The eLife Circle manages our electronic communications, including this Wiki, email lists, CCM, CCH-Net wifi, cambridgecohousing.org, and our Facebook page. Contact us at: cch-elife@googlegroups.com. 

The current membership of eLife: Kim Ducharme (leader), Michael Maciolek, Bill Huber,  Dan Lynn Watt. Facilitator: Ben Benjamin. Stars: Bob Cowherd (wiki), Richard Curran (cambridgecohousing.org website).

COHO Zoom Account information

The Facilitation Sub-circle has purchased a Zoom account for use by the community for meetings and events during this period of highly limited physical contact.

What Zoom makes possible:

• The CCH Zoom account will allow us to hold virtual meetings and events that last as long as needed, and with up to 100 people attending.

• Zoom has a feature that lets you break into small groups for a while, as we do sometimes in our full circle meetings.

• You can choose to appear in the video or only use the audio, and you can join by computer, tablet, or smartphone. You can also call in as a regular phone call (but won’t have video).

What using Zoom requires: internet service and a computer, or a phone, as noted above.  (Tablets and smart phones can be made to work with Zoom, but results tend to be better on a computer.)

Who will have access to the CCH Zoom account: All circle and sub-circle leaders, and anyone else who is organizing an online Coho meeting or event, will have the ability to set up a Zoom meeting.

Learning how to use Zoom: The Zoom platform is easy to use. Here’s how to join a Zoom call for the first time: https://youtu.be/9isp3qPeQ0E Some facilitators and members of e-Life can provide additional training as necessary.

How to get the Zoom email and password: Contact Ben. Ben will call circle and sub-circle leaders with the information, as we don’t want to put passwords out on email. If you are not a leader but are setting up an event you can call Ben for the credentials.

One Zoom meeting at a time: The CCH Zoom account allows for one meeting at a time. For example, The Hub could have a meeting from 9am-10am, the Facilitation team from 12 to 1:30pm, Extended Home from 3-5.

Meeting Setup Protocol

1. Choose a date and time for your meeting that works for your circle

2. Go on CCM, select “schedule a coho event,” indicate the date and time, and reserve a “Zoom Room (a Zoom session)” for that event.

   • Note:  If the Zoom Room is not available at the time your circle wants to meet or host an event, see if someone with a personal Zoom account might let you use their account (Polly/Wendy, Carol, others?). If there are too many conflicting requests for the Coho Zoom account, purchasing a second line can be considered. 

3. Once the Zoom Room is reserved, the administrator then sets up a Zoom meeting through the shared account. 

4. You and all intended participants receive an automatic email with the link you can use at the scheduled time to join the meeting.

If you have any questions give Ben or Kim a call.

[Sent by Ben to cch-talk on March 25, 2020]