MOUNTAIN HEARTH VILLAGE
Join us on Zoom and for onsite visits about co-creating an eco-friendly, inter-generational, small participatory community where we support each other as loving neighbors through all that life brings, through to the end.
Let’s redefine rural living and come together to create a neighborhood that supports friendly cooperation and socialization.
People who engage in meaningful, productive activities with others tend to live longer, boost their mood, and have a sense of purpose. Studies show that meaningful activities with others may actually improve cognitive function.
Here on our 5.5-acre homestead, we could meet the demand for several tiny homes and a few homes of around 850 sq ft, so it will be a pocket neighborhood and a beautiful community.
Mountain Hearth
The Mountain Hearth Organizing Group
Mission Statement: To live in community with shared agreements.
Vision: To be honest and transparent in our dealings with each other, and to be respectful of the plants and animals we share the land with.
ARE YOU A GOOD FIT?
The questions below will help you know if you will be a good fit for this community. Decide if you agree, disagree, or feel neutral.
I want to be a part of this because I have time, resources, and skills to contribute.
I value Mother Nature and act accordingly.
I am open to change and transformation and am willing to do the work towards that.
I respect other paths and do not hold my ideas as the best.
I value a sense of community with others.
I would like to participate in some group activities.
I am willing to give some time to my community so it runs smoothly.
I would like to further develop my gifts and talents in community and encourage others to develop theirs.
I appreciate diversity in my community.
I am willing to face the mysteries of birth, childhood, adulthood, aging and death.
DAY TO DAY LIFE
MEMBER ASSOCIATION
For all members to enjoy the benefit of community life, the ideal is that everyone participate in some form. We all share our gifts to maintain the life of the community. That way everyone is involved, but no-one overburdened. Your gift might be compassion, or healing arts, or a strong back or gardening/farming. Together we make it work.
We would all participate in committees and workgroups to focus on various elements of the community. Each month the Member Association meets and decides issues before it. Most decisions related to community life are made by consensus where everyone’s opinion is encouraged and respected. We might form ad hoc committees and work groups for special projects.
SHARED VEHICLES
We could have one or more vehicles that we share and plan for in weekly meetings. This allows for a more eco-friendly lifestyle as well as homeowner-residents can sell or donate their own cars, cancel their own car insurance and stop paying local property taxes for a vehicle. We will develop a price-per-mile that all residents pay, for instance .70 per mile might cover all vehicle costs?
PETS
Mountain Hearth is currently a bird sanctuary and a migratory haven for many species of birds. Decide what are the parameters of pets: how many, what size, what kind. Discussion and agreements that include large, roaming dogs, barking dogs, and outdoor cats (which destroy about a billion birds each year).
LIFELONG LEARNING
We encourage and help each other to get out to area educational programs, workshops, and lectures on various subjects to encourage continuous learning and personal development.
CREATE SUSTAINABLE/GREEN INITIATIVES
Encourage streambank restoration, dealing with invasive plant species, gardening, green spaces, solar panels, recycling programs, and re-using to promote sustainability.
Non-violent Communication
We would develop a process for resolving the difficulties that are bound to arise among people who are trying to live in community. Resolution comes with openness and honesty on the part of both parties, and the outcome often leaves the parties with a stronger relationship and a lasting bond.
PURPOSE
The Mountain Hearth Organizing Group is a partnership for the purpose of developing a pocket neighborhood and intentional community (hereinafter referred to as “The Hearth” which is projected to be between 10 and 20 people at 128 Spruce Drive, Old Fort, NC, 28762. One of the members of the organizing group is Developer/Member Sheridan Hill, who is currently working with a permaculturist and soil specialists to clarify best practices for this particular 5.5-acre piece of land.
MEMBERSHIP
We aim to be streamlined in our community agreements so that we don’t feel like we are spending large amounts of time in meetings.
Members may be onsite and offsite. Interested persons become Hearth Members by attending three meetings, joining a working committee and contributing two hours per week (one hour social, one hour committee work) per week to The Hearth. To leave the group: stop attending meetings. Minutes of discussions and decisions made will be distributed to attending and absent members before the next scheduled meeting.
ORGANIZING GROUP FUNCTIONS
The organizing group’s functions include but are not necessarily limited to: formalizing the mission statement, vision, and circles.
Membership Circle: Orienting new members to the group, ensuring that all members receive regular teaching and reminders about Shared Agreements, developing methods for holding members accountable for Shared Agreements, including the consequences for continual disrespect of agreed-upon decisions, and how are they put into play.
Legal and Financial Circle: Working with other teams to ensure dues-paying, meeting legal and financial obligations, if and when dues become necessary.
Land Stewardship Circle: To develop guidelines for pre-construction, oversee utilization of the permaculture plan into the Shared Agreements, guiding members in the process of using Common Areas, guidelines on camping on property (is any form of off-grid allowed, and if so for how long?)
Construction Circle: For members who buy a lot, the Construction Circle guides members in: using the soil scientist plan in planning the dimension, location, and sizes for dwellings and accessory buildings; abiding by all restrictions and covenants, including: setbacks for buildings on their property, size of house; whether garage and or basements are allowed; timeframe in which members must build the house once construction has begun; pitch requirements for roof; definitions of types of homes allowed, including defining modular home, mobile home, tiny home, cottage, accessory dwelling.
Meetings: In our meetings, we begin with several grounding breaths together, then someone reads the mission statement and vision.
A limited form of sociocracy will be used in group decision-making.
All decisions are to be discussed thoroughly before a decision is made, and we will always seek consensus.
When a vote is called, the Membership Circle oversees reaching consensus, using the 5-finger method (1=strongly object, 2= have reservations; 3= neutral; 4= like it; 5=100 percent agree.
Email Sheridan at info@ReaLifeStories.com for info and visit www.mountainhearth.net for all updates.
