One more reason to be glad you live here (and not there)

One of the best reasons to be part of a time bank is the community that forms around it.  There is an article about time banking in the NY Times (link below) that praises the concept, and points out unexpected health benefits of belonging to a time bank community.  It's a lovely article; you should read it.  But don't stop at the end of the article.  Take a moment and scroll down to the comment section. 

I hate to get into a Them vs. Us tussle, but wow, there are a whole bunch of litigious-minded folks down there in the Land of the Skyscrapers.  The IRS says that time bank hours are not taxable because the services provided by members to members are essentially charitable acts, which sparks a debate about whether those acts are truly charitable if there is not a registered charity involved.  If Michael from LA and Reader from NY can't understand the meaning of charity, then they are probably better off writing a check to the Save the Snarks Foundation and writing it off on their taxes. 

Just sayin'.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/20/the-payoffs-of-time-banks/

NPR Covers Time Banking Audio Link

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/19/138510242/beyond-bartering-banking-on-community-connections

Other Time Banks

Here is a link to a recent story in the NY Times:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/where-all-work-is-created-equal/?emc=eta1

My favorite quote from the article:  "A time bank is a way to make a small town out of a big city."  In our case, it is a way to make a community out of a sprawling county. 

Take a look.

New member meeting September 22, 7pm

Battenkill Time Traders Orientation

Thursday, September 22nd at 7 pm

Greenwich VFW on Abeel Avenue

What if you could get an hour (or more)
of some service you need or want
without having to pay cash for it?
In exchange you’d offer an hour (or more) of
something you’re good at and like to do. The
concept is called time banking, or time trading.
Time trading is a simple idea that values everyone's
contributions equally and has powerful ripple
effects in building community connections.

Battenkill Time Traders, a group based in southern
Washington County, is hosting the orientation at which
coordinators will explain how time trading works, and
attendees will have the opportunity to meet others in
the group. Attendees receive three hours in their account
and will learn how to begin their active membership.

Can't make it on the 22nd? Stay tuned to this blog to find updates.

Who are we, and what are we up to?

Battenkill Time Traders is a time bank. 

Here's the short form on time banking:  I spend an hour doing something for someone in the time bank, and I get credit for that hour.  Later when I need something done for me, I can have a member of the time bank do an hour's worth of something for me.  Here's the beauty part of it--it doesn't have to be the person I did something for, it can be anyone in the group. 

What kind of skills will be traded?  Just about anything that's legal, safe, and not weird.  Rototilling?  Yup.  Catsitting?  Sure.  Computer lessons, guitar lessons, cha-cha lessons?  Probably.  How about knitting, mending, weed-pulling, sousaphone seranades.  I wouldn't be surprised.

The point is, BTT is a community, and it takes all kinds to form a community.  Once you get involved, you can uncover all sorts of talents and maybe discover the value of a few talents of your own. 

Whether you take the leap and join us now, or just want to learn more and think about it awhile, keep an eye on this blog.