These are model bylaws for a community organized under the Cooperative Commonwealth framework. Each article implements one of the Seven Gates. For detailed explanation of WHY each rule exists, what precedent it is based on, and what happens when it is violated, see the Annotated Bylaws.
PREAMBLE
We, the members of [COMMUNITY NAME], establish this community as a self-governing cooperative based on the Seven Gates framework. We hold that:
- Every exchange must be reciprocal
- No person or group may accumulate unchecked power
- Decisions belong at the smallest scale that can handle them
- Our economy serves our relationships, not the reverse
- We need regular renewal through shared celebration
- We are open to those who commit, and coherent in our values
- Our meaning comes from our experience, not from any authority
These bylaws are not commandments. They are structural constraints derived from 300,000 years of evidence about what human communities require. They can be amended by the assembly. The constraints they protect cannot.
ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP (Gate 6 - Boundary)
1.1 Membership is open to any person who completes the Integration Protocol and is accepted by assembly consensus.
1.2 The Integration Protocol consists of:
- (a) Sponsorship by an existing member
- (b) Attendance at 3 consecutive assemblies as observer
- (c) Contribution to one working group for a minimum of 1 month
- (d) Reading and acceptance of these bylaws
- (e) Consensus approval by the assembly
1.3 Membership may be suspended by 2/3 assembly vote for serious violation of these bylaws. Suspension is temporary (maximum 6 months). The suspended member retains the right to appeal at any assembly.
1.4 Membership may be revoked by 3/4 assembly vote for persistent violation after suspension. Revoked members may reapply after 1 year through the full Integration Protocol.
1.5 Any member may leave the community at any time, for any reason, without penalty. Departing members receive their share of any cooperative assets per Article IV.
1.6 Maximum community size: 150 members. At 150, the community divides into two autonomous communities per Article VII.
ARTICLE II: GOVERNANCE (Gate 3 - Scale)
2.1 The supreme governing body is the Assembly: all members meeting in person (or verifiable digital equivalent during emergency).
2.2 Assembly meets weekly. Quorum: 40% of members. Decisions by consensus. If consensus fails after 3 attempts across 2 sessions, the proposal is tabled for 30 days.
2.3 Emergency decisions (immediate threat to safety, property, or community survival) may be made by any 5 members present, subject to assembly ratification within 7 days. Emergency decisions not ratified are automatically reversed.
2.4 Elected roles:
| Role | Term | Max terms | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facilitator | 6 months | 2 consecutive | Chairs assembly, maintains process |
| Keeper of the Ledger | 1 year | 2 consecutive | Reciprocity audit, finance |
| Welcomer | 1 year | 2 consecutive | Integration of new members |
| Culture Keeper | 1 year | 2 consecutive | Festivals, rites, celebrations |
| Boundary Keeper | 1 year | 2 consecutive | External relations, partnerships |
2.5 All elected roles are subject to recall by majority assembly vote at any time, for any reason.
2.6 No person may hold more than one elected role simultaneously.
2.7 After completing maximum terms, a person must wait a minimum of 2 terms before being eligible for the same role again.
2.8 Working groups are formed and dissolved by assembly as needed. Any member may join any working group. Working groups report to assembly monthly.
ARTICLE III: RECIPROCITY (Gate 1 - Reciprocity)
3.1 Every member contributes to the community proportional to their capacity. Minimum contribution: 4 hours/month of time OR equivalent financial contribution set by assembly.
3.2 Financial contribution is voluntary and proportional to means. Suggested: 2-5% of income. No member is excluded from community participation for inability to contribute financially.
3.3 The Reciprocity Ledger records all contributions (time, money, skills, materials, space) and all received benefits. The Ledger is maintained by the Keeper of the Ledger and is accessible to all members.
3.4 Reciprocity Audit occurs biannually. The assembly reviews the Ledger and addresses:
- (a) Members contributing significantly below capacity without cause
- (b) Members over-contributing and at risk of burnout
- (c) Systemic imbalances in who contributes and who receives
3.5 Skill exchange operates on time-bank principles: one hour of any member’s work equals one hour of any other member’s work, regardless of market value of the skill.
3.6 The Emergency Fund receives contributions from all members who are able. Disbursements require assembly consensus and are provided as grants, not loans.
ARTICLE IV: ECONOMY (Gate 4 - Embeddedness)
4.1 Cooperative enterprises may be founded by any 3+ members with assembly approval. Requirements:
- (a) Minimum 51% worker ownership
- (b) Maximum pay ratio: 6:1 (highest to lowest compensated worker)
- (c) Contribution to community: minimum 5% of net revenue to the community fund
- (d) Products/services available to community members at cost
4.2 The Commons: the following may not be commodified, enclosed, or privately owned within the community:
- (a) Water sources on community land
- (b) Seeds and genetic material produced by community agriculture
- (c) Community-produced knowledge, educational materials, and open-source software
- (d) Member identity data, behavioral data, or biometric data
- (e) Shared tools, equipment, and infrastructure designated as commons by assembly
4.3 Land held by the community is held in trust (community land trust model): the community owns the land; individuals may own structures and improvements. Land may not be sold to non-members without assembly approval.
4.4 No member or enterprise may engage in lending at interest to other members. Mutual aid is provided through the Emergency Fund (grants) or cooperative investment (equity, not debt).
4.5 External economic relationships (trade, contracts, partnerships) are managed by the Boundary Keeper with assembly oversight. No external contract may bind the community for more than 2 years without renewal.
ARTICLE V: LEVELING (Gate 2 - Leveling Mechanism)
5.1 No member may accumulate within the community more than 20x the median member wealth held within the community. Surplus beyond this ratio is contributed to the community fund.
5.2 All compensation for roles and cooperative work within the community is public. No secret payments, bonuses, or benefits.
5.3 Any member may challenge any decision, role-holder, or practice at any assembly without penalty. The right of critique is absolute and may not be punished, discouraged, or retaliated against.
5.4 Satire, humor, and public critique of role-holders is encouraged. Role-holders who cannot accept public humor about their authority are not suited for authority.
5.5 No person may serve in elected roles for more than 6 years total within the community. After 6 years of total service, a person permanently returns to ordinary membership.
5.6 The Concentration Audit occurs annually alongside the Reciprocity Audit. It examines:
- (a) Whether any individual, family, or group holds disproportionate influence
- (b) Whether any working group has accumulated power beyond its mandate
- (c) Whether any cooperative enterprise has grown beyond community oversight capacity
ARTICLE VI: ANTI-STRUCTURE (Gate 5 - Renewal)
6.1 The community celebrates a minimum of 4 festivals per year (one per season). Festivals are open to non-members. During festivals, no elected roles are active. No community business is conducted. The purpose is celebration, not governance.
6.2 All role-holders participate in one week of “role exchange” per year: performing a community function entirely different from their role. A Facilitator works in the kitchen. A Keeper of the Ledger works in the garden. Purpose: maintain connection to the community’s lived reality.
6.3 The community recognizes and celebrates transitions: new membership (welcoming ceremony), partnership formation, birth of children, significant achievements, departure of members, and death. These are community events, not private.
6.4 Conflict resolution follows three stages:
- (a) Direct dialogue between parties (within 1 week of conflict arising)
- (b) Mediation by a mutually agreed community member (within 2 weeks)
- (c) Assembly resolution (within 1 month). Assembly decision is final.
6.5 No conflict resolution process may result in financial penalty exceeding the Emergency Fund contribution equivalent. The purpose is restoration of relationship, not punishment.
ARTICLE VII: GROWTH AND DIVISION (Gate 3 - Scale)
7.1 When membership reaches 150, the community divides into two autonomous communities. Division process:
- (a) Assembly decides division method (geographic, affinity, lottery, or voluntary choice)
- (b) Shared assets are divided equitably (not necessarily equally)
- (c) Both new communities adopt these bylaws (may amend independently thereafter)
- (d) A Coordination Council is established with 2 delegates from each community
7.2 The Coordination Council handles:
- (a) Inter-community disputes
- (b) Shared assets management
- (c) External relations requiring joint action
- (d) Mutual aid between communities
7.3 Coordination Council decisions require consensus of both communities (via their delegates). Delegates are mandated by their community assemblies and recallable at any time.
7.4 When 3+ communities exist in a region, they may form a Federation with the same structure: mandated delegates, consensus decisions, subsidiarity (federation handles only what individual communities cannot).
ARTICLE VIII: INFORMATION AND MEANING (Gate 7 - Meaning)
8.1 No algorithmic curation of information is permitted within community communication channels. All community channels use chronological, unfiltered feeds.
8.2 Community decisions are documented and accessible to all members. No secret proceedings, no classified decisions. Transparency is the default.
8.3 The community invests in education: every member is both teacher and learner. Each member teaches at least one skill to the community per year.
8.4 The community maintains a library (physical, digital, or both) of shared knowledge. Contributions to the library are commons (Article IV.2.c).
8.5 External information (news, media, research) is shared through community-curated channels, not algorithmically curated platforms. Curation is done by rotating member volunteers, not by algorithm.
ARTICLE IX: INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS (Gate 1 + Gate 6)
9.1 The following individual rights are inalienable and may not be overridden by assembly, working group, or any community body:
- (a) Bodily autonomy: No medical procedure, biometric collection, or physical requirement may be imposed
- (b) Freedom of thought and expression: No belief, opinion, or statement (excluding direct incitement to violence) may be punished
- (c) Privacy: Personal spaces, communications, and data are private unless voluntarily shared
- (d) Exit: Any member may leave at any time with their personal property and their share of cooperative assets
- (e) Dissent: Any member may publicly oppose any decision, role-holder, or practice without consequence
9.2 These rights exist ABOVE the bylaws. An assembly vote to remove any of these rights is void, regardless of the majority.
ARTICLE X: AMENDMENT
10.1 Any member may propose an amendment to these bylaws.
10.2 Amendment process:
- (a) Proposal submitted in writing to the Facilitator
- (b) Discussion at minimum 2 assembly sessions
- (c) Adoption by 3/4 consensus of assembly (quorum: 60% of members)
10.3 Articles IX (Individual Rights) and the Preamble may not be amended. They are foundational.
10.4 These bylaws are reviewed annually by the full assembly. Outdated or non-functional articles are identified and amendment proposals generated.
SIGNATURES
Adopted by the founding assembly of [COMMUNITY NAME] on [DATE].
Members present:
For explanation of WHY each article exists, see: Annotated Bylaws
| *Framework: The Cooperative Commonwealth | What Humans Require* |