In the past several updates Jerelyn and I have shared that the Board is currently reviewing our Ends policies through the lens of two issues – income disparity and climate change. I wanted to take a step back and share why this is so important to me as General Manager.
Ends are the desired results or outcomes that the Co-op is working towards. Ends are typically higher level, long-term, and are often related to the mission and purpose of the organization.
We have a few weeks of summer left but fall is fast approaching. Kids and teachers are back to school and many trees are starting to give us their first hint of color. By the time you read this we will have celebrated Labor Day. It can be easy to forget that Labor Day is much more than an extra day off in the fall. Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions of workers everywhere and was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century. The Brattleboro Food Co-op is proud to be closed on Labor Day as we celebrate and recognize the contribution of our staff and our partnership with the UFCW Local 1459 who represent them.
I have to be honest with you: there are several areas of Board focus and work that are not easy. These areas involve careful and thoughtful focus on detail – sometimes numbers, sometimes reports or information, and sometimes words. In the end, words are often the most challenging in part because words are so hard to come up with when we are trying to communicate a particular value, belief or principle clearly, and once chosen, getting agreement can be difficult: personal preferences and different interpretations affect coming to agreement.
