VOL Community Visitor Information & Policy - Updated May, 2003

We enjoy visitors and encourage people who may be interested to visit with us. Below are some guidelines to make it easier for all involved:

• 1. People who wish to visit the VOL Community should make arrangements with us in advance.

  We ask that you give us an advanced notice of at least a two to three weeks. And, due to problems we have encountered in the past, we strongly prefer not to have unannounced drop-in visitors. The VOL Community is not a tourist operation. We have day-to-day lives that place demands upon us, ranging from work to school to Community obligations. If you communicate with us in advance, we can better prepare for your visit and for the journey to the Land itself. This is not possible with unnannounced drop-ins.

  As part of our "getting to know each other" process, we like to communicate in advance via email or regular postal mail. We have a questionnaire that we ask interested people to fill out so that we can learn about them while they are learning about us. Doing these things makes visits that much more pleasant and productive for both parties.

• 2. Visitors are required to follow the VOL Community Agreements while on VOL Community real properties. Therefore, as part of the "getting to know each other" process, visitors should read the VOL Community Agreements before visiting and/or when they arrive for a visit.

• 3. Visitors have no vote in VOL voting situations, but may express their opinions at meetings.

• 4. Visitors are expected to define their intended length of stay when they set up with us for a visit and or when they arrive for a visit.

• 5. We have a basic three day per location visitor policy.

  Before visiting our Land, we require that visitors spend a few days at the VOL Town House Site to meet our town members, to get better acquainted and to make specific preparations to visit the VOL Community land.

  It is possible to arrange an extended visit after the initial visitation period if the active Community members agree by a majority vote.

• 6. Visitors at the VOL Town House Site:

  Visitors may stay at the Town House Site and be provided with food without cost for 3 days.

  After 3 days, visitors at the Town House Site are requested to pay $7.50 dollars a day toward utilities and lodging and provide all their own food.

  The maximum time for a visitor to stay at the Town House Site is one week.

• 7. Visitors at the VOL Community Land: Visitors may stay at the VOL Community land and be provided with food without cost for 3 days.

  After 3 days visitors at our Community land are requested to pay $7.50 dollars a day for food/lodging and assist in the work load at the land.

  The maximum time for a visitor to stay at the VOL Community land is one week.

• 8. It is highly prefered that a visitor bring no pets (especially dogs and cats) with them when they come to visit. Inside pets are not welcome at the VOL town site at all.

• 9. It is sometimes very difficult for us to schedule a precise time/date for a visit to the VOL Community land. When you fill out the questionnaire (the link to which is located at the end of this page), you will automatically be sent a copy of the "Visit Specifics" text that details alot of information on how visits with us work. We do share this information only with people who are genuinely interested, so as to avoid problems and keep things efficient. This "Visit Specifics" text will further explain why it is sometimes very difficult to schedule a precise time to visit the land.

• 10. Recommended items to bring when visiting:

  • Appropriate sets of clothing for outdoors, depending on weather.
  • Personal hygiene supplies.
  • 1 backpack for each adult.
  • 1 pair of hiking boots, with extra socks.
  • 1 pair of water shoes or sandals for each person. [If possible]
  • 1 walking stick for each person
  • 1 hat for each person.
  • 1 Portable drinking water container (canteen).
  • 1 Flashlight, with a spare set of batteries.
  • 1 raincoat or poncho for each person.
  • 1-container of bug repellent (if appropriate).
  • 1 sleeping bag for each person.
  • 1-Roll of toilet paper for each person.
  • Personal beverages such as coffee or tea and/or snacks.

• 11. If, after having read the entire website, you would like further information regarding visiting us, please fill out our Visitor/Prospective Member Questionnaire. When you fill this out, make sure you give us a valid email address, as we will automatically send you a copy of the "Visit Specifics" text mentioned above, and we will use this email address as our primary point of contact with you.

Please Note the Following:

• NO illegal substance(s) or item(s) may be grown, manufactured, consumed, stored, brought onto, or used on the VOL Community real properties. This would place all members, the real properties, all personal and Community resources and all privately owned and Community owned private property at legal risk !

• VOL is a vegetarian Community. Therefore, while on the Community land, vegetarian-eating principles should be observed by all persons.

• Cell phones and pagers do not work when they are at the VOL Community land. This is due to the altitude of the surrounding mountains.

• Before going to the Land, visitors are required to sign a "Waiver of Liability". If there are any questions about this, please ask.