It’s time for our APDC Annual Meeting and Nomination / Acceptance of New Asociados! 
Dearest current members, new applicants and the curious:
We will hold the APDC Annual Meeting at Diamante Luz on December 28, the last Wednesday of 2022 during our regular 1:11pm session, AND - it will be part of a First Annual DBC Membership Gala!
The purpose of the Annual Meeting (1:11 to 3:30pm) will be to sociocratically accept new members as nominated and discussed through replies on this post (and at the 21 December Meeting).
At this time we will also present any proposals that need to be approved by a General Assembly before presentation at a Board meeting for official registry of decisions.
Please see this DBC Event Listing for the full schedule of activities and more details on the DBC Membership Gala!
Contributors to the Diamante Bridge Collective are hereby invited to apply for membership of the APDC. 
Please read on for instructions on how to submit a complete application for review and approval.
Our Founding Members signed into existence a Constitution, and the Asociacion Colectiva thus formed serves an essential purpose for many members of our Diamante Bridge Community as the legal entity conducting public affairs in Costa Rica.
As a public entity, membership in the APDC requires providing evidence of lawful residency or a valid visa stamp for Costa Rica in a current passport.
The purpose of this post:
- Launch the membership drive for our Costa Rican public entity, the Asociacion Puente Diamante Colectiva (APDC)
- Detail the benefits and responsibilities of APDC members and the Board roles
- Document the process for nominating yourself or someone else for membership / roles
- Capture items to be included on a roadmap of specific aims for the APDC in 2023
The primary goals of this membership drive:
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To populate the APDC Membership and Board of Directors with individuals who have an interest in guiding specific functions of the Colectiva that relate to public interactions with local municipal organizations, financial and educational institutions, and national/international government entities.
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To offer a path of publicly documented participation for members desiring to obtain “official” paperwork for their engagement in activities that fall within the scope of the APDC Constitution.
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To provide a forum of reputable consultation and regulatory assistance to the larger Diamante Bridge Collective body, neighbors and requesting parties for decisions that relate to social welfare and the care for public goods, including those of contractual obligations ruled by Costa Rican or International law.
The key benefit of APDC membership (either as a member or serving on the Board):
To provide non-profit status to projects (and the people serving them) within the scope of the Colectiva as defined in the Constitution, which allows us to access additional funding streams and offer work visas to volunteers and mentors/instructors coming to support these initiatives.
For further clarity on benefits of membership please see documentation of 2022 Membership Benefit discussions and meetings in this previous post!
It is my hope that in preparing this topic, other benefits and valuable insights will be surfaced from you, dear reader, and I encourage you to reply to this post with your thoughtful contributions.
First - Who are we and how did we get here?!
IN the beginning (2021 Feb), there was a group of individuals who organized themselves as “The Diamante Bridge Collective”. The commitment of these people bringing their skills, resources and power together was drafted into this Collective Foundational Agreement (CFA) as the basis for how we intended to create and uphold a healthy collaborative village-based ecosystem.
THEN (2022 Jan) brought us a partnership with Perma Vida and creation of the “Asociacion Puente Diamante Colectiva” with it’s inscription into the Costa Rican National Registry via founding Constitution (OFFICIAL en Espanol) (TRANSLATION in English). For this we have an official membership body, including past and current Officers of the Board.
NOW we approach 2023 with a greater understanding of the distinction between the Public Realm (where the APDC resides) and the Private Realm (where our community of self-actualizing souls reside). Our path reveals opportunity and benefits for members at both the Public and Private association types.
For the scope of this post we are going to stay on the Public road, which is to say here we invite those within our community who find value in participation with a more traditional and slightly “matrix-y” Organization to engage in this Nomination Process.
The Private Membership Association is not yet formed ‘officially’. Unofficially, many people we consider DBC family will find this membership route more aligned for them. I invite you to also read this separate post created by Emily regarding the Private membership. Please note that YES, you can do both!
Nomination Process
Please see this document for the list of current members and Board Officers.
To the greatest extent possible we wish to keep this process public and transparent - so please log in to this forum if you have not already done so, and reply to this post with your nominations, questions and suggestions!
Who can nominate a member?
Current members can nominate contributing non-members for membership, as well as nominate other current members or non-members for a role on the Board.
Anyone can also nominate themselves for membership or even for a Board role! You will need to find 2 current members that agree to be listed as your sponsors on the Membership Application.
How to nominate a member?
It is as easy as hitting the REPLY button on this post! Name the person you are nominating and tell us why you think they are a great fit.
Then send your nominee the link to this post so they can respond, gain sponsors, and follow the instructions below.
What to do if you’ve been nominated?
Fill out this Membership Application, then respond to the post comment with your nomination stating that you have done so!
- Minimum requirements to apply:
- read and agree to uphold the APDC Constitution
- have 2 current members agree to sponsor your application
- submit your online application and/or a signed commitment letter
- attend the Annual Meeting in person
- or write a letter of exception to accompany your application
Note from the Author:
I’m publishing this post right now to open the Membership Drive, and will be editing it to include specific Roles/Descriptions for the APDC Officers of the Board as well as Benefits/Responsibilities of Membership AS DEFINED IN THE CONSTITUTION.I’m aware that the Constitution leaves a lot open to further definition, and one of the goals I believe we will set for the Board (and a committee from the membership) is to draft Bylaws that provide additional operational guidelines of the APDC to address these areas. To that end I also encourage and enlist even, your support in asking the questions below that help us identify what needs work in 2023!
