It’s that time of the year again and . . . WE WANT YOU!

No, we’re not the U.S. Army. We are your friendly neighborhood Board of Directors at Three Rivers Market. Chances are, if you’re reading the Board News, you’re not only interested in the inner workings of your cooperative, but perhaps, you have considered Board service, or at least wondered what it is.

Do you have ideas on how Three Rivers Market can be even stronger? It’s recruitment time, and we want to make sure you know we have an election coming up. If you’re a member and appreciate the positive impact the cooperative has on our community, don’t just read the news. We encourage engaged members to take the next step towards active involvement: attend a Board meeting and learn about our Ends. Even if Board service isn’t for … Read More »

Board News

On June 9th, 2016, Three Rivers Market’s Board of Directors and General Manager visited Weaver Street Market, a consumer and worker cooperative in Carrboro, North Carolina. The purpose of our trip was to learn more about “hybrid” or “solidarity” membership structures. Weaver Street was the first consumer grocery cooperative in the United States to create and successfully implement this hybrid governance structure since 1988. What this means is that Weaver Street, unlike most grocery co-ops, has two membership classes: consumers (shoppers) and workers.

We were curious: what does a hybrid structure imply in terms of long-term sustainability, in terms of board structure and organization, and in terms of general care and investment on the part of co-op owners?

To explore these questions, we timed our trip so that we could attend a Weaver Street Board meeting. Weaver Street’s Board of … Read More »

Annual Cooperative Board Leadership Training 2016

Directors from cooperatives in 5 states, NC, FL, TN, GA, and KY, met in Asheville, NC for Cooperative Board Training 101 led by Joel Kopischke and Leadership Training led by Michael Healy, both facilitators from the Cooperative Development Services Consulting Co-op. January’s event was cancelled due to snow, and the April 16th rescheduling cut the typical number of participants but not the enthusiasm. The intimate setting for both training groups replaced what would normally be a conference room full of Co-op Directors and staff.
After the initial excitement of joining the Three Rivers Market Board of Directors, one might wonder, “What exactly is my role? How do I best contribute?” CBL 101 is a day-long introduction to the history of cooperatives, cooperative principles and values, the legal duties of Directors, cooperative governance and … Read More »

Over the course of 2015, your Board of Directors hosted a “Meet the Board” (MTB) event at Three Rivers Market every first Thursday of the month in 2015. During those events, you would have found us, your Board Directors, sitting at a table, often with a bit of enticing snacks like chocolate or chips. We have learned something new each time.

At the December 3rd, 2015 MTB event, we were challenged to reflect a bit deeper about the tangible benefits of TRM membership, as well as any special opportunities for co-op involvement. The key thing to remember is that because Three Rivers Market is a customer-owned cooperative, “membership” is, in fact, ownership. With membership, you are purchasing equity in the business, which comes with financial and governance benefits. Our cooperative is democratically governed, which means ownership … Read More »

As part of Board service, Directors of Three Rivers Market break into committees, groups of two to four, that enable us to efficiently accomplish yearly goals and convene on special interests. This year, we formed a Membership Linkage Committee to better understand our diverse membership and community of shoppers.

To provide in-store Board presence and a format for exchange of ideas, we initiated Meet the Board in 2013— an event whereby two to three Directors are visible and accessible in the store to get to know members. To improve consistency in line with our Board policies, we expanded Meet the Board to a standing date in 2015 (every first Thursday of the month from 6-7PM).

The Membership Committee also planned the first, Board-sponsored Membership Linkage event—a movie showing of Food For Change, held at the Salvage Room on Broadway. In cooperation with … Read More »