Rochdale Principles

Okay kiddo, do you know what a cooperative is? It’s a group of people who come together and work together to achieve a common goal. The Rochdale Principles are a set of guidelines that help cooperatives work well.

There are seven Rochdale Principles. The first is voluntary and open membership, which means that anyone can join the cooperative if they share its values and goals. The second is democratic member control, which means that everyone has a say in how the cooperative is run.

The third principle is member economic participation, which means that everyone contributes to the cooperative’s financial success. For example, if you and your friends start a lemonade stand, everyone puts in some money for supplies and everyone shares the profits.

The fourth principle is autonomy and independence, which means that the cooperative makes its own decisions and isn’t controlled by outside forces. The fifth is education, training, and information, which means that everyone learns how the cooperative works and how to make it successful.

The sixth principle is cooperation among cooperatives, meaning that cooperatives should work together to achieve common goals. And the seventh principle is concern for the community, which means that the cooperative should benefit the community as a whole, not just its members.

So, the Rochdale Principles are like a big set of rules for cooperatives to follow in order to work smoothly and benefit everyone involved, including the community around them.