Arts and Crafts Continuum Draft Planning
Outline September 2023
1. Background
In the spirit of the English Arts and Crafts movement,
this design is a work of art, with an intention to be open and
free in the creative details , dynamic around a fixed,
guiding, internally structural holistic intension.
In 2028 Ron and Judy will celebrate 50 years of marriage. We
are considering and negotiating as a family the gifting of
debt-free working farmland, pastures, fruit trees and berries,
wild woodlands of fir and cedar, streams and ravines, a couple
new and a few historic buildings in a diversity of environments.
Rural, small town, suburban and city locations where people have
lived and worked with their families and communities with a
diversity of opportunities available for discovery and creation.
Since 1978, we have managed, maintained, re-designed and
restored places with an effort and income comparable to that of
2 part time jobs. We each had another occupation in teaching or
art and still had time to share good times with our family and
friends. This property management was accomplished within our
normal everyday stream of living. Those people who used our
properties helped make our ownership and enjoyment of them
possible. Without the rents they paid, this would have been
impossible.
From experience, we know the current income and management
system is sustainable. Our plan is to share this working process
so, hopefully, generations of others can together, share and
enjoy affordable housing, essential natural resources, wholesome
food, creative education and discover meaningful occupations. We
believe that the sharing of these properties will be good for
future users. Debt-free in perpetuity means natural places will
remain, farmland and work spaces will be fruitful, educational
and housing resources will be protected, maintained, become more
affordable and be of truer value in the future. Sharing and
saving are essential loving virtues in nature.
Managing properties collectively is easier than individually.
Making bill payments or scheduling rentals or maintenance or
classes for a few properties is not much different than for one.
Managing properties collectively is also more flexible and
resilient for a group of users than if each was held
individually. Resources from one property can be used for
maintaining other properties.
As absentee, benevolent land owners we attempt to put
ourselves in the position of being the servants of our guests.
We schedule, clean, and maintain the properties when convenient
for others. They are guests as each unit is furnished as if it
was our home. We are rewarded by them when they leave the unit
as clean as they found it or leave gifts, improvements and
cheerful comments for our enjoyment and encouragement.
2. Gifting
A gift should not be a burden. A positive enhancement to the
quality of life for the beneficiary and the grantor. True value
is how much an item is needed in the process of making the life
of the user better.
3. Human Resources
Housing is a necessity of human life, not an investment which
makes housing less affordable. Affordable housing is an asset
that should be maintained and valued because of it’s use as an
essential resource.
4. Natural Resources
Natural processes are holistic and life generating. Human
processes as part of nature should be compatible.
5. Educational Resources
Human educational experiences are naturally attuned to small
group family- sized non-hierarchical interactions of 6 or fewer
participants.
6. Functions of the Trust
A For-Profit Perpetual Trust supports the purpose. In the
cases of the intertwined purposes of affordable housing,
creative employment and environmental protection, the Arts and
Crafts Continuum benefits participants within the Trust as well
as the nature of society outside the Trust.
Trustees are responsible for seeing that their actions
equitably support all beneficiaries of the Trust. Beneficiaries
may be rewarded through profitable employment, affordable
housing, maintenance of shared facilities, and access to
educational experiences and natural resources. Beneficiaries may
include other supportive, co-operative organizations.
Land Trust Partners would benefit Trust Beneficiaries by way
of agreements to preserve Trust natural resources in perpetuity.
These partners would benefit from adjacent Trust property being
well managed farm land, educational workshop facilities and
affordable housing for preservation workers and farmers.
Educational Organization Partners would benefit Trust
Beneficiaries by organizing and managing educational activities
including outdoor and indoor workshop facilities. These partners
would benefit from use of facilities including access to
affordable student housing.
Beneficiaries may profit from Trustee approved activities
taking place on Trust property as land use and other
restrictions allow. Affordable rental income will strengthen the
viability of the Trust. Resources and donations will naturally
flow toward the Trust as it encourages more affordable and
easier access to creative opportunities.
7. Design Concept : arts and crafts continuum
A taxable, debt free, for-profit land/community/housing
perpetual purpose trust providing support for it’s
beneficiaries. The beneficiaries are a collective of Arts and
Crafts Continuum self-organizing workers. Of these, three are
trustees who manage the yearly budget for the collection of
Continuum properties funded by workshops, conservation trusts,
gardens and work spaces, products and affordable housing.
A Pair of Family Trustees (Trustee 1 and Trustee 2 ) are
assigned by the Grantors who are contributing the debt-free
income producing properties. The participants who Steward the
properties are Use Beneficiaries. They each occupy One Unit
Share for work and/or residency. Trustee 1 and Trustee 2 are
Beneficiaries and each have One Unit Share. All unattached
personal items are the property of Trustee 1 and Trustee 2 and
managed as they see fit including allowing the Trust to use them
as resources. Trustee 1 and Trustee 2 are responsible for
finding, selecting and collaborating with Trustee 3, also a
Beneficiary holding One Unit Share. Trustee 3 also holds a
yearly management contract and is responsible for planning,
budgeting and maintenance of properties and facilities. Trustees
are responsible for meeting the needs of all beneficiaries as
best they can, so they may all be free to live their lives more
easily. Trustee 1 and Trustee 2 each name their replacements. If
one of these two Trustees is not available to serve, the two
remaining Trustees agree on a new Trustee. Trustee 1 and Trustee
2 are responsible for overseeing and approving the Management
Process decisions made by Trustee 3. The Management Process
includes all planning, budgeting and maintenance of continuum
properties and facilities. This process is open to all
Beneficiaries at small group continuum property meetings.
Use or value of each Unit is considered One Unit Share.
Trustees may occupy One Unit or receive taxable income as part
of the management process for One Unit. Each Unit is flexibly
scheduled yearly and on a monthly basis or less as land use
restrictions allow.
Living Units, Commercial Units and Farming Units are scaled
equitably so they roughly have the same value of use. They
provide space and resources to address the needs of each
Beneficiary balanced with the needs of all Beneficiaries. Any
inequities which might arise would be negotiated and settled at
the annual dispersal of profits and in budget planning. This
scaling equitably process allows Units to be scheduled, planned
and managed more easily. Trustees are encouraged to be open to a
future of possibilities this Trust will create. Improvements and
additions to properties must only be by debt free methods
including a savings account and donations to preserve the
affordable and resilient aspects of this Trust.
To this end, the Trustees are encouraged to oversee
scheduling educational activities for the benefit of the Arts
and Crafts Continuum as resources allow.
8. Educational Activities
Philosophy, Nature, Arts and Crafts Workshops :
An introduction to the arts and crafts continuum philosophy,
planning, organization and implementation
Other Relevant Subjects of Nature, Arts, Crafts and
Philosophy to be encouraged:
Nature
Gardening Farming Forestry Arts Music Crafts Handcrafts
Cooking Carpentry
Philosophy
History
9. Educational Environment
Indoor and Outdoor locations.
Creative Small Group (6 persons
or less).
Onsite and At-distance sessions.
Task based,
self-guided educational process.
Participants sharing knowledge
with participants.
In a state of praxis. Theory in Practice
re-creating the Theory.
Sessions are community projects which help maintain or
improve the resources of the arts and crafts continuum.
Educational/residential facilities are multi-purpose and
residential in scale including workshops, barns, storage,
utilities as allowed by land use requirements.
Monthly affordable housing guests would have the opportunity
to engage with local residents and organizations, propose
focused workshops with like-minded guests and residents.
Associated Community Components :
Retail, Office, Agricultural and Residential
Draft Outline 2/21/2022
(2021 income/cost figures are used for planning purposes
only)
Sharing linked resources enables participants to reach goals
more easily. Funds for maintenance and improvement expenses are
available through the management of a group of affordable rental
residential properties which are enhanced by and in return
benefit agricultural/housing activities.
Affordable furnished Housing Rentals are flexibly based on
25% of income . All utilities and housing costs are included.
The management process encourages those with a rate lower than
25% to support the Trust through donations of goods, services or
property.
Farming costs of $500/$1500/month for land use and RV/tiny
house sites can be offset with part time employment at $25/hour
or more (depending on experience) for residential maintenance
and farm improvement work. Taxable farm production income is
managed by the farmer. The affordable, variable land use rental
rate is linked to this farm income.
