Layer 1 · Membership
Membership State Registry
- Layer: 1 — Membership System
- Status: Present
- RCOS reference: §3.1, §3.8
Defined Membership States
RCOS definition3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5
- 3.1.1 The community MUST define explicit membership states.
- 3.1.2 At minimum, the following membership states MUST exist:
- 3.1.3 Each membership state MUST have clearly defined rights, obligations, and limitations.
- 3.1.4 No individual MAY hold multiple membership states simultaneously.
- 3.1.5 No rights or obligations MAY be assumed outside of the individual’s current membership state.
Why a single table of states?
| State | Can Vote | Can Propose | Can Hold Roles | Can Buy Land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Membership Applicant | No | No | Volunteer, Guest | Yes |
| Trial Member | No | No | Volunteer, Guest | Yes |
| Active Member | Yes | Yes | Yes, Any; once older than 18 | Yes |
| Exited Member / External | No | No | Volunteer, Guest, Financial Bookkeeper | Yes |
Guests and Volunteers are counted as external. The guest / volunteer application is separate from the membership application.
Obligations for each State (per year)
| State | Governance Participation expectations | Contribution requirements (Financial) | Meeting attendance | Work contributions (Physical) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Membership Applicant | none | none | none | none |
| Trial Member | Defined in Trial Member participation expectations | none | none | none |
| Active Member | Defined in “Definition of Participation in Community Governance” | if member only: none; if owner: yearly budget contribution of their property share | Defined in “Definition of Participation in Community Governance” | Defined in “Active Member Work contributions” |
| Exited Member / External | none | none *) | none | none |
*If you are an owner you will still need to contribute financially.
State transitions triggers
| State | How to become | Possible Transitions |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Applicant | Online application form; accepted by Full Members (if no one disagrees within 7 days, become Trial Members; fully become Trial Members upon arrival). | Trial Member |
| Trial Member | See above | Active Member (minimum 3 months cumulative), Exited Member |
| Active Member | Inheritance | Exited Member / External |
| Exited Member / External | Defined in “Exit Protocol” | Applicant, Trial Member |
No individual may hold multiple membership states simultaneously.
No rights or obligations may be assumed outside of the individual’s current membership state.
Clarification about ownership and membership
Within the community, land ownership and membership are intentionally treated as distinct dimensions. An individual may be a landowner without being a member, a member without owning land, or hold both roles simultaneously. Membership states—and their respective rights and responsibilities—are defined in this document, while the pathways, obligations, and structures related to land ownership are outlined separately. Both dimensions can coexist, with an individual’s status determined independently by their ownership state and their membership state.
Responsibilities of Owners / Trustees
Owners (Trustees) are the legal stewards of the property and hold shared responsibility for its long-term integrity, value, and legal standing. They are expected to collaborate in land use planning, contribute proportionally to agreed expenses, and avoid actions that create material nuisance or conflict.
Trustees retain final authority in matters that significantly affect the property, including residency decisions, major land development, and public representation, and are responsible for exercising this authority in alignment with the project’s vision and sustainability.
Transitional Membership Pathway for Current Owners
To resolve existing ambiguity between ownership and membership, and to acknowledge prior participation in community life, current property owners are granted a transitional pathway.
All current property owners shall, effective upon the adoption of this proposal, be granted the status of “Active Member.” Exceptions apply to owners who have previously been voted out due to serious violations of the current bylaws.
Each eligible owner will have a period of one (1) year (365 days) to fulfill the requirements necessary to maintain “Active Member” status. If any of these requirements are not met by the end of this period, the membership status will automatically transition to “Exited Member / External,” without further process. (Ownership status remains unchanged and obligated to contribute to the budgets and maintain their private lots.)
This process includes:
- Completing/reviewing the 101 consensus training video
- Consensus quiz
- Completing/reviewing a Non-Violent Communication video
- NVC quiz
- Completing/reviewing a Sociocracy video
- Sociocracy quiz
- Maintenance of the lot: minimum of 5 days (40 hours) of work or $125 per year for farm maintenance, including weed whacking, chop-and-drop, clearing around roads and ditches on the lot, and checking private water systems for failures and fixing them at their expense.
- Paying for the community budgets for last 3 years and for the year in the specified timeframe (can pay for previous years if want to correct it)
- Need to be participating in community government actions, defined in the “Participation in Community Governance Definition”
- Need to adhere to the current bylaws
Technical Notes
Why preserve data after exit?
- Contribution history and XP are retained in Fruit Haven after exit — records are preserved for audit and transparency purposes.
- Exited members have their access blocked; they are removed from all member listings.
- A formal member exit flow in Fruit Haven is not yet implemented — see Future Proposals.
Ratification Record
- Adopted: 2019-05-17 (Original Bylaws), 2026-05-19 (RCOS adaptation)
- Decision type: Strategic
- Version: v1.0.0
- Decision record: proposals/passed/2019-05-17_fh1-bylaws.md