by Stephanie Ricketts, Board Member
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” - Anne of Green Gables
Welcome to full-on FALL here in Madison! After the hot and humid summer we had, I am very ready for these crisp temps, the brightly colored leaves, and all things autumnal. Hands up if you have done any of the following:
• Stopped in your tracks to admire the colors on a beautiful tree.
• Bitten into a perfectly crisp local apple (my personal favorite variety is the Zestar), possibly dipped in caramel, maybe even picked by your own hand.
• Carved or painted a pumpkin.
• Found your way through the Trenien Farm Corn Maze (this year the maze is in the shape of an elephant!)
• Started your day with a steaming mug of coffee or tea, maybe with some hot cider in the evening?
I hope by the end of the month you’ve checked off every box on this list, along with some fun occasions here at Willy Street Co-op!
Owner Appreciation Week
Please mark your calendars for Owner Appreciation Week, October 22-28! We are so glad that you choose to be a part of this cooperative community, and we want to celebrate YOU. Come in for special promotions throughout the week, and say hi to your Board members on the 28th, when we’ll be serving cake at each retail location from 11:00am-1:00pm!
Willy West Grand Re-Opening
Construction at Willy West is wrapping up this month, with a grand re-opening Oct 26–28 adding to the excitement of Owner Appreciation Week. Come in and enjoy some super-duper promotions that week, and check out the transformed space!
NOTE: West will be closed October 1-2 for construction.
Board Updates
Board members elected in July were officially seated at the August 2018 Board meeting. In addition to the three seats filled during the election, an additional two seats became vacant over the summer. The Board opted to re-appoint Daniel Ramos Haaz, a former Board member and chair of the Finance Committee, to one of the vacant seats. The last vacancy will hopefully be filled in the next month or so.
At the August meeting the Board also unanimously and enthusiastically elected Jeannine Bindl as Board President, and Meghan Gauger as Vice President! Both Jeannine and Meghan joined the Board in 2017, and have been been Board and Committee rockstars since. Jeannine also served as Vice President last year. If you see either of them, be sure to give them a high five!
Coming Up
I’m writing this article for a mid-September deadline, and the Board’s next meeting is just a few days away. We’ll be reviewing the annual Co-op Financial Audit, conducted by Wegner & Associates (spoiler: the report looks great, without any areas for concern), best practices for Board tabling, and learning more about the Employee Council. In addition, the Board will be reviewing the 2018
Ends Report, one of the bigger monitoring reports we see each year. You know the saying “The Ends justify the means”? Well, for us at Willy Street Co-op our Ends Policy provides the guidance and framework for all of our actions, programs, etc. (“means”). The reporting on this policy is always very illuminating, and gives the Board a broad understanding of how well the Co-op is meeting our mission.
The Board will review and likely approve the draft policy at the September meeting, with some highlights coming your way in our next Reader article!
Curious about the ends policy language?
You can find it on our website, in our annual report, and below!
Willy Street Grocery Co-op will be at the forefront of a cooperative and just society that:
•has a robust local economy built around equitable relationships;
•nourishes and enriches our community and environment; and
•has a culture of respect, generosity, and authenticity.
