Title
Proclamation Recognizing October as Co-op Month in Ann Arbor
Memorandum
PROCLAMATION
Co-Op Month
October 2019
WHEREAS, Cooperatives are a unique form of collaborative business where members own, use, and run their own businesses not for profit, but for the collective good of members; and
WHEREAS, Cooperative businesses are operated according to the Rochdale Principles, recognized and used by co-ops throughout the world, which include: Voluntary and open membership; Democratic member control (1 person 1 vote); Members' economic participation (limited return on investment, rebates in proportion to usage); Autonomy and independence; Education, training and information (for members and the general public, about the benefits and practices of cooperation); Cooperation among cooperatives; and Concern for community; and
WHEREAS, There are 40,000 cooperative businesses in the United States, serving more than 346 million members in nearly every sector of the economy, including, but not limited to: producer, agriculture, finance, purchasing, child care, energy and utilities, housing, food, education, retail, worker, and more; and
WHEREAS, There are cooperative businesses throughout Ann Arbor, including, but not limited to The Inter-Cooperative Council of the University of Michigan, Forest Hills Cooperative Housing, Arrowwood Hills Cooperative Housing, Colonial Square Cooperative; Pinelake Village Cooperative; Ann Arbor Cooperative Nursery, Stone School Cooperative Nursery, First United Methodist Cooperative Nursery; University of Michigan Credit Union, Huron River Area Credit Union; and the People's Food Co-op; and
WHEREAS, October is Co-op Month, first so designated in 1948 by the Minnesota Association of Cooperatives and celebrated by co-ops throughout the United States as a time to honor the service to their members and their communities provided by cooperative businesses.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Christopher Taylor, Mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, on behalf of th...
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