The Civic Table
RISING INDEX · MM‑INDEX‑2025‑SIG‑017 Signal Admission · Season 01 (2025)
The Civic Table — Authority at the Table
What we’re seeing
Women chair neighborhood boards, zoning, and school committees—quiet, procedural, effective. Agendas keep time; minutes move actions.
Why it matters
Power returns to daily life. When women run the clock and the notes, streets, schools, and services shift from complaint to completion.
Lineage / Parallel
Settlement houses and PTA organizing—now with project management discipline.
Lived markers
Timed agenda • visible clock • owners + due dates • minutes posted ≤24h.
Start today (10-minute setup)
- Attend two meetings and observe.
- Volunteer to run notes + clock.
- Propose a timed agenda.
- Deliver minutes in 24h with owners/dates.
Time & tools
Timer • shared doc • checklist of open items.
Field tests
- Action: ≥ 70% of items assigned to owners/dates.
- Speed: Minutes posted ≤ 24h.
- Closure: ≥ 60% items closed per month.
Keep the standard
Agenda published in advance • Start/stop on time • Status before new business
Accessibility / life layers
Provide captions/transcripts; use clear fonts; publish plain-language summaries.
Proof ideas
Time-to-decision (days) • % items closed/mo • attendance stability (%) • number of standing agendas.
Common pushbacks & replies
- “We’ve always done it this way.” → “Great—this way finishes faster.”
- “It’s political.” → “It’s logistical: clock, notes, owners, dates.”
Adoption criteria (flip to Admitted)
3 cycles with minutes ≤24h and ≥60% closure and a woman elected as chair/treasurer.
House note
Show up with a pen and a clock.
Related (on MM): The No-List · Human Pace · House Ledger
Date: 2025-11-** · Observer/Editor: AB · Geography: [Municipality] · Status: Observing · Next review: +6–8 weeks
