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Becoming a "Prospective Member" When you are ready to actively explore membership in ZVCC, you are invited to write to ZVCC asking to be a Prospective Member. It is not necessary to first have been a FOZ to do this. Your letter or email should describe your interest in living in a rural intentional community and in ZVCC in particular. Prospective Member (PM) A PM is a person who is willing to put a good deal of time and energy over a period of at least 6 months exploring the possibility of joining
ZVCC. During this time, we would like you to:
1. Demonstrate you have the qualities & skills needed to live at ZVCC (see next section) 2. Attend 75% or more of our twice-a-month meetings, at first just listening to develop an understanding of
the consensus process and the issues we deal with, and later participating in our discussions. You will become a full participant in the meeting, contributing ideas that will shape the eventual decisions. Only
Members are included when it is time to do the final consensus check to see that everyone is in agreement. 3. Meet with all Members individually to get a more in depth understanding of community
life. You are encouraged to ask questions about each Member's experiences and reasons for joining ZVCC; about the community finances, history, vision, etc. You will find that Members will want to know your
thoughts about cooperative living and will make time available to meet with you. 4. Familiarize yourself with ZVCC's Bylaws and with major policies, especially the details concerning land use,
animals, and financial responsibilities. Make sure that you can comply with them. 5. Contribute financially. Currently PMs contribute $10/month. If they are living at Zephyr, this is included in
the monthly residence fee, which is currently $69/month and is fixed annually in our budget process.
To guide you through all this, a member will be appointed to act as your Sponsor. We don't require you to live at Zephyr, but our experience is that it works best if you can move on to the farm or at
least nearby (within 60 miles) during the time that you are a PM. Otherwise, it will become difficult or impossible to gain the experience necessary for your future decision making about joining the community. During the 6 months, or more, that you are exploring membership at ZVCC, you will be asked to schedule two 'check-ins' during a community meeting to report what you are thinking and feeling about your
time and experiences to date and to allow time for discussion with the entire community. At the end of the 6 months you can either ask to join ZVCC or request a time extension of up to 12 additional
months. When you ask for membership, firstly a Clearness Committee will be appointed help you work through any issues you may have about joining. The membership decision will be taken by the entire group
by consensus. This can seem scary, but, so far, no one who has asked for membership in our community has ever been turned down. Some people have decided that ZVCC was not a good fit for them and decided on their
own to withdraw from the process….which is how it's supposed to work! Conversely, if ZVCC members feel that there are still unresolved questions concerning the PM progressing to becoming a Member, the
Members may require an extension of up to 12 months, too. When you ask to join, you are expected to have a plan for paying the initial membership investment (currently $10,000 per adult member). ZVCC
does not verify the personal finances of its PMs or Members. The Coop has financed part of this investment. To allow more time for reconsideration, a new member can receive a full immediate refund of
the initial membership investment for up to a year after joining or until a house is purchased from a previous Member or construction of a new home has begun, whichever comes first. After that, the
investment is only refundable to Members who are leaving ZVCC. Go to the Therefore, it is possible to take 2˝ years (1˝ years as PM + 1 year as a Member) to explore ZVCC & make a final decision about joining or, of course,
it could take as little as 6 months. Individuals can spend unlimited period of time as a FOZ.
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