In this guide we talk mostly about the board of directors. But good governance is something all the members should be aware of, and, as we said at the beginning, they also have a role to play in governance.

The members, of course, are not the board. They don't have the range of authority that the co-op acts give to the board to direct the co-op's affairs, and they shouldn't try to do (or undo) the board's work in general meetings. At the same time though, there are key governance decisions that only the members can make, such as

• choosing the directors
• amending the co-op's by-laws/rules
• making policies that are set by the members.

In some cases-in Ontario for example-only the members can approve the housing charges that are set annually. You should check the co-op act that applies to your co-op to find out which decisions must be made by the members.

Aside from meeting their legal requirements, the members support good
governance by

• understanding what we mean by good governance
• learning about the values and principles of co-operation and co-op housing
• participating in members' meetings and speaking up
• applying the principles of good governance in any committee work they may be doing
• taking care to choose directors who will act ethically and put the co-op's interests first
• supporting education and training opportunities for members-and going to them.

The board needs to help the members understand about good governance by giving them the chance to learn about it. Think about sending members who are not directors to board training sessions offered by the co-op housing sector. And help your members prepare for the decisions they make. Make sure they have the information they need in plenty of time to make good decisions at meetings. Try to use materials that are easy to read and follow.

Sharing this guide with your members will help as well.

We've talked quite a lot now about different aspects of good governance and principled leadership. The big question is how do you get these outcomes in your co-op? Let's take a look.