Principles of CAN       

​Updated September 10, 2026

CAN’s Political Neutrality

CAN will not promote political causes in the interest of maintaining our mission of being a place in which we get to know each other, build and nurture friendships, and bond in a peaceful space. 


CAN’s Policy about Unsolicited Emails

Members should not send unsolicited emails to groups of CAN members asking them to endorse, sign up for, or donate to an organization, product, activity, candidate or service. General information items may be placed in The Notes if requested and appropriate. Members may, of course, send emails to individual friends in and out of CAN about events and information of mutual interest.

 

Promotion of Businesses

Presenters at CAN programs may promote their businesses or practices by announcing them at the meeting where they present. The information will be put in The Notes following the meeting. They may leave cards on the CAN ‘name cards table’ on the day of their presentation, but we request that they not pass them out.    


Governance When Acting in the Name of Creative Aging in Nyack

Any ad hoc actions by the Chair, a member of the Board, any committee of the Board or any member of CAN taken while representing the organization (aside from ones usual responsibilities), require the approval of the Board.

 

When the Chair receives notices from other groups about concerns within the Nyack zip code, the item will be brought to the Board for consideration of its value and appropriateness for CAN members on a one by one basis.  

 

Clarity about Participation of Nonmember Partners

In the spirit of fairness to CAN members, CAN programs and Small Groups are for CAN members only.


Small Group Restrictions

CAN will not approve Small Groups that focus on health or medical issues, since these matters are beyond the scope of our organization.   

 

CAN Member Emeritus

CAN member emeritus status may be offered by the Board to CAN members who move away from Rockland County. If a member chooses to accept this status rather than ending their membership, this action will nevertheless create a space for a new CAN member.

  • A CAN member emeritus will retain full membership for as long as they wish without paying membership dues.
  • They are entitled to participate in any CAN meeting or Small Group if these meetings take place on Zoom, or they may attend in person if they return to Rockland for a visit.
  • CAN Care, CAN Certified drivers, and CAN Do services will not be available to a CAN member emeritus.

 

Membership – Geographic Regulations

We are a grassroots nonprofit organization for people 60 and older living in zip code 10960. Because some of our people became members before we limited our geographic range, they had the right to remain as members.

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When members leave the 10960 area to move to other areas of Rockland, Westchester or Bergen counties, they will be able to remain as members if they so choose. However, CAN Drivers are still restricted to Rockland and Bergen counties.

 

If a member moves farther away than the counties named above during a year of membership, they have the right to retain full membership.

  • Since they likely will be too far away to attend meetings, they will be asked if they are amenable to relinquishing their full membership to open a spot for a new member.
  • They may still receive The Notes and have access to the private pages of the website if they so desire.


Option of Extending Care

There will be an option for the care coordinators to extend the three month limit for care on a month by month basis subject to the approval of the Chair of the Care Team and the Board.

 

Note: These principles are a living document, open to modification as deemed necessary by the Board.