Monan’s Rill grew out of conversations between friends and acquaintances who were searching for a greater sense of community amongst themselves, as well as a physical place for this community to take root and grow. After 2 1/2 years of discussions and a lengthy search for land, the thirteen founders pooled their resources and energy in October 1974 to establish this place we now call home.
Most of the founding members of Monan’s Rill were Quakers, though there was (and still is) no requirement to be Quaker to belong. The founders included teachers, musicians, NGO workers, and civil rights, women’s health, and prisoner rights activists, so we have a long history of building community with each other while being of service to the world. Our business meetings are conducted largely in the manner of Friends. All decisions are arrived at by consensus. At the same time, we are committed to growing and learning from best practices in facilitation and consensus.
Today there are 9 members and 2 children either living at or planning to return to the 414 acres we call Monan’s Rill.