Washington § 23.100.0102 - Definitions.

(1) In this chapter, except for RCW 23.100.1301 through 23.100.1320:

(a) "Articles of organization" means the articles of organization of a limited cooperative association required by RCW 23.100.0201. The term includes the articles as amended or restated.

(b) "Board of directors" means the board of directors of a limited cooperative association.

(c) "Bylaws" means the bylaws of a limited cooperative association. The term includes the bylaws as amended or restated.

(d) "Consumer cooperative" means a cooperative engaged in the retail sale, to its members and other consumers, of goods or services of a type that are generally for personal, living, or family use.

(e) "Contribution," except as used in RCW 23.100.0807(3), means a benefit that a person provides to a limited cooperative association to become or remain a member or in the person's capacity as a member.

(f) "Cooperative" means a limited cooperative association or an entity organized under any cooperative law of any jurisdiction.

(g) "Director" means a director of a limited cooperative association.

(h) "Distribution," except as used in RCW 23.100.0806(1), means a transfer of money or other property from a limited cooperative association to a member because of the member's financial rights or to a transferee of a member's financial rights.

(i) "Financial rights" means the right to participate in allocations and distributions as provided in RCW 23.100.0801 through 23.100.0809 and 23.100.1001 through 23.100.1013 but does not include rights or obligations under a marketing contract.

(j) "Governance rights" means the right to participate in governance of a limited cooperative association.

(k) "Investor member" means a member that has made a contribution to a limited cooperative association and:

(i) Is not required by the organic rules to conduct patronage with the association in the member's capacity as an investor member in order to receive the member's interest; or

(ii) Is not permitted by the organic rules to conduct patronage with the association in the member's capacity as an investor member in order to receive the member's interest.

(l) "Limited cooperative association" means an association formed under this chapter or that becomes subject to this chapter under RCW 23.100.1301 through 23.100.1320.

(m) "Member" means a person that is admitted as a patron member or investor member, or both, in a limited cooperative association. The term does not include a person that has dissociated as a member.

(n) "Member's interest" means the interest of a patron member or investor member under RCW 23.100.0501.

(o) "Members meeting" means an annual members meeting or special meeting of members.

(p) "Organic rules" means the articles of organization and bylaws of a limited cooperative association.

(q) "Organizer" means an individual who executes the initial articles of organization.

(r) "Patron member" means a member that has made a contribution to a limited cooperative association and:

(i) Is required by the organic rules to conduct patronage with the association in the member's capacity as a patron member in order to receive the member's interest; or

(ii) Is permitted by the organic rules to conduct patronage with the association in the member's capacity as a patron member in order to receive the member's interest.

(s) "Patronage" means business transactions between a limited cooperative association and a person which entitles the person to receive financial rights based on the value or quantity of business done between the association and the person.

(t) "Required information" means the information a limited cooperative association is required to maintain under RCW 23.100.0110.

(u) "Voting group" means any combination of one or more voting members in one or more districts or classes that under the organic rules or chapter 23.95 RCW or this chapter are entitled to vote and can be counted together collectively on a matter at a members meeting.

(v) "Voting member" means a member that, under the organic law or organic rules, has a right to vote on matters subject to vote by members under the organic law or organic rules.

(w) "Voting power" means the total current power of members to vote on a particular matter for which a vote may or is to be taken.

(2) The following definitions from RCW 23.95.105 apply to this chapter: "Entity," "execute," "executes," and "executed," "foreign," "jurisdiction," "jurisdiction of formation," "organic law," "organic rules," "person," "principal office," "property," "receipt," "record," "registered agent," "state," and "transfer."