FGS Co-Gardener Membership Proposal

Photo Credit; Michelle Parkos

Dear FGS Members,

At our Spring Meeting in April, we introduced a proposal to formally recognize co-gardeners within FGS. Thank you to those who were able to take time to engage, ask questions, and provide feedback about the proposed changes. At our Annual Winter Meeting on December 5th, 2026, we will bring this proposal to a vote of FGS members.

Co-gardeners are already an important part of our gardens. Many have worked alongside primary gardeners for years, caring for plots, participating in Community Participation Days, and helping sustain the community. Yet our governing documents don’t clearly define their standing, rights, or responsibilities. The proposal we shared this spring seeks to address that gap.

The proposal would establish a formal Co-Gardener membership category for eligible Boston residents, with voting rights and eligibility for leadership, alongside dues and community-service responsibilities. The proposed rules would also clarify registration, accountability, and when a co-gardener could succeed a departing primary gardener, with safeguards for other members and people on the waitlist. Formal membership would be optional; gardeners could continue welcoming informal help without requiring those helpers to join.

Our spring discussion raised thoughtful questions about dues and service hours, recognition of longtime co-gardeners, succession, residency, and fairness. As we return to the proposal, those questions should help guide the explanations and discussion leading up to the vote.

The proposal has already benefited from substantial Board and committee work. Our next step is to make that work easier to understand and revisit together, alongside legal review and preparation of the final amendment text. No changes were adopted at the Spring Meeting, and the proposal remains subject to a membership vote.

Please visit https://fenwayvictorygardens.org/cogardener-codification-proposal for more information about the proposal, including answers to questions that were raised at the Spring Meeting. You can also use the form on the page to ask questions and share feedback.

Please let us know what you think, and we’re looking forward to a productive Winter Meeting!

All the best,

Sai Boddupalli

Board President, Fenway Garden Society