The Sustainability Salon is committed to learning new ways of being together that are participatory, inclusive, just and nonhierarchical. We are aware we could be creating a foundation for a mass movement around sustainability, as more and more people become aware of our ecological crisis. Drawing on models of self-organizing systems in nature, the Salon seeks to create a local node in a vast living system of concerned individuals.

I. The Salon has agreed to these Foundational Organizing Principles:

1. A healthy self-organizing organism is a diversified whole: a diverse collection of parts (members) are simultaneously autonomous and cooperative. There is a shared caring for the members and for the whole within a shared purpose.
2. A healthy self-organizing organism depends on accurate and consistent feedback loops (information) from both within the organization and outside of the organization. Information flows freely throughout all the links of connection established. There is a free movement of material (individuals) in and out of the organism.
3. A healthy self-organizing system is able to tolerate chaos and uncertainty as an integral aspect of its own evolution and can regain balance by making choices based on informational feedback loops that change it to bring it to a more appropriate level of being.

II. The Salon has set up this Basic Organizational Structure:

1. Monthly Meetings
   1. Monthly Meetings are held to create and reinforce personal connections as well as to plan events and projects which are consistent with our mission.
   2. Meetings are non-heirarchical with rotating or shared leadership.
   3. Subject matter (or leader) is decided on by the group at the previous meeting and is chosen to motivate, inform, and inspire, as well as provide an organizational grounding point for events and projects.
   4. We share food as a way to ritualize our communion.
2. Events and Projects
   1. Any member or group of members can propose an event or project.
   2. Any member can be a responsible leader for projects and can draw on the willing time and resources of the group.
   3. An event or project must be OK’d by the group, and align with our Mission, Vision and Values. Events and projects with the greatest impact or leverage will be considered first.
   4. Subgroups would form to implement events and projects, meeting and working on their own and reporting back to the group.
3. Web Presence
   1. A critical component for information transfer and feedback, the Salon will have an open source content management web presence.

III. The Salon recognizes these Fundamental Organizational Practices:

1. Respectful listening
2. Brevity of expression
3. Dialogue rather than debate
4. Positive language, framing problems as opportunities
5. Trusting the process, trusting the group -- solutions arise out of honest engagement.
6. Taking care of self, then taking care of others and the group
7. Divergent opinion, chaos, and change is healthy
8. The people who show up are the right people, the events and projects that happen are the right events and projects.
9. We may not see the fruit of our actions, but know it is all making a difference

Specifics of Organizational Leadership

Rotational Roles:

If you have been to a Sustainability Salon meeting more than 2 times you can serve in one of four rotating capacities:

1. Meeting Facilitator: Responsible for creating a meeting agenda, sending it out via email in advance of the meeting, giving people time to respond and adding to it. Bringing the final agenda to the meeting, running the meeting;
2. Note taker: Write main topics, decisions made, email notes. Make sure everyone is reminded in the notes as to what they committed to do and include a clear deadline;
3. Project Manager: You rotate the leadership for each event but once committed, that person remains the leader for a particular project or event.
4. Standing editors: People who volunteer to go over copy (invitations, press releases, etc) before sending it out to all -— should be at least two people. Three is better.

Potential Non Rotational Roles:

• Treasurer
• Database manager
• PR committee
• Designated spokesperson