Katywil Values
Mission Statement: Responsible stewardship of ourselves, each other, our land, our Town, and, by example, our region.
It’s easier to write a mission statement than to live it. What does “stewardship of each other” entail? Called by some “social ecology” or “social sustainability,” stewardship of each other involves learning to put community before self. It means deciding 
whether Katywil’s mission statement is one you can live with.
It also means a clear, fair, and participatory decision and communications process for goal setting, problem solving, and conflict resolution. The community’s finances need to be transparent and readily available. There need to be clear membership requirements as well as a graduated series of consequences and exit protocols for those breaking community agreements. Training in Sociocracy, a form of group decision-making is one of the requirements for joining the Katywil Homeowners’ Association.
Also required are two books, both by Diana Leafe Christian, Creating a Life Together, and Finding Community. The first describes the steps involved in beginning an intentional community; the second, recommendations for those interested in joining one. Christian’s years of experience editing Communities magazine, consulting with groups establishing cohousing communities, and visiting hundreds of such communities around the country give us wise lessons to heed as we begin Katywil’s journey. Employing her knowledge will save time, will diminish the probability of mistakes, and will result in less unhappiness and less resident turnover.
These are among the ways we can take care of each other and ourselves; there are many others. Another value is the stewardship of Katywil’s land, creating a sustainable, earth-friendly plan for growing crops, planting trees and shrubs, encouraging plant and wildlife diversity, and protecting it from erosion and blight.
Our deepest hope is that Katywil can model a creative way to avoid the mistakes of suburbanization. Energy-self-sufficient houses are tucked away, preserving Colrain’s mountainous landscape, the smell of the earth, and the stars at night.
If we are truly creative, Katywil and Colrain might serve as a model for other towns confronting growth, diminishing resources, and the desire to preserve their essential character. That’s our dream.
Photo of Diana Leafe Christian: Unattributable