members’ guide to Thoughtful Foods Co-op 

Part 3 - Other information about Thoughtful Foods   1. Intro Nights 2. Meetings 3. Working Bees 4. E-mail list 4.1 Subscribing 4.2 Unsubscribing 5. Newsletter 6. Cottage Industry   1. Intro Nights Intro Nights are an introduction to Thoughtful Foods, how it works and what your role is as an active member. The next Intro Night is advertised on the wall next to the window. It is recommended that all new members attend an Intro Night before attempting a shift in the shop. If you can’t make it to an Intro Night the next best thing is to put your name beside somebody who is written on the roster board in red chalk. Such people are experienced members and are willing to give you a one-on-one training session during the shift.  2. Meetings Thoughtful Foods operates on a consensus basis (i.e. all members have the right to participate in decisions affecting the Co-op, and to block decisions they cannot live with), which means that all members are welcome and encouraged to attend all Thoughtful Foods meetings. Members attending meetings are entitled to Extra Discounts (equivalent to one hour of work) on Thoughtful Foods products. Meetings occur fortnightly and are kept brief. Details of the next meeting are displayed on the wall near the window, behind the counter. Copies of the meeting minutes are sent to the co-op e-mail list. Hard copies are also kept attached to the Meetings clipboard located under the notice board. Members who do not attend the meetings are encouraged to read the minutes. 3. Working Bees Working bees are advertised on the wall behind the counter and via the e-mail list. This is a chance for Thoughtful Foods members to work together and undertake maintenance jobs and big cleaning tasks. Everybody is invited and encouraged to come along! Those attending a Working Bee are entitled to shop at Extra Discount prices. 4. E-mail list Thoughtful Foods has an e-mail list to which all members are automatically subscribed if they provided an e-mail address when they became a member. All members are encourage to use this list to communicate with other members of the Co-op. Send your messages to: food-co-op@explode.unsw.edu.au 4.1 Subscribing If you haven’t been subscribed to the e-mail list, either leave a message on the Membership clipboard or send the message: subscribe food-co-op to: majordomo@explode.unsw.edu.au You will receive an e-mail confirming your subscription. 4.2 Unsubscribing Should you wish to unsubscribe from the e-mail list, either leave a message on the Membership clipboard or send the message: unsubscribe food-co-op to: majordomo@explode.unsw.edu.au 5. Newsletter The newsletter is a means of sharing knowledge and communicating with all Thoughtful Foods members, including those who don’t do a regular shift in the shop. The newsletter contains information regarding the latest issues of the shop, recipes, thoughts on eating, reviews of vegie/vegan eateries, other green initiatives happening around Sydney – i.e. whatever YOU want to contribute to make it exciting! Please leave your contributions on the Publicity clipboard. Four newsletters are produced each year. If you are a member of Thoughtful Foods but haven’t been receiving newsletters, please leave a note with your details on the Membership clipboard. 6. Cottage Industry Cottage Industry is a way of making money for yourself and for Thoughtful Foods. It is also a way of promoting your personal skills as well as promoting the shop. The idea is to sell your homemade goods at Thoughtful Foods, receiving a huge percentage of the selling price, If your raw materials (or part there of) come from Thoughtful Foods, then the shop receives 20% of the selling price, if not Thoughtful Foods receives 30%. Things to make for Cottage Industry : (an infinite list, coz it's up to you.) scarves, stationary, nori rolls, cookies, vegies from your garden, cakes, jewellery, calico or hemp shopping bags…that type of thing. If you are selling perishable items such as cakes and biscuits, please bring a container in which to display your produce. This makes the items look good, last longer and is more hygienic. A big glass jar, for example, is ideal for cookies.  If you would like to sell something through the Cottage Industry, please leave a note for the Cottage Industry co-ordinator on the Publicity clipboard. Accounting procedures for cottage industry: When a member brings in cottage industry to sell, fill out a carbon-copy page in the "Cottage Industry Book" kept to the left of the cash register. Ensure the carbon paper is in between an original page and a copy page. Write out what they brought in, how many, how much they are selling each item for and how much per item they are to receive. Give the cottage industrier the original copy and tell them to bring it back when they come to collect their money. When they return, check how many items have been sold and pay them what is due from the petty cash bag in the green tin. Write out a receipt and put it in the petty cash receipts bag, stating the cottage industrier’s name and how much they were paid. Write "paid in full" or how much was paid if there are still some items left to sell on the carbon copy in the cottage industry book.