Membership Matters
Our Mission
Through a thriving cooperative enterprise we encourage a vibrant, healthy community and a sustainable local economy.
Membership
You do not have to be an owner (member) to shop at the Co-op. There are, however, many advantages to being a member. Membership offers the opportunity to be more directly involved in supporting the Co-op. All owners are given a vote at the Annual Meeting and a voice at monthly meetings of the Board of Directors. All members are eligible to receive patronage dividends in proportion to their spending at the Co-op that year.
A working membership gives you a discount at the register on most items, not including beer and wine, newspapers and magazines, and café items. This discount varies, depending on the Co-op's financial needs. Working members work each month for the store. This gives you an even greter involvement in who and what we are as a co-op and a community.
Equity
We work now on an equity system. This means that owners make annual equity payments. To become a fully vested owner of the Co-op, owners will need to pay a total of $200 in equity. These payments may be made over ten years; thus the minimum annual equity payment is $20. Owners may choose to pay this sum all at once or to pay larger annual installments at any time.
The equity system has tremendous advantages for both owners and the business. Owner equity is not taxable income for the Co-op and it is kept in a special, separate account to be used only for major capital expenditures such as buying equipment. This equity if fully refundable to the owner if he/she chooses to leave the Co-op at any time. Most importantly, owners can now be confident that their money is truly contributing to the fiscal strength of their community-owned business.
Equity is refundable to an owner who no longer wishes to be a part of the Co-op. The store is simply notified with a certain number of days' notice and the funds are returned to you. If you join again you must put in the same amount of equity as was refunded to you when you left.
Just call the membership coordinator at the store (374-2165) if you have any questions of drop an e-mail to membership@bluehill.coop, or use the form on this website....
Discounts
Discounts are given to members who work in or for the store. Members must contribute a minimum of 2 hours per month per adult member in the household to be considered working members.
All members are eligible to receive patronage dividends proportionate to the amount he/she spent at the Co-op the previous year. Dividends are declared based on the Co-op's earnings and the need to retain capital for special projects.
All members are required to show their Member card prior to checking out at the register to receive the working discount or credit towards patronage dividends.
Pre-Ordering
Anyone can pre-order in case lots from the extensive selection of foods and health care products offered in the pre-order catalogs of our major distributors. Due to a lack of cooler space we are unable to offer refrigerated or frozen items for pre-order.
Work Policies
If you wish to become a working member, please speak with the Membership Coordinator. Working members with a newborn baby are granted a six-month work exemption. People with temporary or permanent special needs may be exempt from the work requirement. Please speak to a manager about these exemptions.
Work in the store includes assisting with deliveries, pricing and stocking shelves, cutting cheeses, packaging and pricing bulk items, cleaning and other tasks as needed. Various jobs and tasks may be needed by the store managers. Some of these jobs may be done at home. Please speak to a manager if this may suit you. Members may also be needed to work on the Board of Dorectors or on one of the Board's committees. Current working member positions are listed here.
Co-op Connection
Through the Co-op Connection proram, members qualify for discounts at several local businesses. The Co-op Connection brochure is available in the store and provides details about the participating businesses and the discounts offered.
History
In early 1974, a clammer's truck began delivering vegetables brokered by a cooperative in Boston to twelve families in Blue Hill. Word spread, and by the summer of 1974 membership topped one hundred. Later the Co-op moved into the Sedgwick Grange and functioned as a monthly pre-order buying club for over ten years. In October 1991, the Co-op hired a part-time manager and opened a store front in the old Sedgwick School, where it was open three days a week. The move to our present location in Blue Hill required a huge leap of faith. Now, with the hard work of our staff and the support of our owners, we are open seven days a week, offering a wide selection of organic and local foods, natural health care and household products, as well as our famous Café.
Visit our Co-op Principles page for more information.
