No more profit before anything, eh!?
(yes, yes, I know - but see the BTW below)
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| Fleming Crescent co-op, Sele Farm Hertford, Herts: which was opened after Simon Butler and I took a site-finding tour in about 1999 when he was on the CWS main board. I does a roaring trade (as does that in Bengeo where we saved its in-store sub Post Office: that for Sele Farm was also saved - and moved - see above). |
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Both these shops (in co-op speak) 'make good contributions' to the financial surplus of our co-op (was Enfield and St Albans Co-op, the South Midlands area of the CWS and now part of The Co-operative Group).
Again, in co-op speak the financial surplus (which capitalism appropriates as rent/interest/profit and Higher-than-average-pay for its bullies/bribers and brainwashers) is named just as that.
And, if the co-op is in conformity with the Statement from The International Co-operative Alliance (the ICA) on Co-operative Values and Principles*, then that financial surplus will be sent back to its originating communities as a 'patronage dividend', as expenditure on member, worker and community eduction ( ' . . . especially young people and opinion-formers' and 'for the sustainable well-being of communities' (the latter from Principle 7.
*For the full ICA statement see www.ica.coop - and I've logged a copy of it in the papers' section at www.interestfreemoney.org.uk
BTW - back in 1999, The Co-operative Party adopted the motion that I/we drafted in the Welwyn/Hatfield Co-op Party branch and which was approved for submission by the Enfield and St Albans Co-operative Party Council, 'inviting all co-operatives to carry out and publicise Annual Co-operative Audits to demonstrate their fidelity to the Statement on the Co-operative Identity as periodically updated by The International Co-operative Alliance, the ICA'.
And, if the co-op is in conformity with the Statement from The International Co-operative Alliance (the ICA) on Co-operative Values and Principles*, then that financial surplus will be sent back to its originating communities as a 'patronage dividend', as expenditure on member, worker and community eduction ( ' . . . especially young people and opinion-formers' and 'for the sustainable well-being of communities' (the latter from Principle 7.
*For the full ICA statement see www.ica.coop - and I've logged a copy of it in the papers' section at www.interestfreemoney.org.uk
BTW - back in 1999, The Co-operative Party adopted the motion that I/we drafted in the Welwyn/Hatfield Co-op Party branch and which was approved for submission by the Enfield and St Albans Co-operative Party Council, 'inviting all co-operatives to carry out and publicise Annual Co-operative Audits to demonstrate their fidelity to the Statement on the Co-operative Identity as periodically updated by The International Co-operative Alliance, the ICA'.
Notably, the ICA co-op values include equality and equity.
In the light of recent events, I hope that all co-ops will not accept that invitation:
'to carry out and publicise Annual Co-operative Audits to demonstrate
their fidelity to the Statement on the Co-operative Identity'
Best - equally! - for all!
john
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