Page 21 - C.A.L.L. #29 - Winter 2007

As I see it, it is a major weakness that our system has no built-in incentives for working more
efficiently. I think this has the effect of making our community significantly more inefficient than it
could be, thus costing us as a community quite a bit of time. I think we could chip away at this
problem in a couple of ways. On a formal level, for our repetitive jobs we could teach efficient
methods to new members, and hopefully even retrain established members in more efficient
methods. And on a more informal level, we could try to create more of a culture of trying to work
efficiently for the good of the community, while still working at a humanely comfortable pace. This
would serve the community better in that we would get more done per hour. Then we could do
more and/or work less.

Apple: Sometimes I hate our labor system. Sometimes I notice that I am comprehending life only
through labor credits, deciding what to do with my time based not on what I would enjoy doing,
or what I think needs doing, but on what I could do that I could write on my labor sheet.
Sometimes I find myself looking at what other people are doing for labor credits and judging
myself against them. At times like these, I start to think that the labor system is a gigantic and
ugly institution that's slowly crushing me into the ground.

And sometimes I love our labor system. I see freedom within it to choose work that feels good to
me and that differs every day. I see it as a representation of all the members deciding what is
important to us, and our agreeing to work on it together, equally, fairly. I see it as the basis of our
egalitarian system. I see it as agreements that we individuals have made with each other, out of
respect and shared interest.

I struggle with trying to uphold this second view of the system. I want to feel positive about it and
about us. What's important to me is that we get the work done, and we regard each other with
respect. I don't think there is any system that can make both of these things happen. It is the
choices of individuals that make our society work. And on a good day, I do think our society works.

The Federation of Egalitarian Communities (FEC) is a network of income-sharing communities in North
America valuing non-violence, egalitarianism, and participatory decision-making. FEC communities
include East Wind, Sandhill Farm, Twin Oaks, Skyhouse, Acorn, and the Emma Goldman Finishing School.
www.thefec.org.

Commune turns 40

By CALVIN R. TRICE
June 20, 2007 - RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH

At 40 years old, Twin Oaks in Louisa County is middle-age or even old by the standards of
communes that sprouted during the 1960s. Yet it has survived, and even thrived, with a blend of
strong foundational leadership, luck and a relentless practicality to balance the flower-children and
behaviorist ideals on which it was founded in June 1967.

"We are part of the mainstream; there's no way not to be," said Hawina Falcon, a 10-year resident
of Twin Oaks. "We use cars. That's very mainstream. We grow a lot of our own food, but we buy a
fair amount, too."

The community, which celebrated its founding this past weekend, has about 100 residents. Its
residents maintain strict rules of equality and a comprehensive volume of laws, and they carefully
consider their ties to mainstream society.

Residents give a variety of reasons for settling here; one is the commitment to egalitarianism.
"Here, the people making the decisions are the same ones cleaning the toilets," said Mala Ghoshal,
who arrived in 2000. Others mention the opportunities to live according to environmentalist ideals
or to make close friendships with others.

2 2 2 21 11 1