On January 15, 2025, the Co-op Curious Learners hosted a film and discussion night. 

The film was called Co-ops 101 and can be viewed upon request to the BC Co-op Association.

To visit their website, click HERE.

Here is a synopsis of the film:

Co-op 101 Synopsis

• What is a cooperative?  “A voluntary association of members coming together to serve a common need”
• All members purchase a share, used to generate a shared pool of capital
• All members get an equal vote
• An elected board of directors determines how to allocate shared capital
• Determine what to do with surplus – options are patronage returns (the more you shop, the more you get) or reinvest in the co-op
• Differences between a company, a society and a co-op:
  1. Structure
  2. Ownership
  3. Control
  4. Wealth distribution
  5. Purpose
• Co-ops are the only model with agreed upon international principles (see list on flip side)
• History of cooperatives
• Types of co-ops and examples in BC:
  1. Owned by individuals
  2. Owned by organizations e.g. Pharmasave (each store is a member)
  3. For profit
  4. Not for profit
  5. Consumer
  6. Producer
  7. Worker
• Global Cooperative Movement
• 5 summary points:
  1. Found across sectors
  2. Adaptable in structure
  3. Democratic and autonomous
  4. In service of their communities
  5. Dependent on engaged members