Table of Contents

House of Apollo Constitution

Preamble:

The House of Apollo Constitution exists with the intention to broadly define policies which affect the administration, membership and finances of the House, as well as the rights and values of its Members.

1. Definitions

  1. a. ‘House of Apollo’ and ‘the House’ will be defined as the organization which resides at 236 N. Harrison Road, East Lansing, Michigan.
  1. b. ‘Premises’ will be defined as the land and building in which the House resides.
  1. c. ‘Member’ will be defined as any person who holds a contract with the MSU Student Housing Cooperative for residence in/at or occupation of the Premises, for the duration which is stated in the contract.
  1. d. ‘Total Membership’ will be defined as the number of Members of House of Apollo.
  1. e. ‘Member Space’ will be defined as any room of the Premises which may be, but has not yet been, designated to a Member (or Members) for occupation during their membership of House of Apollo.
  1. f. ‘Member Room’ will be defined as a room which has been designated to a Member (or Members) for occupation during their membership of House of Apollo.
  1. g. ‘Common Space’ will be defined as all of the Premises which is not a Member Space.
  1. h. ‘House Property’ will be defined as all items located on the Premises which do not belong to any combination of individual members.
  1. i. ‘House Approval’ will be defined as either:
    1. i. A majority vote of members present at a quorum House Meeting who are in favor of a proposal.
    2. ii. A majority vote of members comprising Total Membership who are in favor of a proposal.
  1. j. ‘Quorum’ will be defined as an absolute majority of the Total Membership of the House of Apollo.

2. Membership

  1. a. No one may reside in House of Apollo without first signing a valid contract, except guests of members of House of Apollo.
  1. b. Prospective members must undergo the following process prior to signing a Contract for Membership, Co-Management, & Occupancy for House of Apollo:
    1. i. Prospective member must first be an applicant approved by the SHC.
    2. ii. Prospective member must be given a tour of the House, and have explained all responsibilities of a member of House of Apollo.
    3. iii. Prospective member must attend one regular House meal.
    4. iv. Prospective member must attend one regular House meeting.
    5. v. Prospective member must be approved unanimously by all House Members.
  1. c. Prospective member will be allowed to sign a Contract for Membership, Co-Management, & Occupancy with House Approval.
  1. d. Prospective members with become members for the duration stated on their completed Contract for Membership, Co-Management, & Occupancy upon payment of Member Shares and Member Dues.
  1. e. Members are required to:
    1. i. Understand and promote the Rochdale Principles of Cooperation.
    2. ii. Take an active part in the affairs of the House by attending House meetings.
    3. iii. Maintain House facilities beyond the scope of regular chores.
    4. iv. Obey all rules and policies that are decided by the House, so long as they comply with the rules and policies of the MSU SHC.
  1. f. Inactive Membership
    1. i. An Inactive Member will:
      1. 1. Have their charges reduced for the duration of Inactive Membership for those costs of the House which are reduced by Member’s absence.
      2. 2. Not be counted as a member of House of Apollo for the purpose of determining Total Membership.
      3. 3. Have no right to vote in matters of the House.
    1. ii. A member who plans to be absent from the House for a period exceeding thirty days may apply for Inactive Membership by notifying the Finance Officer in advance of a House Meeting, which precedes the desired date range of Inactive Membership.
    2. iii. A member will be declared an Inactive Member for a proposed range of dates with House Approval. Inactive Membership will never be applied retroactively, and proposed ranges of dates will always begin at any time following the proposal.

3. Member Rooms

  1. a. Before the end of each contract period, the order of seniority for all contracted future members of House of Apollo will be determined for the following contract period. The Membership Officer will then, in order of most senior to least senior, allow each contracted future member to choose their Member Room for the following contract period.
    1. i. Seniority is determined by the number of continuous semesters a member has been contracted with House of Apollo. In the event of a tie, the most recent contract signing dates will be compared and used as a tie-breaker, followed by the number of semesters lived in the SHC. In the event of a tie at this stage, the House will determine the best method for determining seniority.
    2. ii. Returning members have the right to retain their Member Room for the coming contract period. The Membership Officer will account for this if notified of the returning member’s will in advance.
  1. b. In the event that a member wishes to release their contract, they will be responsible for finding a replacement for their Member Room, as opposed to any existing vacant Member Space within the House. Until a replacement member has signed a contract, a member retains all rights to their Member Room regardless of occupation.
  2. c. A member may trade their Member Room with another member if both parties agree to do so.
    1. i. In this case, both parties are equally responsible for notifying the Member Services Coordinator of the MSU SHC and the Finance Officer of House of Apollo in writing and in a timely manner.

4. Guests

  1. a. Any person who is not a member of the House, who is also brought onto the Premises by a Member, will be considered a guest of that member.
  2. b. Guests may stay on the Premises overnight provided the following conditions are met:
    1. i. If the guest will be using a parking space overnight, the member will notify the House with a description of the guest’s vehicle.

5. Events Policy

  1. a. Parties
    1. i. An event that takes place on the Premises of House of Apollo shall be defined as a party when all of the following conditions are met:
      1. 1. The event is advertised to Houses of the MSU SHC.
      2. 2. The event takes place in Common Space.
      3. 3. The party has live entertainment or amplified music.
    1. ii. A party may only take place with House Approval.
      1. 1. A member of the House who votes in favor of hosting a party will be expected to participate in the setup and cleanup of the party.
      2. 2. A member of the House who votes in opposition of hosting a party is expected to not participate in the festivities of the party. Such members will not be expected to participate in the setup and cleanup of the party.
    1. iii. A party must be approved for a specific date. In the event that a specific date is not included in the proposed in advance of House Approval, a party is never truly approved by the House.
    2. iv. There will be no more than one party hosted during a semester.

6. Administrative Positions

  1. a. The titles and primary responsibilities of administrative positions within House of Apollo will consist of:
    1. i. Membership Officer
      1. 1. Responsible for communicating with prospective members in a timely manner, as well as scheduling House tours, House meals, and House meeting visits with all prospective members.
      2. 2. Responsible for alerting prospective members whether they have been approved by the House in a timely manner.
      3. 3. Responsible for reporting the discussions and decisions of the Membership Committee during House meetings.
    1. ii. Education Officer
      1. 1. Responsible for submitting the latest revised House of Apollo Constitution to the Vice President of Education.
      2. 2. Responsible for compiling a digital album of photos of the House and its Members.
      3. 3. Responsible for reporting the discussions and decisions of the Education Committee during House meetings.
    1. iii. Finance Officer
      1. 1. Responsible for paying bills issued to House of Apollo in a timely manner.
      2. 2. Responsible for reimbursing members for purchases authorized by the House in a timely manner.
      3. 3. Responsible for recording accurate and up-to-date information in the House of Apollo Charge Sheet and the House of Apollo Reconciliation Workbook, as well as ensuring each of these documents are available for viewing by all Members of House of Apollo at all times.
      4. 4. Responsible for reporting the discussions and decisions of the Finance Committee during House meetings.
    1. iv. Facilities Officer
      1. 1. Responsible for keeping a detailed list of ongoing maintenance concerns.
      2. 2. Responsible for facilitating maintenance projects that are beyond the capabilities of the Members of House of Apollo.
      3. 3. Responsible for reporting the discussions and decisions of the Facilities Committee during House meetings.
    1. v. Taskmaster
      1. 1. Responsible for determining whether chores and work duties assigned to members have been completed.
      2. 2. Responsible for setting a consistent time that completion of chores and work duties will be assessed on a weekly basis.
      3. 3. Responsible for reporting chore and work duty fines given and bounties taken to the Finance Officer in a timely manner.
      4. 4. Responsible for ensuring the accuracy of fines and credits listed on the House of Apollo Charge Sheet prior to the end of each month.
    1. vi. Meeting Facilitator
      1. 1. Responsible for ensuring House meeting procedure is adhered to by all of those in attendance of each House meeting.
    1. vii. Meeting Minute Taker
      1. 1. Responsible for recording the minutes of every quorum House meeting, as well as ensuring that all meeting minutes are available for viewing by all Member of Apollo at all times.
      2. 2. Responsible for recording the number of those in favor of, those opposed to, and those abstaining from, all proposals which have met quorum during or outside of meetings.

7. Amendment

  1. a. Amendments to the House of Apollo Constitution will be made only after the following conditions are met in the order written as follows:
    1. i. The proposed amendment will be provided to all House Members for review, at minimum, two days prior to the meeting at which it will be discussed. The proposed amendment will be presented to House Members as it will be written in the House Constitution.
    2. ii. The proposed amendment will be approved with House Approval during a quorum House meeting.
    3. iii. If approved, the proposed amendment will be adopted under a temporary status, to be enforced as part of the Standing Rules, for a period of one week at minimum.
    4. iv. The proposed amendment will be reapproved with House Approval at the next quorum house meeting.
      1. 1. If approved, the amendment will be added to the House of Apollo Constitution, going into immediate and permanent effect.
      2. 2. If not approved, the temporary status of the amendment will be revoked, and it will cease to be enforced as part of the Standing Rules.
  1. b. Each amended revision of the House of Apollo Constitution will be archived and available for viewing by all Members of House of Apollo at all times.

8. Supremacy Clause

  1. a. All policies and directives established by the House of Apollo Constitution, the House of Apollo Standing Rules and valid decisions of the House will be binding on the House and its Members in the following descending order of supremacy:
    1. i. The House of Apollo Constitution
    2. ii. The House of Apollo Standing Rules
    3. iii. Decisions of House of Apollo

House of Apollo Standing Rules

Preamble:

The House of Apollo Standing Rules exist to clearly define the operational procedures of the House, encourage flexible experimentation with new or replacement policies, and hold Members accountable to each other and to the decisions of the House. In the spirit of accountability and to promote collaboration, Members are expected to adhere to any policy up until a replacement has been proposed and approved by the House.

1. Quiet Hours

  1. a. Members of House of Apollo will not create noise which could disturb other Members during quiet hours.
  2. b. The beginning and ending of quiet hours for each day of the week will be as described in the following table:
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
11:00pm 11:00pm 11:00pm 11:00pm 11:00pm 2:00am 2:00am
10:00am 10:00am 10:00am 10:00am 10:00am 11:00am 11:00am

2. Bounties

  1. a. A bounty is posted as a result of a chore duty going uncompleted, allowing other Members to complete the chore.
  2. b. A bounty is taken when the chore is completed by another Member. The Member who did not complete the chore is fined, and the Member who took the bounty has their account credited an equal amount.
    1. i. The amount of the bounty is calculated using the conversion of $10/point.
  1. c. When a bounty is not completed by the time chores are checked again, the credit associated with taking the bounty is put into House Savings.

3. House Chores

  1. a. General
    1. i. Each Member of House of Apollo is required to complete their assigned chores each week. The assignment of chores is done at the first meeting of each semester.
    2. ii. Failure to complete a chore will result in a bounty being posted.
      1. 1. For each week the chore is not completed by the Member assigned the chore, an additional $5 is added to the bounty.
    1. iii. Members may switch chores part way through the semester, providing they inform the Taskmaster of this switch.
  1. b. Chore Descriptions
    1. i. Living Room Floors Cleaner (1 pt)
      1. 1. Must sweep and mop all open living room floor, ending at the threshold into the main hallway.
    1. ii. Living Room Surfaces Cleaner (1 pt)
      1. 1. Must clear and wipe all surfaces with all-purpose cleaner.
    1. iii. Living Room Trash Removal (.5 pts)
      1. 1. Must empty the living room trash bin as needed and in a timely manner, as well as replace the garbage bag.
    1. iv. Kitchen Floors Cleaner (1 pt)
      1. 1. Must sweep the entire kitchen floor.
      2. 2. Must mop the entire kitchen floor.
    1. v. Kitchen Surfaces Cleaner (1.5 pt)
      1. 1. Must clear and wipe all surfaces with all-purpose cleaner, including:
        1. a. All wooden countertops
        2. b. The faces of drawers beneath countertops
        3. c. The exterior and interior of each microwave
        4. d. The exterior of each stove, including the area around the burners
    1. vi. Kitchen Trash Removal (.5 pts)
      1. 1. Must empty the kitchen trash bins as needed and in a timely manner, as well as replace the garbage bag.
    1. vii. Rec Room Floors Cleaner (1 pt)
      1. 1. Must sweep and mop all open rec room floor.
      2. 2. Must vacuum carpeted floor or rug.
    1. viii. Rec Room Surfaces Cleaner and Trash Removal (1 pt)
      1. 1. Must clear and wipe all surfaces with all-purpose cleaner.
      2. 2. Must take out Rec Room trash in a timely manner.
    1. ix. Attic Cleaner (1 pt)
      1. 1. Must clear and wipe all surfaces with all-purpose cleaner.
      2. 2. Must vacuum the carpeted floor.
      3. 3. Must empty the attic trash bin as needed and in a timely manner, as well as replace the garbage bag.
    1. x. Laundry Room Cleaner (1 pt)
      1. 1. Must sweep and mop floor as needed.
      2. 2. Must remove clutter and keep room reasonably organized.
      3. 3. Must wipe down washer and dryers.
      4. 4. Must remove lint from dryers.
      5. 5. Must take out trash in a timely manner
    1. xi. Hallways & Stairs Cleaner (1 pt)
      1. 1. Must sweep and mop all hallways floors and stairs, not including the recycling hallway.
    1. xii. Bathroom Cleaner (1.5 pts)
      1. 1. Must clear and wipe surfaces with all-purpose cleaner, including:
        1. a. The sink basin, counter, faucet, and knobs
        2. b. The vanity mirror
        3. c. The exterior of the toilet and toilet seat
      1. 2. Must clean the toilet bowl with toilet bowl cleaner and scrubber.
      2. 3. Must sweep the floor, and mop as needed.
      3. 4. Must empty the trash bin.
      4. 5. Must replace bath mat with a clean mat and bring to dirtied one to laundry room.
    1. xiii. Meal Cook (2.5 pts)
      1. 1. Must plan a recipe which:
        1. a. Provides adequate portions
        2. b. Provides a vegetarian option
        3. c. Can be purchased without exceeding the meal budget.
      1. 2. Must submit the recipe to the Meal Shopper by the deadline, or otherwise acquire the ingredients.
      2. 3. Must prepare their recipe to be served at 7:00pm on their assigned night.
      3. 4. Must portion out “Late Plates” for members on the meal plan who have requested one, and store labelled in the Late Plate Fridge.
      4. 5. Must portion out “Late Plates” for members on the meal plan who have requested one, and store labelled in the Late Plate Fridge.
      5. 6. Must wash all dishes and utensils used to prepare the meal, as well as clean surfaces used in preparation.
    1. xiv. Meal Shopper (1.5 pts)
      1. 1. Must set a deadline for Meal Cooks to submit their recipes to the Meal Shopper.
      2. 2. Must compare recipes to ingredients already present in the House, and purchase the remaining requested ingredients for all recipes submitted by the deadline.
      3. 3. Must deliver ingredients to Meal Cooks, with adequate time for the meal to be prepared, for all recipes submitted by the deadline.
    1. xv. Pantry Shopper (1.5 pts)
      1. 1. Must spend up to $80 a week purchasing items listed in Appendix A: Purchase Planning for Food & Supplies, to ensure they are present and will not run out.
        1. a. The Pantry Shopper is entitled to purchase one item of $5 or less for themselves each week, included in the allotted funds for their chore.
        2. b. The House may vote to add or subtract funds for particular weeks.
        3. c. If everything is Appendix A: Purchase Planning for Food & Supplies is present and will not run out, the Pantry Shopper may spend their allotted funds on other items for the House at their discretion.
    1. xvi. Fridge Wizard (2 pts)
      1. 1. Must remove contents of each fridge and freezer and wipe all surfaces wipe all surfaces with all-purpose cleaner.
      2. 2. Must clean the handles of each fridge and freezer with all-purpose cleaner.
      3. 3. Must throw away food which has spoiled from each fridge and freezer.
      4. 4. Must throw away food which has spoiled from the pantry.
      5. 5. Must organize contents of pantry and wipe down shelves.
    1. xvii. The Launderer (1 pt)
      1. 1. Must launder all rags, towels and blankets left in the house laundry bin, as well as the bath mats from each bathroom.
      2. 2. Must fold all laundry and put away.
    1. xviii. The Recycler (2 pts)
      1. 1. Must return cans and bottles in the House returnables bin as needed, and is entitled to keep the deposits.
      2. 2. Must empty the contents of the recycling hallway bins into the City of East Lansing recycling bin in preparation for pick-up.
      3. 3. Must recycle cardboard at the MSU Recycling Center as needed.
    1. xix. Groundskeeping (3 pts)
      1. 1. Must mow the lawn as needed.
      2. 2. Must perform yard work for the number of hours equivalent to chore point value assigned.
    1. xx. Office Laborer (4.5 pts)
      1. 1. Must report to the MSU SHC Office the name of each Officer Laborer and the number of hours assigned.
      2. 2. Must perform tasks assigned by the Office for the number of hours equivalent to chore point value assigned.

4. Dish Duty

  1. a. Members who use dishes to cook house meals must promptly label said dishes with house dish clips, and place them in the designated dish area.
  2. b. Members who use dishes for any other purpose must either:
    1. i. Wash said dishes immediately after use.
    2. ii. Promptly label said dishes with their personal dish clips, and place them in the designated dish area.
  1. c. Dishes labeled with personal dish clips must be washed within twenty four hours of being placed in the dish area, or the member responsible for them will be fined $5. A member may request an extention of up to twenty four hours, to be approved by the taskmaster.
  2. d. A Member is required to complete Dish Duty on the days they are listed on the dish day schedule, as posted by the Taskmaster. Dish Duty requires that the member:
    1. i. Puts away all dry dishes.
    2. ii. Washes all dishes labeled 'house' with dish clips.
    3. iii. Washes all dishes left in common spaces.
    4. iv. Cleans the sink area, including the backsplash and inside of the basin.
  1. e. Dish Duty may be completed between 8:00pm the night of assignment and 4:00am the following day. If is it not completed during this time frame, a $15 bounty is automatically posted, and an equivalent fine levied against the member responsible.

5. Amendment

  1. a. Amendments to the House of Apollo Standing Rules will be made only after the following conditions are met:
    1. i. The proposed amendment will be presented as will be written during a quorum House meeting.
    2. ii. The proposed amendment will be approved with House Approval during a quorum House meeting.
  1. b. Each amended revision of the House of Apollo Standing Rules will be archived and available for viewing by all Members of House of Apollo at all times.

Appendix A: Purchase Planning for Food & Supplies

Table 1: Dry Pantry

item build-to quantity unit target cost (total) purchase location
Flour 10 lbs. $2.39 Meijer
Sugar (White) 4 lbs. $1.39 Meijer
Brown Sugar 4 lbs. $3.99 Meijer
Baking Powder 8 oz. $1.69 Meijer
Baking Soda 16 oz. $.69 Meijer
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 102 fl. oz. $20.00 Meijer
Vegetable Oil 48 fl. oz. $2.69 Meijer
White Vinegar 1 gallon $2.49 Meijer
Soy Sauce 1 bottle $1.99 Meijer
Sriracha 28 oz. $3.49 Meijer
White Bread 2 loaves $2.58 Meijer
Wheat Bread 2 loaves $2.58 Meijer
Peanut Butter (Creamy) 1 container - Meijer
Peanut Butter (Crunchy) 1 container - Meijer
Honey 1 oz. $8.99 Meijer

Table 2: Fridge Pantry

item build-to quantity unit target cost (total) purchase location
Grade A Large Eggs 48 eggs $2.39 Meijer
Milk (Whole) 2 gallons $1.39 Meijer
Milk (2%) 2 gallons $3.99 Meijer
Almond Milk .5 gal $1.69 Meijer
Unsalted Butter Sticks 2 lbs. $.69 Meijer
Ketchup 64 oz. $20.00 Meijer
Mustard 20 oz. $2.69 Meijer
Mayonnaise 30 oz. $2.49 Meijer

Table 3: Cleaning Supplies

item build-to quantity unit target cost (total) purchase location
Hand Soap 48 eggs $2.39 Meijer
Dish Soap 2 gallons $1.39 Meijer
All-Purpose Cleaner 2 gallons $3.99 Meijer
Paper Towels .5 gal $1.69 Meijer
Toilet Paper 2 lbs. $.69 Meijer
33 Gal Trash Bags 64 oz. $20.00 Meijer
13 Gal Trash Bags 20 oz. $2.69 Meijer