| Blog Post Published on: | 26th October 2022 |
| Title: | The Economic Philosophy of the Co-op Movement |
| Lead Author: | Bill Knox |
| Type of Blog Post: | cpc_history |
This article is from the Circle Pines Center 35th Anniversary Anthology, which was published in 1974..
This article appears on pages 136-137 of the 35th Anthology. It originally appeared in Pine Needles in May 1972.
Pine Needles is a newsletter published by Circle Pines Center.
Bill Knox passed away in early 1973.
In ten years of drifting with winds of popular feelings, we have been losing much of our distinctive character as a cooperative camp. Our leadership has increasingly emphasized the poignant social problems of the times, incidentally slighting our original goals of developing cooperatives by actual living practice and by orientation in the philosophy and economic, long-range, nation-wide benefits of the co-operative system of business.
I’m not criticizing the programs given, but the omission of the ones left out. Even most members of cooperatives are so short-sighted that they never think of any co-op advantages beyond the immediate personal gains of a patronage refund, share interest, and a nice place to trade. They never look further to see that the patronage refund on a national scale, doing a majority of the business, could cure the primary cause of poverty alongside wealth. Poverty and unemployment are, in turn, major causes of most social problems.
Co-op business, by curing the primary cause of most business problems, could thus cure the primary cause of most social problems. Cooperators, working within, build business right to start with instead of standing outside and petitioning others to cure bad business. Most social organizations are relatively ineffectual because they treat symptoms with a patch instead of curing the primary cause. Their idealistic proposals for change, and their protests against evil, are featherweight darts falling vainly against the iron-clad armor of big business and big government. Co-ops in business themselves, speak with a voice of dollars which other businesses have to take into account to adjust to.
With these effective methods, the Cooperative Movement is the most strategic force in the world for improving the business and social world. The co-operative business system is the solid rock foundation of the Cooperative Movement. In support of it, Circle Pines Center was founded. Sad to say, CPC seems to have forgotten that primary mission, and is reluctant to permit discussion of it.
I insist that the fundamentals of the Cooperative Movement be brought to the attention of every period group some time during their stay. I’m not proposing long boring discussions. Leaders with imagination and initiative can make the subject attractive in many ways; movies, camper-acted dramas, poster making, etc., in addition to pamphlets such as “There Were 3 Men” and “The Goolibah Tree”. Ask each player to make a co-op slogan, or write a co-op poem or song. Youth can keep up their interest by corresponding with foreign co-op pen pals, and by sponsoring (financially aiding) a small foreign co-op, or American “Poor People’s Co-op”.
For the general direction for CPC to go, I leave it to others to set the sails for the prevailing winds, but I adjure them to keep headed for the fundamental co-op goals.
On specific points, I would object to having a youth or family commune on CPC property or connected with CPC financially, because they might seriously endanger the camp’s prestige, discipline, or financial resources. A commune must stand on its own feet.
A “free school” does not seem practical without additional housing and full-time year-around counselors who really like to look after children.
by Bill Knox
Pine Needles, May 1972