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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Friends, Please circulate the attached message as widely as you can, on any media that you can. Let's see if we can send it around the world in the next 9 days. I have copied the message below. It's also in the attached rtf file, along with the co-op principles. Co-operatively, Wayne.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>PS: Maybe you should add a short endorsement before you send it. And, maybe CC me, so that I will know where it goes. Thanks, WC.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><hr size=3 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><u><span style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Co-op by Candlelight: 2012-12-21<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>A modest proposal for the world co-op movement<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Legend of Rochdale:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In the dark days of continuing crises in mid-nineteenth century England, legend has that a small group of unemployed, locked-out weavers from nearby mills gathered in a small shop on Toad Lane, in Rochdale, on the 21st of December in 1844 to begin a new venture to save their community and themselves by opening a co-operative (that's "coooperative" for non-native speakers). During the last year, the 28 member-owners had saved their money to form the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers. They had a plan; they had principles; they had a vision; but what they did not have was oil for the lamps. So, they had to make do with candles, which they sold in the store.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For over a year, the Society had signed up the new members, collected all of the necessary information, received the member investment of one pound, and oriented 28 member-owners on the meaning of membership in a co-operative. The Society had learned from other attempts at forming co-ops in the area towns going back more than 20 years. But, all previous efforts had failed to establish lasting co-ops. The Equitable Society had established their co-op principles to guide the way to the co-operative commonwealth in their future. What they called "socialism", at that time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The co-op opened its new venture on the longest night of the year by candlelight. They had products to sell and members to buy the products and a store to sell the products in. What they did not have was light to facilitate the buying and selling. Now, the light of the candles -- candles that many families had to rely upon in this day of economic hardship -- lit the path to the store and their future.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Thus, began a co-operative movement to build a co-operative commonwealth in the future to save humanity from total destruction. A movement that has spread across time and history and the world to include millions of co-ops with billions of members and millions of workers doing trillions of dollars in business -- all guided by the co-op principles. These co-ops are doing significant economic activity across all markets, occupations, and types of business. This is a movement which relies upon co-operation and community as well as co-operatives and members. These first co-op candles have become beacons to our future.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Again, humanity finds itself in dark days worldwide. The economic / financial / energy / environmental / climate / sexual / health / family / individual / community / social / spiritual crises continue unabated and worsening. But, the co-op movement brings hope and a way to end these continuing crises thru working together and co-operating. Let the light of our co-op candles shine on the path way to crises solutions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Legend from the Mayan Calendar<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The 21st of December in 2012 will be the 168th anniversary of the formation of the worldwide co-operative movement. Legend also has it that the world will end on the 21-Dec-2012. Well, actually, the Mayan calendar, which has tracked celestial history for millennia, begins its 5,000 year cycle again. But, numerous legends, traditions, visions, prophecies, analyses, and beliefs point to 2012-Dec-21 as a day of significant change.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The prophecies of Nostradamus and others predict a period of tribulation followed by a 1,000 years of peace. Let’s take a step into our thousand years of peace and prosperity by lighting a candle for co-operation on 2012-Dec-21. Our days were never darker than now, as we enter a period of deep uncertainly. But, co-op candles can light the way forward. If every co-operative in the world; no matter how large or small, rich or poor, urban or rural, old or young, forming or established; no matter the market segment, whether housing or agriculture or food or energy or credit or health or insurance or technology; no matter the legal structure, whether co-op or non-profit or not-for-profit or "for-profit" or credit union or government agency or partnership or corporation; no matter the type of co-op, whether consumer or worker or farmer or producer or artisan or artist or business co-ops; if ALL co-ops were to light candles for co-operation on 2012-12-21, the future would look much brighter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Start this new phase of human history with a beacon of co-operation<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>So, just light a candle for our co-operative future -- this is one way to save the human race; taking a conscious step toward co-operation. We need to shine a beacon of hope for those who have lost their community and welcome them into ours.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>If you are an organization or just a person; a co-op supporter and a believer in co-operation in your home and business; where you bring the products and services that you obtain from your participation in the growing co-operative economy worldwide, you can light a candle for co-ops. If you are a supporter of the co-op principles (see attached) of open membership, democratic control, economic participation, continuing education, autonomy, co-operation among co-ops, and community involvement, then you can light a candle for the co-operative principles. You can light a candle and show the world where you stand. Shine a beacon of hope for your co-operative future, by the principles you uphold. This is a co-operative future that you CAN build with a little hope and the right principles.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>So, what to do next<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>If we spread the word to every co-op and co-operator and supporter of co-ops of any sort, we can all light a candle for co-operation on 2012-Dec-21. We all can, by one small act of lighting a candle at any time on 2012-12-21, shows us all how well we can co-operate to accomplish this simple thing of lighting a candle for co-operation. If you can't have an open flame in your house or organization or business, use the small battery-powered lights that look like candles. If every person and every organization that believes in building a co-operative future, lights a candle for co-operation, we can show the world and history how powerful co-operation can be -- for once, on one little thing, we can all work together.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Spread the word far and wide, on every electronic network. Translate this message into every language and transmit it on every medium; use radio, TV, film, video, vinyl, DVD, telephone, word of mouth, magazine, newspaper, newsletter, bulletin, social media, the Internet, carrier pigeon, telepathy, and beyond. Whisper it and shout it, sing it and rhyme it, pluck it and plink it, show it and tell it, call it and respond to it, speak it and preach it, sign it and signal it -- co-op by candlelight on 2012-12-21, the longest night of the new millennium.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Bring 2012, the International Year of the Co-operative, to a close with a flower of light, a beacon showing the path to our future. Begin our thousand years of peace and co-operation now.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Will you light a candle for co-operation on 2012-12-21?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>submitted by R. Wayne Clark, rwayneclark@igc.org, 2012-12-12<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#00B050'>R. Wayne Clark<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#0070C0'>Info_Co-op Associates<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#002060'>P. O. Box 66085<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#002060'>Auburndale, MA 02462<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:rwayneclark@igc.org"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>rwayneclark@igc.org</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#C00000'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#C00000'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>