Topics include:

• A re-written version of a presentation to the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) Purchasing Cooperative Conference (September, 2009) on policy cues found in cooperative articles and bylaws.
• A re-written version of a Subcommittee Report to the Legal Tax & Accounting (LTA) Committee of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) on the nature of cooperatives and their Patronage Refunds and why this matters.
• A discussion of situations in which a cooperative should consider whether using non-GAAP accounting would satisfy a first principle of stating its financial condition fairly and meaningfully.
• Employment practice notes from a new contributor and member of the Shumaker Cooperative Practice Group.
• Specific practice tips for a purchasing or marketing cooperative's compliance with the "Red Flags Rules" of the Federal Trade Commission.