Bryn Gweled Homesteads

Bryn Gweled (Welsh for “Hill of Vision”) is made up of a diverse group of people who share a way of life. We are young and old families, single parents and individuals who have chosen to live together in our wooded oasis and to work cooperatively to maintain the place we call home. There are 81 two-acre leaseholds, 78 with homes, on 240 collectively-owned acres in Upper Southampton, Bucks County. Our woods are habitat for foxes, owls, deer, hawks, rabbits, raccoons, and many other species of wildlife. We share an organic community garden, a community swimming pool, tennis courts, a soccer field, and a Community Center where many activities are held. All of these are enjoyed and maintained by our members. BG is a not-for-profit corporation owned by its members, each of whom is expected to contribute in some way toward the maintenance of the community. Each member is encouraged to serve on at least two volunteer committees, the names of which show the many ways we work together. They include Grounds and Planting, Health and Welfare, Children’s Activities, Community Activities, Property and Utilities, Roads, Community Center Maintenance, Swimming Pool, Environmental Stewardship and others. The elected officials of the community include a Board of Directors and three committees. The President and Vice-President are elected from the Board. The Secretary is appointed by the President. The Treasurer is a long-term position, usually filled by a committed volunteer when it goes vacant (the present Treasurer is the fifth in 81 years). One of our elected committees, Membership, meets with prospective members and introduces them to the opportunities and responsibilities of living here. The committee oversees the arrangement of small gatherings in members’ homes for the applicants to meet and learn more about the community and their prospective neighbors, and for both the applicant and community members to decide on mutual compatibility. Our membership process gives prospective members plenty of time to consider that BG is a good fit for them. The applicant(s) must finally be approved for membership by a 4/5 majority of the members. Our other two elected committees are Housing and Nominating. Housing oversees home ownership transfers and works with Membership on mutual concerns. Membership and Housing are key to the functioning of the community because only leaseholders are members. While homes are individually owned, the owner of the home must also be the leaseholder of the lot on which it sits. We consider all members our neighbors, even if they live at opposite sides of our community. We are fortunate in being an ideal size for such a community; large enough to have a rich social and cultural fabric, and small enough for everyone to know each other. Although large projects such as road repaving are done by contractors, the community does not employ anyone except summer lifeguards, legal counsel, and an accounting firm to audit our books, so all of the work of managing our multi-million-dollar corporation is done by volunteers. The first Saturday of each month is the best time to visit and see Bryn Gweled in action. Visitors and available members are welcome to join in a work party from 9:00 until noon. Typical work party projects include maintenance of the buildings and roads, clearing invasive plants on common land, planting trees and shrubs, and managing our deer population. In the evening we gather for a covered-dish supper, sometimes called a potluck, and after that a business meeting. These meetings democratically cover the operation of the community and include a wide range of topics including fun things such as celebrations to strictly business such as budget priorities. There is often heated debate, but issues are usually resolved by compromising in good community spirit. Sometimes there is a short “closed” portion at the beginning of the meeting to discuss membership issues, but otherwise visitors always are welcome. Since Bryn Gweled began in 1940, we have committed ourselves to being an open and diverse community.