Bega Valley LETS members can access the Lets Members pages by logging in, top of this page, with a User Name & Password that has been supplied to you by e-mail. Once logged in, you will have access to all Members Offers, edit your Details and OFFERS, and carry out Transactions to credit your account. You can also click HERE to go to a separate login page.
To SUBSCRIBE to the BV LETS E-mail List click HERE Also access to change your e-mail settings and view message archives, password required.
Joining BV LETS
To join Bega Valley LETS click HERE to go to our Join BVLETS Page. From here you can complete a Membership Joining Form as a On-line or Off-line (paper-based) Member.
When the Form is Submitted and Approved you will receive an e-mail where you can pay your subscription online, get the banking details to do a Direct Deposit from your Bank Account, or the address to use when sending a cheque.
Million Sapph Celebration
On Sunday 21st September 2008 Bega Valley LETS celebrated ONE MILLION SAPPHIRES turnover in its trading at the Brogo Dam, Warrigal Range Rd., BROGO.
Awards were handed out and included: The Highest Traders - BEND, Spiral Gallery, Pauline Aconley, Avril Fink and Corinne & Hallie Fernandez-Markov. The Longest Serving Members - Dave Lanham, Hugh & Annie Gravestein, Gerry & Jenny MacNeil, Kym Mogridge & Gerri Taylor and Kenneth Alexander.
We had some great speeches from new and early members, canoeing on Brogo Dam (thanks David and Sue). For the relative newbies, it was interesting to hear about the early days from 1989 and the big traders.
The day was idyllic with sunshine and just a slight zephyr of a breeze. About 30 LETS members shared a sumptuous lunch to the strains of some funky rhythms from a subset of the Brogo Latin Orchestra - see video clip on right above.
LETS have lunch
LETS on JJJ Radio
JJJs Hack radio programme had a topic of "Can Money Buy Happiness". There is a 6 min segment on Sydney LETS.
Here is the link to the MP3 of the JJJ Hack program. http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/daily/hack_wed_2008_05_21.mp3 If you don't want to listen to the full 30mins, which is quite interesting anyway, the LETS clip starts at 18min and end at 24min. You can download the whole file, while you do other things, and then just listen to the LETS part.
BVLETS Newsletter
Click the image to open the PDF newsletter
LETS Get-together
What is LETS
LETS is an acronym for Local Exchange Trading System. LETS operate throughout the world. LETS are a means of formalising non monetary trading of goods and services at the local community level.
The trading unit of the Bega Valley LETS is the Sapphire. Sapphires can be traded, saved and used to purchase goods and services.
LETS systems helps you to meet like minded community members and access a network of friendly, generous, caring people who value trading locally in just about anything.
Your local LETS system has over 300 local members and covers the coastal and hinterland between Moruya and Eden. With the advent of internet technology we are expanding into a regional LETS are are interested in establishing LETS Groups in the Cooma & Bombala regions.
Members include :- labourers, cooks, builders, child carers, permaculture designers, natural therapists, computer experts, music/singing tuitors, metal engineers, conflict resolution facillitators, electricians, gardeners, listeners, mechanics, organic producers, yoga instructors, artists, shop minders, pet carers, lifestyle councillors and a trading post/shop.
Administration of LETS, including co-ordination, membership, transactions and accounts is done by LETS members who are paid in Sapphs for these jobs. Regular newsletters are produced and past copies are available here. Account statements are produced and will soon be available to members on this website.
We have a number of information brochures available and these can be downloaded from the Membership page.
Please use the Contact Us form to find out more about LETS.
LETS go to MARKET
CANDELO MARKET BV LETS has a stall at the Candelo Markets on the 1st Sunday of each month. Our stall is in a top spot, and BV LETS members can sell their wares for sapphs or sapphs+cash there. Contact one of the market coordinators (see current Newsletter, as LETS members take turns running the stall), or just turn up on the day. LETS go to market
OLD BEGA HOSPITAL MARKET DAY Bega Valley LETS have a stall at these markets for any member to take advantage of. The Market is on twice a year, the hospital located at Princes Hwy, South Bega. Set up time is by 8.30 am. Sales of general bric-a-brac, books, and poultry has been good for the members attending so far, and there is space for more members to sell. You can sell & promote to anybody and you are encouraged to offer LETS members a Sapphs component of your products and/or services. Contact Kym Mogridge for details.
You can also enquire about market days via the Contact Us form.
LETS - The broader vision
Bega Valley LETS is part of the world wide Community Exchange System Network with exchanges in 13 countries. The CES Network uses an online software administration system. There are some differences between the philosophies of traditional LETS and CES. CES is not LETS but LETS groups can use the CES software as it is the same zero-sum accounting system. Many LETS groups are successfully using CES and carry on the same way as before. However, if you make full use of the features of CES you can go way beyond LETS. Traditional LETS groups in the main see themselves as 'clubs' consisting of a small community of people who wish to trade with each other without using the national currency. Mostly the members are driven by a desire to build community and do not promote broader 'political' motives. As they are usually totally dependent on a central administrator they are for practical reasons never able to grow to a size of much more than a couple of hundred members.
CES on the other hand has a much broader vision. The CES Network is disturbed by the socially destructive consequences of *fiat money and fractional-reserve banking. We are concerned about the consequences of spiralling economic growth - global warming, resource depletion and environmental destruction. We are fearful of the consequences of Peak Oil. All of these stem from the dysfunctional nature of our national money systems. For these and other reasons we are trying to 're-invent' money and create a new more healthy money system suitable for the times ahead.
While individual LETS members might have the same vision, LETS as a movement does not attempt to 'change the world'! Only by creating a global network of community-based exchange systems will we be able to create a new kind of money, a healthy money that will create a healthy society and help us overcome the burdens imposed by the current unhealthy global money system.
* fiat – noun; 1. an authoritative decree, sanction, or order: a royal fiat ; 2. a formula containing the word fiat, by which a person in authority gives sanction ; 3. an arbitrary decree or pronouncement, esp. by a person or group of persons having absolute authority to enforce it: The king ruled by fiat.
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