Happy New Year!
Olive Reynolds, Secretary/Treasurer
“I am so thankful to be a member of this board, the co-op, and our community”.
On behalf of the board, I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year! Now is the time to reflect on the previous year and look forward to the next 366 days.
In December, the board and VFC leadership team gathered for our annual retreat where we analyzed the current state of our co-op, reviewed our work in 2023, and set goals and aspirations for 2024.
Throughout 2023, the board reviewed and updated our Ends Policies, which state the co-op's purpose and set standards for gauging our success. Ends Policies are a clear and meaningful expression of our mission and are meant to provide long-term direction for VFC management to plan and work towards.
As we look forward to the coming year, the board will next evaluate our bylaws for relevance, accuracy, and language. The bylaws are an important document for our cooperative with sections about organization, board of directors, and membership. This document is like an owners' manual of our cooperative business and is legally binding among members. If in our review the board determines that changes or amendments to the bylaws are necessary, the suggested changes would be proposed to the member owners for a vote before our annual owners' meeting. Only a majority vote by member owners can approve the amendment of our bylaws. We look at the bylaws to ensure they are congruent with state statutes and remain relevant to our cooperatives work.
This January, we will conduct a market study. We periodically conduct market studies to better understand the community we serve. You can help by answering a few short questions as you go through the registers. Thanks to the work of our GM, the co-op was awarded a grant by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to cover the cost of this extensive study.
I am so thankful to be a member of this board, the co-op, and our community. We live in such a unique and beautiful area. One thing I always focus on in the new year, is carrying my appreciation forward and allowing it to inspire me every day. I wish you all a wonderful 2024.