Stage 3: Tailoring Your Rules
Once you have chosen your membership model, you are ready to review which other options are the best fit for your co-op.
Back to RulesStep 5: Compare your existing Rules to the Model
There are two versions of the Model Rules based on the membership model:
- Version A Joint Membership — use this if your co-op opts to have joint members
- Version B Principal and Associate Members (or One-Member-Per-Unit) — use this if your co-op chooses one of these other models.
Use the guide What’s New in Model Rules 2.0 to help you identify the main differences between your current Rules and the new Model.
You can also consult the Model Rules 2.0 and the Co-op Act Reference Table to see where Rules directly relate to requirements as laid out in the Cooperative Association Act. Model Rules 2.0 is fully compliant with the Cooperative Association Act and the most recent changes that came into force in June 2013.
Step 6: Discuss what you want to include in your new Rules
Talk about the differences you have found between your current Rules and the Model. Discuss which Rules you want to keep and which ones you might want to change. Remember, everything in your new Rules must be consistent with the Cooperative Association Act.
There are 23 options explained in the Rules, and 10 options in the Occupancy Agreement. You’ll find an explanation of these options in the Options Guides. There’s a separate Options Guide for Version A and Version B of the Rules and only one Options Guide for the Occupancy Agreement. These guides will help you select the best options and keep track of them as you move through the Model.
