I've been involved with Madison Hours since it started in 1996. In addition to using the currency, I've also been active as a Board Member and volunteer. Additionally, my business, Mother Fool's Coffeehouse, accepts and uses Hours. I really value the system although I often feel that there is a lot of potential that is not being realized. Obviously, the more people that get involved, the more goods and services exist in the network and the currency becomes stronger.

That said, 2010 was a very encouraging year. More people started using Hours and they started moving faster. We had a steady influx of new members throughout the year which was nice to see after many years of steady or declining membership. More important, the currency is in motion more. I see this first-hand at my cafe. We used to average around 1 Hour per week. Now we average about 5 per week. When I ask people how they earned the Hours, I've been surprised that most are not members but simply earned them by doing an odd job, a gift from a friend or as thanks for volunteering.

Since my business took in so many more Hours than we have in the past we were able to get a bunch of landscaping and gardening help. We also used Hours to buy holiday cards from Peter and pesto for a gift for our staff from Deb. I also ended up taking more Hours than usual as part of my pay. I used these for massage from Susan and organic food from Hilltop Farm.

I'm also excited about the new skills that have been added to the system in the last couple of months. Check out the newest listings and see if there is anything you need. Earn Hours by looking through member requests for services that you could provide. Our website also allows members to "subscribe" to specific categories of goods or services. For instance, if you wanted to be notified every time a new listing for child care was posted, you could do so in the "subscriptions" section on your profile page.

Our system works and it is growing. It is up to us though to bring it to its full potential. Beyond using the currency (and the web based LETS system) it is important to talk this up amongst friends and get them involved. Each new member's skills bring us one step closer to a functional local economy able to meet our needs even as dollars leave town.

Here's to a great 2010!