs per staff member)

Goal - 800 hours Goal - Participation from 100% of Staff

Commissary 3 19.5 800

Lyme Road 0 0

Total %* of Staff Participation in

Buck Road 17 144.5


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Total Cumulative Hours Volunteered:

Community Service

Hanover 3 6.5

397.75 10.25% Lebanon 10 86.25

Park Street 0 0

Hours Surpassing our Goal:

* % is based on an estimated staff level of 400 employees

WRJ 8 141

-402.25 Totals: 41 397.75

Total % of Hours Completed 49.72%

Co-op Driven Community Service:

Non-Co-op Driven Community Service:

212.75 185

Grocery & COOP Industry News and Trends

Amazon To Acquire Whole Foods Market For $13.7B: Shelby Report June 16 2017

Posted by Kristen Cloud Date: June 16, 2017

Amazon and Whole Foods Market on Friday announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement

under which Amazon will acquire Whole Foods Market for $42 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at

approximately $13.7 billion, including Whole Foods Market’s net debt.

“Millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it

fun to eat healthy,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “Whole Foods Market has been satisfying, delighting

and nourishing customers for nearly four decades – they’re doing an amazing job and we want that to continue.”

http://www.theshelbyreport.com/author/kristen/


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“This partnership presents an opportunity to maximize value for Whole Foods Market’s shareholders, while at the same

time extending our mission and bringing the highest quality, experience, convenience and innovation to our customers,”

said John Mackey, Whole Foods Market co-founder and CEO.

Whole Foods Market will continue to operate stores under the Whole Foods Market brand and source from trusted

vendors and partners around the world. John Mackey will remain as CEO of Whole Foods Market and Whole Foods

Market’s headquarters will stay in Austin, Texas.

Completion of the transaction is subject to approval by Whole Foods Market’s shareholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The parties expect to close the transaction during the second half of 2017.

The National Grocers Association (NGA) is out with its 2017 Independent Grocers Financial Survey, and here are some excerpts: • "Independents struggled to grow dollar sales in 2016 given the deflationary and highly competitive marketplace. Independent operators rated competition, led by supercenters, supermarkets and limited assortment stores, as their highest concern to growing sales and profitability. This is followed by healthcare costs and compliance, and local, state and federal government regulations. In a tough marketplace, sales declined for many retailers, with an average decrease in same-store sales of -1.62%. However, when adjusted for deflation, sales were flat compared with 2015, at -0.3% versus -0.4%, respectively." • "Independent grocers carefully managed inventory, assortment and margins. While deflationary conditions allowed for some margin relief in meat and deli, fierce price competition led by some of the nation’s largest chains resulted in margin pressure for other categories. Overall, the total store margin was stable at 27.13% in 2016." • "Controlling expenses remained a key focus in 2016. Expenses were largely unchanged from 2015, totaling 23.04% of sales in 2016. Labor and benefits remained the largest expenses, reaching a new record of 14.84% of sales. Lower unemployment resulted in rising store labor costs (12.63% of sales) and higher staff turnover, which averaged 48.9% among part-time and 17.1% among full-time employees." • "Dollar sales declines combined with flat margins and expenses led to a decrease in net profit before taxes in 2016, at 0.98% versus 1.44% in 2015. EBITDA was much stronger, at 1.85%, down from 2.46% — indicating that independents are still cash flowing. The profit leaders, measured as the top 25th percentile in net profit before taxes, averaged 4.70% in net profits. They actually improved their performance in 2016 and widened the gap between them and the other retailers. The profit leaders tend to operate slightly larger stores that averaged a greater number of weekly transactions, at a higher transaction size. Profit leaders focused on fresh, with a higher sales allocation hand in hand with higher margins. But they also focused on managing inventories, shrink and reinvesting into their businesses while minimizing long-term debt."


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Grocery Stores: 'The Best Of America And The Worst Of America'

May 15, 20172:25 PM ET

Heard on All Things Considered

Author Michael Ruhlman says U.S. grocery stores represent extraordinary luxury that most Americans don't even think about. Kelly Jo Smart/NPR hide caption

Grocery stores in America have changed from neighborhood corner markets to multimillion-dollar chains that sell convenience — along with thousands of products — to satisfy the demand of the country's hungry consumers. What caused this transformation? And what will our grocery stores be like in the future?

The Buying and Selling of Food in America

by Michael Ruhlman

Award-winning food writer Michael Ruhlman, author of more than 20 books — including the best-seller The Soul of the Chef and co-author of The French Laundry Cookbook with chef Thomas Keller — examines this phenomenon through the story of the Midwestern grocery chain Heinen's. His new book, Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America, not only offers insights on how we produce, distribute and buy food, but seeks ways of understanding our changing relationship with what we eat and how we get it.

To talk about some of these issues, NPR's Ari Shapiro of All Things Considered met with Ruhlman at a Harris Teeter grocery store in Washington, D.C.

Interview Highlights

We're going to dig into the store and wander around its various sections. But just standing here at the entrance, you can see a bit of produce, a bit of prepared food, a magazine rack, charcoal. Is there something you didn't know before you started researching the book that you now see in a different way?

The sheer quantity of stuff that we buy and that's available to us. It represents the extraordinary luxury that Americans have at our fingertips, seven days a week.

We are in the first section that most people usually walk into in a grocery store: produce. It was so interesting to read about the time that you spent with the produce buyers behind Heinen's — the chain in Cleveland — and the debates they had about whether the cantaloupes were sweet enough, whether there were enough plums, whether anybody would buy the stone fruit after back-to-school in September ... the things that we as customers never see.

We don't. We just expect it to be here: "I want peapods for my stir-fry tonight. Where are they, I expect them to be here." And [the store] wants you to have them. If you come there and they don't have peapods, they're going to lose a customer. The business is run at such a narrow margin that they really want to keep their customers, which is why you're almost always asked at good grocery stores, "Did you find everything you need?" Because that's one reason why people don't come back.

http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/2017/05/15/528443161

http://www.npr.org/books/authors/138131243/michael-ruhlman


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Let's work our way to the packaged stuff in the center. In a typical grocery store, how many different products are you going to find?

There are about 40,000. In the past couple of decades it's gone up from about 7,000. Food manufacturers have found that they can increase demand and sell more products if they give you more variety. For instance, barbecue sauces: Caribbean jerk, sesame ginger, Hawaiian, teriyaki ... when's it going to end? There's got to be a limit as to how much we can actually absorb and choose from.

A typical grocery store now sells about 40,000 products, compared with about 7,000 a couple of decades ago, Ruhlman says.

I get the sense that you feel a little conflicted. On one hand, the grocery store is the embodiment of the greatest pinnacle of human achievement, and on the other hand, it's row after row of depressing, processed, sugar-filled junk.

Yes. It's the best of America and the worst of America right here in one bright neon-lit landscape. My father died shortly before I started [researching the book]. He loved grocery stores, and that's part of why I [did this.] I think the grocery store is sort of a nostalgic place. We want to think the people who care about our food care about us. It goes back to that corner grocery store. But I don't think they do anymore.

So far, it doesn't seem like grocery delivery has really taken off. Do you see that changing?

I do believe more people will get their commodity groceries — the Cheerios, the cranberry juice, all the stuff in the middle of the grocery store they will get it delivered, because it's all the same no matter where it comes from. The whole center of the store is going to go away or it's going to be filled with specialty goods. That's my hope. Grocery stores are going to shrink and become more specialty stores, and they're going to sell better food.

Is that, in some sense, a return to what it was like in the early days of the grocery store?

That's exactly what it's returning to — when a small grocery would sell a variety of very special hand-picked goods.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Congrats on your grand reopening, Littleton!: NCG Newsletter May 2017

Over the past weekend, members and community members celebrated the grand reopening of Littleton Food Co-op after completion of a three-year expansion project. Since the co-op opened in 9,000 retail sq. ft. just eight years ago (May 2009), it had grown so that an expansion was needed. With this project, they added over 7,600 sq. ft. to the building, increasing to 14,200 sq. ft. of retail. The project cost was $3.3M, almost as much as the $3.4M spent opening the store originally, and financing was provided by $600K in member loans, along with $1.9M in New Market Tax Credits and outside loans ($4/3M, which also included refinancing of all of the co-op’s debt). The co-op is projecting annual sales volume of $12M in its expanded space, approximately 20% up from prior volume. Besides allowing the co-op to expand its retail offerings, the project featured energy-saving investments throughout (solar, LED, Freeaire), adding doors to 140 ft. of coolers, as well as the addition of electric car charging stations. The project also allowed the co-op to move from off-site office space with the addition of 1,900 sq. ft. of upstairs office space. Congrats to Ed and everyone at the Littleton Co-op on completing this big remodel!


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NCG Returns over $1M to Members, Celebrates Return on Investment May 2017

NCG history buffs will recall that our organization was originally formed as a national association of regional

cooperative grocers associations (CGAs). Seeking to better leverage strengths and resources, in 2004 these CGAs

agreed to a “joyful transfer” of assets that reorganized NCG into our current direct membership model. Since that

time, we have consistently been profitable. In fact, NCG’s first patronage dividend was declared in 2005—just a

year after our historic reorganization—and we’ve declared a patronage dividend in 10 of the last 11 years!

We are thrilled to announce that for 2016, NCG’s board of directors has declared a qualified patronage dividend

of $3,650,000, with 20% paid to members and 80% retained by NCG. Also, the board approved the final

payment of non-qualified patronage declared in 2005, and a full payout of the retained patronage declared in

2006. This results in a total cash payment to members of $1,029,280.

The total patronage dividends cash payment to members since 2005 now exceeds $4.7 million dollars! That is

an impressive result and a true testament to the value that NCG delivers to our owners as we strive to fulfill the

mission and ends set forth by our Board.

The growth and development of NCG would not have been possible without the leadership shown by our founding

co-ops and NCG’s staff. A shared vision of what could be possible through increased cooperation was the catalyst

for the organization we are today. Membership in NCG has proven to be an excellent investment and we are

proud to share that success!

What’s a Patronage Dividend?

Co-op members are owners of the co-op! When the co-op earns a profit (income minus expenses), the co-op

must return that profit to its owners. While this is not unique in business (in other corporations, it’s called a

“dividend”), in co-ops, what is distinct is that the distribution is made proportionate to the owners’ use of the co-

op. These distributions are called patronage dividends, rebates or refunds. For example, if a co-op owner’s

purchases accounted for 10% of the total sales of a co-op, that owner’s portion of the “profit” to be distributed

would be 10%.

https://www.ncg.coop/about-us


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Monitoring Report EL 12 – Board Logistical Support Submitted by Edward Fox June 2017

The General Manager will not allow the Board to have inadequate logistical support.

Operational Definition / Interpretation: The Board must have adequate support from Co-op staff to properly perform its governance role. Staff support is assumed to include any support needed by the Board, and not just the support provided by the Board Administrator.

Logistical support is interpreted as management of the flow of information to and from the Board in assisting governance.

Support for the Board is specified in the sub-policies that follow.

Accordingly, the GM will not:

EL 12.1: Provide the Board with insufficient staff administration to support governance activities and Board communication.

Operational Definition / Interpretation: I interpret support for governance activities and Board communication to encompass a variety of tasks. The Board is to be provided with information to make governance decisions, a means of documenting its work and methods to ensure its work is communicated. I interpret the provision of information to the Board to be directed by the Board’s own policies and practices.

Data: The General Manager and Board Administrator met with the Co-op Board President formally on a monthly basis to discuss the Board’s meeting agenda, topics, reporting and other related issues. The Board Administrator prepared a monthly packet for each Board meeting which was distributed on a timely basis (generally one week prior to the meeting). Hard copies of the Board packet were also available if requested. Other information was provided to Board members throughout the year, including draft minutes to the Co-op President and Secretary, information on areas of Board interest or concern and a variety of materials on governance. In addition, the Administrator distributed correspondence and information to the Board through individual mail boxes.

o Financial Training sessions for Board members o Financial data and analyses provided to support GM’s Board report, including answering questions

prior to and during Board meetings o Ensuring all new board members are registered/reviewed with the liquor commissions of NH and VT. o IT support in establishing Co-op email accounts for directors o IT support to ensure mail is directed to personal accounts for directors o IT support for Board meeting presentations, and at the Annual Meeting o Discussion/negotiation with outside counsel and state regulators with respect to B shares and other

currently pending issues o Direct internal management of the audit process and working with the Auditor to conduct the annual

audit. o Reporting to Coop creditors on the Coop’s financial health o Solicit Agenda items for Board meetings from Chair, GM, Finance Director, Department Managers

(as necessary), and Committee Chairs o Assist with logistics for Board meetings, including securing locations, proper notice and advertising,

audio/visuals, speakers, and any necessary items including food and beverages, as needed.


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o Maintains records and minutes and/or notes from all Committee meetings and provides logistical support for location, agendas, attendance and timely notice to the membership.

o Assists in preparation of agenda items, including Committee reports and memos to the Board as necessary

o Provides facility support including reserving, ensuring proper equipment, and keeping digital records of all such meetings

o Provides staff and support for Board driven Vision Team working with consultant to establish a vision for the Co-op and look at long-term strategies to meet goals set to acquire this vision. Assisting with the evolution of the Vision Team to include more Management and staff and continue to report to the Board on tactics and avenues set forth by the Team.

o Through the Board Administrator provides a conduit through which the Board can communicate with Management and Co-op Staff to help achieve their goals and communicate with the membership.

o Co-op management assisted the Co-op’s Auditors, hired by the Board, to produce a “clean” audit report. Financial and other information was provided according to the Board’s Executive Limitation’s policies.

o Co-op staff provided support in the production of Co-op events, including the Annual Meeting. The Board Administrator took the lead role in these events, including the retention of venues, provision of food, coordinating communications and providing logistical support.

o The Board Administrator coordinated general support for Board officers, Election Committee, the Annual Meeting Committee and various ad hoc and Committee meetings

o The Board Administrator and staff supported and participated in “issue related” formal board committees.

o Advertising, both internally and externally, was provided Outreach and PR Departments.

Outreach Support:

o Ongoing support: o Web support: posting minutes and agenda, updating profiles, updating board candidates, updating

calendar regular and special meetings, updating related to specific board events throughout the year.

o The Board is invited to all Co-op events and classes (Earth Day, Food Drives, Producer’s Fair, etc) throughout the year and offered support for these events when needed (handouts, buttons, set up, etc).

o Specific 2016 projects: o B Shares: designed, printed and dispersed education material including handouts, posters, website

materials, blog posts, and video. Updated, posted, printed new bylaws. o Nominations: newspaper ads, social media promotion, in store posters, monitor slides, website,

print/post candidate handbook, o Voting: Design/print posters, handouts, ballots, candidate statements, design/mail voting packet,

collection of ballots, facilitation of ballot counting, manage separate voting site, communication of results via web, social media, in-store posters

o HCCF: General promotion of HCCF- blog posts, posters, monitor slides o Golf tournament: design work, tournament program, coordinate event, facilitate website, dedicated

staff to help during event, photography during event, social media promotion, website posting o HCCF in store fundraising: design and printing of materials, monitor slides, posters o Retirement party: posters designed and printed, email blast, photography at event


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o Annual Meeting: Posters printed and designed for multiple store locations (a frames, black frames, banners, small posters, etc) social media promotion, newspaper ads, posters printed for event, hand out materials design/print, membership support for event, website promotion, and monitor slides

o King Award: in store posters, social media, and website

Compliance: I report compliance.

EL 12.2: Allow the Board to be without a workable mechanism for official Board, officer or committee communications.

Operational Definition / Interpretation: The Board has means to communicate its positions to various stakeholder groups. I interpret this sub-policy to cover the means to communicate and not the content or effectiveness of the communications of the Board, its officers or its committees.

Data: The Board has various tools and resources at its disposal to aid communication, including, but not limited to, the Co-op’s website, print material, graphics, electronic media and radio. The Board is also provided with staff resources to help convey its official communications.

Disseminate info: o Avenues through which the board has had communication in 2016/2017 o In Store: A-frames, monitors, education space, black frames, small posters, handouts,

banners, in-person at events o External: newspaper ads, online advertising, direct mailing, listserves o Digital: website, blog, facebook, twitter, youtube, email blasts

Avenues through which the board can receive info from members: o Email account for the board (promoted on website) o In store comment boxes o Participation in co-op events o Co-op general email comments box o Social media messaging o Member survey conducted in 2017 with several board designed questions

Over the past year the Board was provided logistical support and resources for communications on the following issues, as examples: the Board Administrator, Member Services and Outreach Director and other staff provide Committee support to the multitude of Board Committees, such as the Election Committee – providing clerical support and coordination for the committee, staff involvement, printed materials production and distribution for both internal and external audiences; Hanover Co-op Community Fund Annual Meeting Committee – in-store signage and materials, external advertising, mailed information and notices; Board minutes – clerical support and posting on the Co-op website


EL 12.3: Allow Board Members to be without an updated copy of the Policy Register and the Bylaws.

Operational Definition / Interpretation: This sub-policy is clear and can be taken at face value.

Data: All Board members were provided with updated copies of the Policy Register. In addition, when changes were made to Board policies during the year new pages to the Policy Register were provided in a


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timely manner (replacement pages placed in Directors’ mail boxes following the monthly meeting when changes were made).

All Board members were provided with copies of the current Bylaws. In addition, considerable time and staff support for notifying the members of recommended Bylaw changes (via a mailed Voting Packet including information on Board of Director Candidates and Bylaw revisions), which included changes in the Capital share structure (Class B shares) and Board Director terms and elections. These changes were properly warned, voted on, ballots were counted and documented to maintain compliance and incorporated into the 2017 Revised Bylaws and made immediately available to members and to the Board.


12.4: Provide inadequate information and notice to members concerning Board actions, meetings, activities and events.

Operational Definition / Interpretation: Actions of the Board are communicated to the members of the Co-op. Members are made aware of important activities and events of the Co-op that are of particular concern to the Board, such as notice of meetings.

Data: All regular meetings of the Board of Directors were warned to the membership in a timely fashion. Full public Agenda Packets are posted on the Co-op website at least 2 days prior to the properly warned Board meeting and made available at the Board meeting for any members in attendance.

At each monthly meeting of the Board minutes of the previous month’s meetings were approved and the Board Administrator ensured they were posted on the Co-op’s website. In addition, the Board Secretary sends the Board Administrator Board meeting Re-caps to be posted within two days after monthly Board meetings. Once minutes are approved, they are posted on the website and made available by request.

Board Administer maintains Board Calendar and ensures all Executive Limitations, and Governance Policy reviews happen in a timely manner and are reviewed at least annually. Keeps Board on task with proper monitoring and review of set Bylaws and Governing Policies.

All required notices to members to fulfill the Board’s legal governance responsibilities were made within specified time limits and through specified means. These included notice of the Annual Meeting, Board candidate statements and voting information.

Information and reports from the Board via the Co-op President were provided to members through electronic issues of the Co-op News and in the Annual Report. In addition individual Board members are encouraged to sign up to submit, on a rotating basis, a monthly newsletter to be posted on the website and sent to members via email.

Board members were provided with access to members through public presentations on topics of store operations and with a booth at the annual Producer’s Fair. Board candidates were afforded time to speak with members in the stores.



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APPENDIX A

DRAFT MINUTES, May 24, 2017

Present: Ann Sargent Shriver, Don Kreis, Thomas Battles, Dana Grossman, Kevin Birdsey, Ed Howes, William Craig, Anthony Roisman, Victoria Fullerton, Benoit Roisin, Elizabeth Blum

Absent:

Harrison Drinkwater

Staff: Ed Fox, General Manager; Paul Guidone, Director of Finance; April Harkness, Board Administrator; Amanda Charland, Member Services & Outreach Director; Lori Hildbrand, Director of Human Resources; Allan Reetz, Director of Public Relations

Guests: Members:

Bertil Agell and Carl Etnier, Hunger Mountain Co-op Council Members Diane Guidone

Tony called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. in the Culinary Learning Center of the Lebanon, NH, store.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS Discussion: Tony Roisman stated that because of a pending job opportunity he is unsure if he’ll be able to commit to serving as President of the Board.

MOTION: Ed Howes moved to nominate Bill Craig for position of President of the Board.

Tom Battles seconded the motion.

Discussion: Dana Grossman suggested that the Board wait to decide on the Presidency until Tony knows whether or not he’s been offered and has accepted the new job.

MOTION: Dana Grossman moved to table the decision on President of the Board until Tony receives notice of the job opportunity.

Benoit Roisin seconded the motion.

Discussion: After further discussion on whether Tony would accept the Presidency before he receives word about the job opportunity (which he expects will be very soon) and a review of the related Bylaws, it was decided as a group that electing Tony to the Presidency, even if very temporary, would allow the Board more time to process the information and consider an alternative President.

MOTION: Dana Grossman withdrew her motion to table the decision of President and made the motion to nominate Tony Roisman for President of the Board with the understanding that conditions may soon prevent him from being able to serve as President.


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Benoit Roisin seconded the motion.

VOTED: 10 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstained, 1 absent. The motion passed.

Discussion: Tony Roisman accepted the Presidency with the qualifier that all Board members make themselves available to attend a properly warned Special Meeting of the Board, if necessary, on Thursday, June 1st from 6:00 – 6:15 p.m. at the CLC in the Lebanon store to fill an officer vacancy.

MOTION: Victoria Fullerton moved to nominate Liz Blum as Vice President of the Board.

Dana Grossman seconded the motion.


MOTION: Liz Blum moved to nominate Dana Grossman as Secretary of the Board.

Bill Craig seconded the motion.


MOTION: Bill Craig nominated Benoit Roisin as Treasurer of the Board.



CONSENT AGENDA

April 26, 2017 Meeting Minutes, and May 2017 Share Redemption Request

MOTION: Liz Blum moved to accept the April 26, 2017, meeting minutes.



MOTION: Ed Howes moved to approve the May 2017 Share Redemption Request. Dana Grossman seconded the motion.



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GENERAL MANAGER UPDATE Ed Fox introduced the Council Members from Hunger Mountain Co-op and thanked them for joining us. Liz encouraged our Board members to attend other Co-ops’ Board meetings as a great way to interact with other organizations and see how other Boards operate. Ed also reminded the new Board members that asking questions via email about the contents of the packet before the Board meeting is always welcome and the answers will be shared with all members of the Board. There was discussion about ongoing communications with the Vermont State Employee Credit Union (VSECU); in mid-June, they will join us in a meeting to talk about how we can expand the cooperative economy among different types of co-ops. Don also expressed his enthusiasm for cultivating cooperation between us and the VSECU. Dana noted that the Lebanon store and Community Market sections of the GM Report seem a little briefer than those of the other locations, and Ed said that in the future he’ll provide a more consistent and comprehensive narrative among all locations. Ann asked about having a conversation about the general decline in sales and the process for getting information and being able to respond as a Board to these larger issues. Paul reminded her that this can be accomplished through monitoring mechanisms such as EL 2.5, and looking at actuals vs. budgeted on a quarterly, rather than on a yearly basis, as he and Ed have suggested.

POLICY MONITORING (click here for link to the Co-op’s Policies below)

Monitoring Report : EL 9 – Cooperat ive Giv ing Program

The Co-op Giving Program will contribute to the quality of life in the Upper Valley and promote cooperation. MOTION: Ed Howes moved to accept EL 9 as in compliance. Bill Craig seconded the motion.

VOTED: 11 in favor, 1 absent. The motion passed.

GP Global – Governance Process Commitment and GP 1 – Governing Style There was discussion about the Survey Monkey questions and responses. It’s through these Governance Policies that the Board can self-monitor, but there is concern as to whether or not this is the best avenue and if the questions are formulated in the most effective way. After further discussion, Tony established a Governance Policy Evaluation Committee to evaluate the working of our policies and the way we monitor them. Kevin, Bill, and Paul will be on the Committee and will make recommendations to the Board. MEMBER COMMENTS Diane Guidone asked how organizations get information about the Co-op’s charitable giving opportunities. Benoit told her that there is a form to fill out, but there’s also a Committee that’s reviewing the current policies around giving, in addition to evaluating the many programs that are currently in place.

http://coopfoodstore.coop/?q=policies


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COMMITTEE UPDATES

Member Engagement/Treatment of Employees Committee (Appendix D)

Victoria said that the Committee met for a second time, and they recently consulted with an attorney regarding removing the existing at-will language from the 2017 Employee Handbook. The Committee is finalizing work on reconciling the language in the Handbook with EL 5 to be sure there’s consistency and to remove all references to at-will employment. The next Committee meeting will be June 5, and they’ll be moving on next to the issue of communication between the Board and members. Tony said that this Committee is an excellent example of employees, Board members, and members of the Co-op working together to look at an issue and make recommendations to enhance the relationships among them. There will be a re-issue of the Employee Handbook on July 1, and Lori will circulate a draft of all proposed changes to the Committee in the next week or so.

Charitable Giving Committee

Benoit said that the Committee had its first meeting to take stock of where we are with the eight programs that donate to various organizations in the area and the objectives of each program. They’re looking at the process for requesting donations and how to have the greatest impact. Tony reminded the Board that this Committee does not take the place of those people that are currently overseeing these long-running programs. The Committee may provide general objectives and themes, but management of the programs rests with the teams already in place.

HCCF Golf Tournament Committee

April gave an update on the 2017 HCCF Golf Tournament and told the Board that registrations are on track for the event on June 14 at Crown Point in Springfield, VT. Tony reminded the Board and the members that it’s open to the membership, and even if you aren’t participating, you’re welcome to come watch and enjoy the food and beverages from our generous vendors and donors.

NEW BUSINESS

Election Committee

The Board must elect a Chair of the Election Committee annually; Kevin was elected for the coming year. Ann and Bill will be on the Committee, and Ed will remain on it while he helps with the summary and recommendations from the previous year. Once that’s complete, he will remove himself from the Committee. Kevin will work on finding two additional non-Board Co-op members to serve on the Committee. The Committee will report to the Board and provide an agenda item for the next Board meeting.

Class B Shares Maturity Date (Appendix E) Paul offered his recommendation to the Board based on the membership’s vote to exchange existing Class B shares for new redeemable Class B shares. MOTION: Liz made the motion to offer new Class B shares (New Class B shares) to all members holding existing Class B shares as of May 1, 2017 (Old Class B shares), in exchange for Old Class B shares on a one-for-one basis;


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The New Class B shares have a fixed maturity date of ten (10) years from the date of said exchange of New Class B shares for Old Class B shares; The Coop notify its members of the offer and exchange of said New Class B shares in accordance with said Consent Agreement; Old Class B shares not exchanged for New Class B shares within the five (5) year period agreed to under the Consent Agreement shall be cancelled without compensation to the member/holder of Old Class B shares; and The Coop’s General Manager, by and through his delegees, is authorized and directed to take any and all such further steps as the General Manager deems appropriate in order to a) meet the Coop’s obligations under the Consent Agreement and b) otherwise effectuate the exchange, including, without limitation, establishing the actual date of exchange for each Old Class B share and the process for cancelling Old Class B shares.


VOTED: 11 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 absent. The motion passed.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

MOTION: Benoit Roisin moved to go into Executive Session at 8:20 p.m. to discuss an internal matter and to allow the employee Board members, the General Manager, and the Board Administrator to stay.

Liz Blum seconded the motion.


MOTION: Benoit Roisin moved to come out of Executive Session at 8:30 p.m.

Bill Craig seconded the motion.


ADJOURNMENT

MOTION: Tom Battles moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 p.m.

Kevin Birdsey seconded the motion.


Respectfully submitted,

April Harkness Dana Cook Grossman

Board Administrator Board Secretary


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DRAFT MINUTES, June 1, 2017 Special Meeting of the HCCS Board of Directors

Present: Dana Grossman, Kevin Birdsey, Harrison Drinkwater, Ed Howes, William Craig,

Anthony Roisman, Victoria Fullerton, Elizabeth Blum, Don Kreis, Thomas Battles, Ann Shriver Sargent

Absent:

Benoit Roisin

Staff: April Harkness, Board Administrator Members:

None

Tony called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. in the Culinary Learning Center, Lebanon store, NH.

Tony informed the Board that he’d been offered and accepted a position with the Vermont Public Service Board and so will no longer be able to serve as President of the HCCS Board. His new position is a 6-year appointment, and he feels he will not be able to commit the time it takes to be President of this Board but will be available to assist during the transition.

There was a brief discussion on the role of the President and the duties that are entailed—including but not limited to setting the monthly agenda, communicating with the Board Administrator several times a day, consulting with the General Manager and Director of Finance on at least a monthly basis, assisting with Board articles and press releases, and establishing Committees.

Harrison made a recommendation to have the Board consider the election of officers two weeks prior to the first Board meeting with newly elected members; however, Tony pointed out that the new Board members would not be seated yet, so could participate in the discussion but could not vote.

ELECTION OF PRESIDENT: MOTION: Ed Howes moved to nominate Bill Craig as President of the HCCS Board of Directors.


Discussion: Harrison asked Bill what he would like to see for the Co-op in the coming year. Bill replied that he’d like to see increased awareness around the financial stability of the organization and to make further strides in member engagement. Harrison also asked if Bill feels he has the time available to discharge the responsibilities of the role, and Bill said he thinks he does.


ADJOURNMENT: MOTION: Liz Blum moved to adjourn at 6:25 p.m.



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Respectfully submitted,

April Harkness Dana Cook Grossman

Board Administrator Board Secretary


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APPENDIX B

POPULAR CO-OP ARTICLES

WHAT NO ONE HAS TOLD YOU ABOUT ASPARAGUS AND WHY LOCALLY GROWN IS THE BEST Ken Davis A few years ago, a group of Upper Valley farmers sat down to coordinate their efforts and talk about asparagus—how to grow it, why to grow it, and who should grow it. One name kept coming up: Alex MacLennan, a thoughtful, innovative farmer whose family-owned, wholesale vegetable farm extends across a pristine stretch of rich Connecticut River Valley farmland in Windsor, Vermont. I met Alex a few years ago while touring his farm in late summer, the height of corn season. (Alex is famous for corn as well as asparagus.) There is a winding road there, and that day the sun was bright and warm. Alex wore a light blue shirt and an old cap, his eyes squinting in the sun. For small-scale, local asparagus growers like Alex, an ever-evolving, highly competitive global market has changed the asparagus business in the United States. “While the emergence of Peru as a year-round global asparagus supplier was good news for U.S. consumers, it had a considerable negative effect on the U.S. asparagus industry,” the USDA wrote in a report published a few years ago. “Peru’s success as a low-cost asparagus exporter played a large part in the recent decline of the U.S. asparagus industry.” Fewer U.S. growers are planting asparagus because of water shortages and low prices driven by competition from importers in Peru and Mexico. According to the USDA, Peru in particular has emerged as a significant fruit and vegetable exporter. And because the same products exported by Peru are grown in the United States, Peruvian exports affect U.S. growers and consumers. The outlook is even more bleak today, and the environment is paying a high price for it. Asparagus is draining Peru dry, creating water shortages to keep up with the demand of voracious western markets. Also, to have our favorite products on the shelves throughout the year, it means those products have to be shipped from half a world away. “We often leave an enormous carbon footprint with our choices,” writes Jaime King, a Co-op chef and food writer, “like Peruvian asparagus in January, which travels thousands of miles to hit our plates.” This brings us back to Alex. Locally grown produce, like MacLennan asparagus, is a beautiful, seasonal affair. Alex’s conscientious growing methods work with the land, the season, and the careful use of resources. The result? Delicious asparagus, happy planet.

http://coopnews.coop/author/coopnews/

http://www.maclennanfarm.com/

http://www.maclennanfarm.com/

http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/ers/FTS/2010s/2010/FTS-12-16-2010_Special_Report.pdf

http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/ers/FTS/2010s/2010/FTS-12-16-2010_Special_Report.pdf

http://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/asparagus-draining-dry/

http://coopnews.coop/ferns-part-2/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82wv9VluzyA


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PREPARATION TIPS MacLennan asparagus is in season now. Try our chef’s tips: Off-season, imported asparagus usually requires a few minutes in the pot. But Alex’s purple-tinged beauties cook in even less time with delicious results. This year, the first harvest spears have been bigger around. Some folks shoot for the pencil size, but this is a time when bigger really is better. You’ll get tons of mature flavor. Whatever the size coming in, MacLennan Farm offers a superior product.

TOP 5 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY FROM TOXINS Hannah Brilling Nutrition science is confusing. How many almonds will prevent heart disease but not cause weight gain? Can I meet my nutrient needs by eating a salad every day? Is skim or whole milk better? The questions are endless, and that’s just when it comes to food and how our bodies digest it.

However, I know I am not alone in also considering how environmental exposures might impact the “healthfulness” of foods. Thinking about arsenic, pesticides, fertilizers, and additives can make a person crazy. Then trying to consider how our food habits affect the health of the planet… oy.

Balancing these variables can feel like choosing between “less-bad,” “probably better,” and “not terrible.”

This is, in part, because we lack consistent and reliable information to judge these parameters: The long-term safety of chemicals inside and outside our food is usually not tested well enough to provide clear answers for consumers. Long-term scientific studies on lifestyle habits like food consumption, materials we eat out of, and what we put on our skin are very difficult to conduct because compliance tends to be low and controlling variables is difficult. For a deeper dive into the shortcomings of such studies, check out this podcast episode from Freakonomics—a show devoted to analyzing data and human behavior.

Because of a these data shortcomings (and the small matters of preference and habit), I consider food choices to be a gray area: For anyone who has ever asked me a question about nutrition, you may know that I give few black or white answers. In other words, this article is not going to tell you what to buy to prevent disease, to support perfect farming, or to completely avoid harmful chemicals—sorry!

What I will do is provide a larger context within which to make decisions and to identify low-hanging fruit that can have the greatest impact.

http://coopnews.coop/author/hannah/

http://freakonomics.com/podcast/theres-war-sugar-justified/


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One slice of pizza or super-sized cheeseburger does not instantly make a healthy person over-weight and disease-ridden. Similarly, the foods, chemicals, and environment to which we expose our bodies have a compounding effect. HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT: 1. MAKE SURE YOUR WATER IS SAFE The quality of the water you drink every day is probably more important than the type of apple (organic, local, GMO, etc.) that you eat occasionally. If your main water source comes from a city or town, reports are published annually that detail its components. Help deciphering such reports can be found here. In general there should be no issues with the safety of town or city tap water, as the EPA has the ability to enforce standards of quality. Any concerns about the taste of municipal tap water are usually well-controlled with a pitcher, faucet, or bottle filter (or infuse with fresh fruit!).

Well water in this area can contain arsenic and radon, so it is important to test your well every 3-5 years and take corrective action if needed. For more information, check out the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program’s new website as well as these NHDES resources.

4 OUT OF 5 CATS RECOMMEND THIS TAP WATER Think bottled water is a safer choice? Maybe not. Some bottled water, in fact, is tap water. While this may be a rip-off if you believe you’re drinking spring water from an idyllic mountain somewhere, at least it’s being regulated … unlike the actual spring water, which may not be. The FDA oversees bottled water like a food product and has little authority to conduct inspections or to hold companies accountable to do so themselves.

Bottled water is not subject to mandatory testing and may contain levels of minerals or contaminants that are not permitted in municipal tap water.

Then there is the added question of plastic packaging of water bottles: While the jury is out on the potential danger of plastic to humans, there is no doubt that the current load of disposable plastic is toxic to the planet. Last, but not least: Bottled water is definitely more expensive than the

http://www.hanovernh.org/sites/hanovernh/files/uploads/2015_consumer_confidence_report.pdf

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/about/guide-safe-tap-water-and-water-filters

http://coopnews.coop/top-5-ways-to-protect-your-family-from-toxins/foodandwaterwatch.org

http://www.ewg.org/research/ewgs-water-filter-buying-guide

https://www.brita.com/water-bottles/

http://www.zinganything.com/product/zingo-basic

https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/dwgb/well_testing/documents/well-testing.pdf

http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Earsenicandyou/water/testing.html

https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/dwgb/nhelap/documents/labs-private-wells.pdf

http://xml2.des.state.nh.us/DWITool/ResultEntry.aspx?usession=9fe66a09-9dcb-402e-9e7b-a15cbd46e6bf

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-bottled-water-health-0127-20160127-story.html

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/about/live-healthy/tap-water-vs-bottled-water

http://www.webmd.com/women/home-health-and-safety-9/safe-drinking-water?page=3

http://www.webmd.com/women/home-health-and-safety-9/safe-drinking-water?page=3

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/truth-about-tap

https://authoritynutrition.com/7-food-toxins-that-are-concerning/

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/03/tritan-certichem-eastman-bpa-free-plastic-safe

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150109-oceans-plastic-sea-trash-science-marine-debris/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/earth/freshwater-microplastics/


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alternatives. You’ll help your wallet, the planet, and be just as safe by choosing (tested well or municipal) tap water over bottled water.

2. CHOOSE CAREFULLY THE FOODS YOU EAT FREQUENTLY Eating a variety of foods in moderation is important not only to receive a proper distribution of vitamins and minerals, but also to maintain a healthy micro biome and to protect against any harmful attributes of particular foods. For example, as identified by Dartmouth’s Arsenic and You website, brown rice contains levels of arsenic that would be concerning for someone who eats it frequently, who might also consume brown rice syrup in granola bars and rice cereals on a regular basis. Their advice? No need to avoid brown rice altogether, as it is an otherwise healthy food, but you should vary grain intake to include things like quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat (all gluten-free). Another example is mercury in seafood: While the benefits of seafood far outweigh the risks, you may want to vary your seafood choices to mitigate exposure. Larger catch is more likely to contain toxic metals. For example, species most likely to contain high levels of mercury are King mackerel, marlin, swordfish, and ahi tuna. Sardines contain omega-3 fatty acids just like salmon, but are so small that they have less time to accrue toxins in their lifespan. Since each fish may be different, rotating the type you eat can help protect you from harmful levels. More on fish buying here.

3. THINK ABOUT YOUR SKIN It’s the largest organ in the body, and certain compounds may be absorbed from the skin into your body. As with food additives, we cannot count on regulation to protect consumers from new or un-tested ingredients: The FDA “oversees the multi-billion-dollar-a-year cosmetics industry but it lacks the power to approve products or ingredients before they hit store shelves, even though their contents have been shown to enter the body” (Scientific American). The ingredients in beauty products are “basically unregulated.” According to Scientific American, the E.U. has banned thousands of chemicals that are still used in cosmetic products the U.S. What to do about it? Although reading labels is helpful, some ingredients that are safe may seem unfamiliar, and the list of possible ingredients may be too long to keep track of. Individual company websites are very helpful, as those with stellar ingredients will generally break them down for you. Badgerbalm.com, drbronner.com, and seventhgeneration.com are helpful if those are products you buy on a regular basis (or might consider doing so after reading this).

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2015/09/21/what-does-eating-in-moderation-really-mean

http://www.eatthis.com/healthy-foods-in-moderation

http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Earsenicandyou/

http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Earsenicandyou/

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/mercury-guide

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/smart-seafood-buying-guide

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-safe-are-cosmetics/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/european-chemical-clampdown-reaches-across-atlantic/

https://www.badgerbalm.com/s-79-ingredient-glossary.aspx

http://www.drbronner.com/

https://www.seventhgeneration.com/ingredients-glossary


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YOU’RE GOING TO PUT THAT COCONUT OIL WHERE?

The Environmental Working Group [EWG] and the Campaign for Safer Cosmetics both publish lists of chemicals to avoid, and The Good Guide, EWG’s Skin Deep Database, Think Dirty, and other resources can help to verify the safety of purchases based on the available evidence.

Perhaps try your hand at some basic DIY solutions for household cleaners or cosmetics that use simple, safe ingredients and fragrances (my favorite way to use coconut oil).

4. WASH YOUR PRODUCE This cannot protect you from all kinds or quantities of pesticides, herbicides, or microorganisms, but it certainly can’t hurt. Remember to wash fruits like bananas, melons, lemons, and limes: Even though you won’t eat the peel itself, utensils and hands can spread things into edible areas. Fightbac has more information on proper food handling techniques. Consider buying locally. We are fortunate to live in a region with many small, local producers who are open and honest about their pest management and farming practices. If you are unsure about a product or food that you buy on a regular basis, always ask- you can probably find them at a local farmer’s market this summer!

Asking questions of your local farmer has a twofold benefit: First, you’ll be more informed about the food you’re eating. Second, the issues that are important to local consumers will become known to the farmer. The same goes for the Co-op: The more questions and comments we receive, the more we can adjust our offerings to meet the needs of our shoppers and members.

5. EAT FRESH Fruits and vegetables contain anti-oxidants that are beneficial to the plants, just as they are beneficial to the humans who eat them. As these foods sit in the fridge, however, they use their own anti-oxidants to protect against the harmful effects of aging. By the time we eat a wrinkled blueberry, some of the compounds that would have protected us have been used up. Buying foods more often

https://donate.ewg.org/images/Quick%20Tips%20for%20Choosing%20Safer%20Pesonal%20Care%20Products.pdf

http://www.safecosmetics.org/

https://www.goodguide.com/#/

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/464165/Dr._Bronner%27s_18-in-1_Hemp_Pure-Castile_Soap%2C_Lavender/

https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/

https://www.bcpp.org/our-work/personal-care-products/science-summary/

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/12/whipped-body-butter-recipe.html

https://www.auracacia.com/community/recipes/category/recipes-by-use

https://www.buzzfeed.com/gregoryperez/clean-a-dirty-car-with-this-nontoxic-diy-spray?utm_term=.kcWVrdXG7J#.movk0QRen3

https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/home/how-to-make-homemade-stain-remover/slide/3

http://blog.lulus.com/beauty/diy-lavender-coconut-whipped-body-butter/

http://www.fightbac.org/

http://coopnews.coop/upper-valley-farmers/

http://coopnews.coop/the-government-refused-to-ban-this-pesticide-here-are-some-local-farms-who-wont-use-it/

https://www.localharvest.org/lebanon-nh/farmers-markets

https://www.localharvest.org/lebanon-nh/farmers-markets

http://coopfoodstore.coop/contact

https://donate.ewg.org/images/Quick%20Tips%20for%20Choosing%20Safer%20Pesonal%20Care%20Products.pdf


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and in smaller quantities can help to preserve their health-promoting compounds and may also help save you money if food stays out of the trash!

THE GOOD NEWS? Many changes you can make to your diet in the name of preserving human health will also positively impact the health of the planet. For example, eliminating disposable water bottles and rotating your fish choices will both help to reduce waste from our food system. Without giving you too many details to worry about, I hope these suggestions have provided a larger framework to assess the safety of what goes in your mouth and on your skin, while also providing specific suggestions. Focus on those choices that have the greatest impact, and remember that even small changes can have a positive effect. If you have questions, you can always reach me at the email provided below.

Column: We’re Losing More Than EBAs Pizza Bill Craig, Ed Fox

The closing of Hanover’s Everything But Anchovies has left us with more than just hunger pangs.

The shuttering of a local business — be it a restaurant like EBAs or any other enterprise — weakens our regional economy in ways not easily corrected.

Hardest hit are the workers. Even a short disruption in cash flow makes it hard to retain housing or

buy necessities. These neighbors deserve our empathy and encouragement as they hustle to replace

lost income. When we choose to do business with locally owned businesses, our patronage lowers the risk of layoffs and creates more jobs.

Chain restaurants, stores and franchises do have considerable impact on local employment. These

firms employ our neighbors, who offer friendly service and work hard to earn our business and trust.

National and international chains have deep pockets, but their owners and shareholders live outside our region, so more of their profits flow out of the Upper Valley.

Locally owned businesses “play a key role in forming the foundation of community life,” notes Judy

Wicks in her book, Good Morning, Beautiful Business. Owners of local businesses make

extraordinary contributions to social programs, the arts and charitable organizations. While some

businesses based far away make generous contributions to local needs, some have policies that restrict giving.

Small businesses are the “best contributors to economic development,” adds Wicks, an entrepreneur

and founding member of the localism movement. According to a 2010 Michigan State University Study, $73 of every $100 spent at local businesses stays in local economies. By contrast, only $43


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of $100 spent at non-local businesses stays close to home. Local businesses and local patronage power local economies.

If we all did at least 10 percent of our shopping at locally owned businesses, we’d give a substantial

financial boost to them. The negative effect on big chains would be slight. But — as the closing of

Everything But Anchovies demonstrates — if customers shift 10 percent of their dollars away from locally owned businesses, the impact can be disastrous.

Spending locally may ask us for an added measure of faithfulness. Our loyalty may mean driving a

little farther, or spending a bit more on goods and services. But shopping locally supports a vibrant

business landscape. Only local spending can ensure us access to local goods and services, from the service station that keeps your car running to banks committed to local investment.

As we lament the loss of Everything But Anchovies, let’s use its closing as motivation to increase our

patronage of local businesses. At our Co-op, we know that businesses, farms, food producers and

service providers nourish community by cultivating cooperation. It takes work and commitment from all involved, but we all share in the long-lasting benefits of homegrown prosperity.

Bill Craig is Board President and Ed Fox is General Manager of the Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society.


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APPENDIX C

Product and Pricing and Net Promoter Score


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APPENDIX D

2017-2018 HCCS Board Committee List

1. Allan and Nan King Award* Members: Kevin Birdsey

2. Annual Meeting Committee Members: Benoit Roisin, Liz Blum, Dana Grossman

3. Budget Committee Members: Benoit Roisin (Chair), Dana Grossman

4. Bylaws Committee* Members: Tony Roisman (Chair)

5. Charitable Giving Committee Members: Benoit Roisin (Chair), Harrison Drinkwater, Tom Battles, Jane McCarthy

6. Co-op History Committee Members: Ed Howes (Chair), Bill Craig, Terry Appleby

7. Executive Committee Members: Bill Craig (Chair), Liz Blum, Benoit Roisin, Dana Grossman

8. Finance Committee* Members: (Board as a whole)

9. Member Engagement Committee* Members: Victoria Fullerton (Chair), Bill Craig, Dana Grossman

10. Member Engagement/Treatment of Employees Committee Members: Victoria Fullerton, (Chair), Tony Roisman (Co-Chair), Kevin Birdsey, Liz Blum, Ed Fox (GM), Lori Hildebrand (HR), Phil Pochoda (member), Dan Wilson (employee)

11. Elections Committee Members: Kevin Birdsey (Chair)

12. Recordings Committee* Members: Bill Craig, Harrison Drinkwater


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13. Retreat Committee* Members: Harrison Drinkwater (Chair), Kevin Birdsey, Tony Roisman

14. Strategic Planning Committee* Members: Liz Blum (Chair)

15. Policy Governance Committee* Members: Bill Craig (Chair)

*Needs a Charter

Need to update based on new board members and new non-board member’s interest


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APPENDIX E

Election Committee update:

From: Kevin Birdsey

The Election Committee has yet to meet and I have, as of this writing, not established contact with non-Board members to serve on the committee. Nonetheless, here is an outline and overview of the work for the committee in the coming months.

Committee membership (as of 6/20/17):

Kevin Birdsey, Chair; Bill Craig; Ann Shriver-Sargent

Timeline for next six months:

• July- convene • August- review/edit candidate info packet • September-December- solicit Board input for potential nominees; contact individuals • October- Recommend to full Board date for Annual Meeting and dates/length of voting period • October-December- invite potential candidates to attend Board meeting

This timeline is, with slight edits, pulled from Appendix 1 of our policy manual, but I would like to elaborate some. The task of guiding candidates through the process is the Election Committee’s, however recruitment should be the task of the full Board. Maintaining an open dialogue between potential candidates, Board members, and the Election Committee can help prevent situations where potential candidates only consider and do not apply come deadline. We want candidates to consider carefully, but a bare minimum of candidates leads to scrutiny of our recruitment efforts and, even worse, voter apathy.

Also, thinking back to the member engagement conversation at last year’s second Board retreat, Board candidacy is a level of the ladder of engagement. Despite it being a very select level, conversations about potential candidacy should be happening at events where a high level of member engagement is taking place, Producer’s Fair, member forums, etc.

The Election Committee will naturally work very closely with our Board Administrator and other members of the Member Services team. As previously stated, this committee has yet to convene and thus these are only my thoughts as chair. I will end with a paragraph from Lyn Schad, member of last year’s committee, because the spirit of her words echoes my own sentiments for this year’s committee, particularly in the months following the above timeline:

“In general I think the election committee’s role has morphed from the deciders to the guiders and is now charged with making the election relevant. Although we will not approve/disapprove of any candidate we can still guide them in presentation and encourage them to define their thinking with voting aids such as a short summary phrase of their candidacy. The next committee might get creative, might make the contest sexier, more artful and infused with life by shining a light on each candidate in turn and encouraging them each to show voters who they are.”


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APPENDIX F

To: Board of Directors, HCCS

From: Harrison

Re: Scholarship Fund Proposal, new HCCF advisor

Date: June 11, 2017

On behalf of the Hanover Cooperative Community Fund advisors, I’m pleased to submit this proposal for your approval at the June 28 Board meeting.

Our proposal is a departure from the past practice of HCCF. Until now, HCCF made grants ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars to local non-profits. Pennies for Change now serves those non-profits with amazing results. Over $137,000 was donated last year!

This year, HCCF has a new objective: a co-op scholarship fund which we hope will sharpen the skills of local cooperators, assist in co-op development in the Upper Valley, or aid projects that spur sustainable food production. Named the Gerstenberger Scholarship Fund, it honors the legacy of former Co-op manager Harry Gerstenberger, his wife and volunteer education director, Sally, and their nephew Arthur who served as Co-op GM from 1965 to 1988. You’ll see details about the scholarship fund in the attached memo.

The Gerstenberger Scholarship will be funded by interest from our endowment in the Twin Pines Cooperative Foundation -- $11,174 this year. (See the enclosed flow chart) If the Board votes its approval, our next step will be to reach out to individuals and groups that could benefit from scholarship aid. Please note the suggested time-line in our draft.

We welcome your comments and suggestions. This project comes at a particularly opportune time as the Co-op articulates its charitable giving plans.

I’m also pleased to note that Joanne Bouchard, Prepared Foods Manager at the Lebanon store would like to join this year’s HCCF advisory committee. Joanne has been an active Fund participant in past years. GP 8 says that the Co-op Board must approve advisors, so I’ll move to accept Joann as our 9th advisor – with thanks!

Regards,

Harrison Drinkwater, Ch.

2017 HCCF Advisors Terry Appleby Liz Blum

Amanda Charland Rosemary Fifield Ed Fox, ex officio April Harkness Benoit Roisin


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Gerstenberger Scholarship Fund - proposal

Hanover Street Fest, 1961: The plywood circle of twin pines was made by Arthur Gerstenberger who is driving the VW utility van. Note the Co-op Food Store in background. We were 25 years old!

Charter

The purpose of the Gerstenberger Scholarship Fund (GSF) is to offer scholarships to members and employees of cooperatives in the Upper Valley who seek to further the cooperative movement through education, training, and/or business development, especially in the areas of food access and sustainable food production.

The Fund is named in honor of the Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society’s long-serving General Managers, Harry and Arthur Gerstenberger, and first Education Director, Sally Gerstenberger. The Fund will be administered through the Twin Pines Cooperative Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization.


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The Gerstenberger Scholarship Fund observes the policy goal of the Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society that “There will be a vibrant cooperative sector in the economy, both nationally and regionally, and a local community educated in the value of cooperative principles and enterprises.” Further, the Fund adheres to the Cooperative Principles of Continuous Education and Training (principle 5) and Concern for Community (principle 7)

Eligibility

Priority will be given to co-op members, co-op employees, or co-op groups located in, or doing business in, the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont as defined by the Vital Communities Service Area.

Proposal Criteria

GSF is designed to assist those who are:

• Continuing their cooperative education as employees or board members of their local cooperatives and/or credit unions;

• Pursuing academic research in how cooperatives can best meet societal needs; • Planning or developing businesses that follow the co-op model of innovation and ownership. As such,

GSF considers applicants from across the co-op sector: food, housing and manufactured home, agriculture, daycare and preschool, credit, medical and dental, automotive, and other co-op enterprises;

• Helping to conserve local resources. Because of the Gerstenbergers’ deep commitment to a sustainable economy, GSF also considers proposals

o That enhance the production and marketing of sustainably grown food and fiber in the Upper Valley;

o That encourage careful stewardship of land and energy resources.

Award Amount and Duration

GSF financial awards can be made quarterly and are expected to fall in the range of $200 - $5000 per individual or group.

The HCCS Board monitors the Fund annually by its policy governance provision, GP 8.

Review Committee

The Review Committee shall consist of one chairperson appointed annually by the Board of Directors of the Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society from among its ranks and four additional persons approved by the Board of Directors. Additional members of the Review Committee shall represent a variety of cooperative constituencies including members and employees of Upper Valley cooperatives.

http://coopfoodstore.coop/7-cooperative-principles

http://vitalcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/VC_servicearea.pdf

http://vitalcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/VC_servicearea.pdf


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Fund Schedule and Time Line

MAY HCCS Board appoints Review Committee Chairperson for coming year. Approves proposed recipients and dollar amounts of current year’s scholarship awards.

JUNE HCCS Board approves coming year’s Review Committee members proposed by the Chairperson. Announces recipients of current year’s scholarship awards.

JULY New Review Committee meets to review responsibilities, timeline, and application process, and to assign duties as appropriate, including agreed-upon guidelines for evaluating and ranking applications.

SEPTEMBER: First call for applications for Gerstenberger Scholarship. Co-op News will feature article about the history of the Gerstenbergers and the purpose of the scholarship fund.

OCTOBER National Co-op Month promotion of giving to the Gerstenberger Scholarship Fund; second call for applications.

NOVEMBER Final call for applications.

DECEMBER 1 Deadline for scholarship applications. Individual responsible for administration shall prepare copies for distribution among Review Committee members.

JANUARY Distribution of applications to Review Committee members with additional information as required for evaluating and ranking.

FEB/MARCH Discussion of evaluation and proposed rankings with estimated funding.

APRIL Review committee finalizes actual dollar amounts to be awarded.

Application Form

Will include:

• Identifying information for individual or organization • Depending on type of applicant: questions about purpose, goals, past achievements, benefits of

proposal, long-range plans, etc. • Letters of recommendation • Submission and Deadline information

Evaluation and Presentations

Scholarship recipients are encouraged to report their findings and project results to the GSF review committee to increase the cooperative knowledgebase.


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APPENDIX G

Report on CCMA 2017

Dana Grossman

While the formal, programmatic parts of the Consumer Cooperative Management Association conference in Minneapolis were wonderful, I found — as is nearly always the case at conferences — that the casual interactions with other attendees were especially valuable. It was great to meet people from all over the country, from co-ops large and small (including some start-ups). I learned that the HCCA commands considerable respect in the co-op world.

We also heard from lots of dynamic and inspiring speakers. Here are a few events that were highlights of the gathering for me:

Our luncheon one day was prepared by an outfit called the Sioux Chef (say that out loud and you'll appreciate the lovely pun involved in the name!), while we heard from Sean Sherman, the founder and CEO of the organization. He and his colleagues do catering and education involving completely indigenous foods — I can testify that their fare is appealing presented and delicious, and it's prepared entirely from regional foods. They call themselves “chefs, ethnobotanists, food preservationists, adventurers, foragers,…and food-lovers.”

Our appetizer was cornbread made with blue cornmeal, topped with smoked whitefish and a peashoot puree. The entree was herb-crusted walleye with cranberry sauce, roasted turnips, and a slice of dried sweet potato. And our dessert (see the photo below) was a cookie/cake whose ingredients I forget, topped with squash puree, dried apple, blackberries, and strawberries. Everything was really tasty and beautifully presented (not to mention super-healthy), and it was inspiring to see what impressive fare could be created with a limited slate of ingredients.

Here’s a link to the outfit’s website — http://sioux-chef.com — and note that they’re about to come out with a cookbook.

The plenary speakers were also uniformly excellent:

A retail food industry consultant spoke about the disruptions now upon us and still to come in the retail world, most notably from the digital sphere.

Two staff members of a Minneapolis-based co-op spoke about their concerted effort to build into their outreach efforts, signage, and community events a mindset truly welcoming of a diverse membership.


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And a member of the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison spoke about the role of cooperatives in food justice and black agricultural communities — past, present, and future.

The breakout sessions were also quite engaging. One that I especially enjoyed was on a refocusing of the education program at the Wedge, another Minneapolis-area co-op. They boosted attendance by 400% and forged new relationships with vendors.

I scribbled a bunch of random notes in my conference program, and I can’t recall for sure which session this notation was from — though it could almost have come from any of them: to wit, co-ops’ touchstone should be to “give shoppers something they desire from someone they trust.”

A final highlight of the gathering was — in an ironic way — the trip home. Don, April, and I happened to be on the same flight back to Boston. Our flight was delayed by almost four hours due to a severe thunderstorm that completely closed down the Minneapolis Airport and caused “our” plane to be diverted to Des Moines — meaning we had to wait for another suitable plane to come in from D.C.

It was a bad enough storm that waiting passengers were warned to stay away from the windows — but I couldn’t resist taking the photo below, just before the storm hit. Note how dark the sky was in the middle of the morning, just before 10:00 a.m.!

Happily, however, the delay meant that the three of us had an extended chance to hash over the conference and talk about co-operatives in both general and specific terms.

It also gave us a chance to see a business — Delta Airlines — cope exceedingly well with a disruptive event. They brought a rolling cart of free snacks to our gate and, even more important, were diligent and pleasant in keeping all the waiting passengers apprised of the continuing delays. Not to stretch the analogy too far, but they gave us “something [we] desired” (welcome sustenance) “from someone [we could] trust” (thanks to thoughtfully delivered status reports).

And thus we returned home determined to redouble our efforts to do the same for the HCCS.


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June 20, 2017

MEMORANDUM TO: Board Colleagues

FROM: Don Kreis

SUBJECT: CCMA

I’ve been asked to report some highlights of my experiences at CCMA in Minneapolis this year. Separately, I have prepared a memorandum about the session I attended concerning National Cooperative Grocers (NCG). It has prompted me to craft a policy proposal I hope the Board will discuss at length at some suitable point.

Another highlight was attending a workshop given by Kevin O’Donnell, operations manager at the Hunger Mountain Co-op in Montpelier. It seemed to me that Kevin’s presentation described an approach to prices that is the same one Hunger Mountain would use if it were, for example, a family-owned for-profit business as opposed to an entity (i.e., a consumer co-op) that is the agent of its shoppers. After listening respectfully to Kevin’s presentation and a number of questions from his colleagues from other co-ops, I raised my hand to make my point.

It was not well-received.

By that I don’t mean I was treated disrespectfully or un-cordially – I was, after all, in a room full of cooperators. Rather, I mean that I suddenly found myself in a roomful of earnest merchandisers who all took the position that I was confusing ends and means. They all launched into their articulations of all the good things co-op’s achieve as the result, among other things, of their co-ops’ merchandising efforts. But they are all deeply committed to techniques like (to cite a very benign example) pricing products at $9.99 rather than $10.00 because the former will move more units by making the price seem lower to consumers.

In any event, Kevin took me seriously enough to follow up with me – soon after I returned to New England I received a message from him suggesting we have lunch. Here’s my reply:

Dear Kevin: Thank you for following up. Although I am a member of the Hunger Mountain Co-op, and a longtime fan as well, I am very rarely in Montpelier these days because I work in Concord, N.H. (Rest assured I am a member of the Concord Food Co-op as well -- they have a fabulous hot bar.)

I left your session at CCMA somewhat worried I had not made my point successfully. I've been involved in co-ops for a long time now, and in various capacities, so I well understand that a consumer cooperative provides its members (and community) a variety of good things (e.g., a vibrant and non-extractive local economy, a supportive work environment, patronage refunds, education, healthy food, etc.). I also well understand that ultimately its sales that produce these valuable ends -- and that merchandising creatively and vigilantly is a key aspect of producing those sales. In short, I get it that merchandising and pricing are means rather than ends.

But, and here is the point I was endeavoring to make: It seems to me that through its pricing strategy a co-op has an opportunity both to reflect the cooperative values and principles and to differentiate itself compellingly from the investor-owned and profit-maximizing competition. None of the career cooperators in the room seemed willing to consider such a hypothesis; it almost seemed like, to them, the motto is "achieve


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our desired ends through any means necessary." Or, from my standpoint, they seemed to believe that merchandising at co-ops is all about taking advantage of the same information asymmetries and psychological tricks that supermarkets use to get shoppers to buy stuff they would not otherwise purchase.

I propose that cooperative merchandisers spend some time thinking about Cooperative Principle No. 6 -- the most neglected Cooperative Principle on the list, which is about education, training and information -- and ponder what allowed the Rochdale Pioneers to succeed where their contemporaries, who were also interested in cooperatives, failed. (Here is a link to an excellent article on the subject.1) The Rochdale Pioneers were all about making sure members were as informed as possible about the economic and practical realities behind their purchases from the Co-op. And their key insight, which had to do with allocating any surplus in proportion to purchases, is in my judgment the very opposite of aggressive margin manipulation.

I have to confess I am at the very beginning of my thought process with respect to these issues. I don't have a plan for how co-ops can be more transparent and straightforward with members when it comes to merchandising. And I am a pragmatist, so as I think about this subject I want to keep in mind that pricing will always be somewhat manipulative and some cross-subsidization is inevitable if not actually desirable in many circumstances. If this were just about ideals and values for me I would probably let the subject go. But I can't bring myself to abandon the hypothesis that because trust is the secret business weapon of consumer co-ops an approach to pricing that undermines consumer suspicion and builds certainty among shoppers that the co-op isn't trying to trick them into buying stuff might be a useful weapon in defeating the competition. And, believe me, nobody dreams more fervently than I do about waking up one morning and reading this headline: Mackey Suicide Note Blames Food Co-ops for Whole Foods Bankruptcy.2 Or, perhaps, something equivalent in relation to Jeff Bezos or Sam Walton or whoever runs the Aldi chain.

Though I don't know about Hunger Mountain, I have been chattering about the Hanover Co-op with friends and neighbors long enough to know that the perception that our Co-op is too expensive is a pervasive and corrosive notion in the community. I am determined to work to undermine the perception and, for this reason, I think it's important for board members like me to think deeply about how merchandising really works in our stores.

I apologize for perhaps having hijacked the discourse a bit at your CCMA session; I learned a lot and am grateful for the insights. Ditto for the session on merchandising I attended that was led by a couple of folks from NCG; they seemed intrigued by my perspective.

Please say howdy to my old friends Kari Bradley and Tim Wingate -- if you're as good as they are then Hunger Mountain is lucky to have all three of you.

cheers,

Don

1 Brett Fairbairn, “The Meaning of Rochdale: The Rochdale Pioneers and the Co-operative Principles,” (University of Saskatchewan Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, Occasional Papers series, 1994), available at http://usaskstudies.coop/documents/occasional-papers/Meaning%20of%20Rochdale.pdf. I have found this paper to be invaluable in helping me sort out myth vs. reality with respect to the Rochdale Pioneers. 2 I wrote this before the announcement of Amazon’s plan to swallow Whole Foods whole.

http://usaskstudies.coop/documents/occasional-papers/Meaning%20of%20Rochdale.pdf

http://usaskstudies.coop/documents/occasional-papers/Meaning%20of%20Rochdale.pdf


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Here’s Kevin’s reply:

Don,

Thanks for the follow up note, I do think that we should be re-thinking how we do business and pricing regardless of the institution. Inevitably the institution needs to demonstrate value and in a very competitive market that is evolving very quickly, the old way of thinking could be going the way of the dinosaur!

Thanks for attending and having the audience engaged is always a good thing. I’ll say hi to Kari and Tim for you.

Best

Kevin

I offer all of the above by way of making the point that I am hoping the Board will have a very robust and frank discussion with management about merchandising and pricing. My dream is that we in Hanover come up with some innovative approach to pricing that takes advantage of what no investor-owned supermarket can ever have: the full and complete trust of our shoppers, arising out of the fact that we are their agents rather than agents of profit-maximizing investors or even the suppliers of our products. I freely admit it might be an impossible dream. A conversation with the merchandising experts at NCG pointed me to the publicly published merchandising policy of the Briar Patch Food Co-op in Grass Valley, California.3 Alas, this too doesn’t quite get at what I am concerned with since the Briar Patch policy deals with product selection rather than product pricing.

3 http://www.briarpatch.coop/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/MerchandisingPolicy_0107.pdf and http://www.briarpatch.coop/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/MerchandisingPolicy_Addendum_0508.pdf.

http://www.briarpatch.coop/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/MerchandisingPolicy_0107.pdf

http://www.briarpatch.coop/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/MerchandisingPolicy_Addendum_0508.pdf


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2017 CCMA notes:

Submitted by: April Harkness

I chose to report on this session as it had the most impact on me and I’m hoping to work with the Marketing Team and the Board to implement some of these ideas.

Strengthen member/owner participation through Board communication:

Suggestion: Develop a formal written plan for Board communication that establishes relationship parameters between the Board and the marketing team. The GM can help to foster this.

1. What does the marketing team actually do 2. What does the board actually do 3. Create a process for workflow

The marketing team can help the board develop better and specific policy monitoring around communications. Helps align the board and staff with Co-op goals.

• Create content submission guidelines • Social media submission guidelines • Use the board calendar to help map out communications • Work with marketing to prioritize and integrate communications

Create a written plan template with goals (is it to reach as many people as possible?), objectives (2 or 3 bulleted main message points), strategies, deliverables, and due dates, responsible party, push (send only), pull (solicit only), push/pull (dialogue)

Deliverable examples: newsletter article, email newsletter, survey, FB, twitter, owner/board conversations

Suggestions for the Board: Be Co-op Ambassadors: represent the brand, the values, and the vision of the Co-op. Go to events: be present, develop person relationships with owners and staff, know and tell the story, what are the guiding lights and how do we get there, what are the commonalities, how can the board have a role in this, may require different messages at different times, may make some mistakes along the way

• Start with what we’re doing and take it to a higher level • Can we start by saying: member/owners • Paths forward may vary • Not all owners think alike • Consider future owners

Due Date Author/ResponsibleCommunication

Objectives Channel/Deliverable Main Message PointsPush,Pull, Push/Pull


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My takeaways from CCMA – Kevin Birdsy

-Wedge Community Co-op owns and operates a rather large warehouse facility, the Co-op Partners Warehouse which I was fortunate enough to visit on my tour. Products from this warehouse are purchased by several co-ops in the Twin Cities. Often the “cooperation among cooperatives” value centers around a regional or national organization, but this struck me as an excellent example of that principle achieved directly between those co-ops.

-In visiting The Wedge Table I saw how a smaller location, similar to our Community Market, could be used as more of a social gathering place with ample seating and even musical performances.

-Seward Community Co-op opened a new store in a new neighborhood, wanted to be sure the community felt welcome. One of the ways they went about this was through a door-to-door effort. In going door-to-door, they connected with a man who lived directly adjacent to the site of the new store was built. This man is now on their board and serving as Board Secretary.

-A session on member engagement through means other than in-store tabling underscored for me the importance of the Board using events at the Co-op that include food demos, topical discussions, or some other entertainment as opportunities to engage with members.

-The Davis Food Co-op (Davis, CA) was featured in a session. It was interesting to me to hear the story of a co-op that went through a tumultuous period similar to ours. In contrast, theirs appeared to be much worse, including multiple GM and interim GM hires, very low sales, and abysmal accounting practices.

-At the awards luncheon, it was wonderful to see two fellow New England Co-ops honored in different ways. River Valley Co-op (Northampton, MA) celebrated their tenth anniversary while City Market (Burlington, VT) received the Cooperative Excellence award. In accepting the latter, their GM gave a particularly moving speech reminding us all the connection to one’s co-op can be very deep and personal.

-A scenario-planning session took the practice we did at our first retreat last year and expanded on it. It was practice that promoted reaching big in scenarios without worrying about likelihood. It can be fun but also helps to reveal

-A session on board perpetuation featured some great discussion on recruitment but I particularly enjoyed an example where a co-op board set a benchmark for voter turnout, tasking staff with helping to get the vote out. The staff were served a meal by the board when this benchmark was met.

-A recurring theme for the conference was the overlap of member engagement and diversity. The event featured many inspiring presentations and conversations on this topic. For me, Seward Community Co-op were the star in this area, having gone above and beyond in ensuring their hiring practices, board recruitment, and customer experience celebrated diversity and welcomed people regardless of race, ethnicity, or background. I associate this with member engagement because ensuring that truly anyone can feel welcome leads to the sense of ownership and openness that we seek to achieve in our member engagement efforts.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of attending CCMA. It was fun, informative, and inspiring. I found it particularly useful in my dual roles of employee and director. Anyone who attends next year’s conference in Portland, OR is likely to find the experience equally useful.

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