Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- house_documents:constitutions:bower [2025/02/18 08:47] – eo_bower
+++ house_documents:constitutions:bower [2025/02/19 11:47] (current) – Added Membership, Expulsion, Pet Policy, Smoking Policy, Large Appliance Policy, House Values/Norms, and Harassment Policy. Updated Chore Descriptions, Officer Responsibilities, other minor changes. eo_bower
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 </WRAP>
-**Article I: Name**
+====Article I: Name====
-  - **A.** This organization shall be known as Bower House Cooperative.
+This organization shall be known as Bower House Cooperative.
+====Article II: Definitions====
-**Article II: Definitions**
   - **A.** ‘Constitution’ shall refer to this document in its entirety.
   - **B.** ‘Bower House Cooperative,’ ‘Bower House,’ ‘Bower,’ and ‘house’ shall be defined as property number 284227, which is Zoning Designation RM32 and lot number 80.
@@ Line 41: / Line 40: @@
   - **A.** All rules and regulations imposed upon the members and guests of Bower House shall be adopted at house meetings or be stated within this constitution.
-====Article V: Membership====
+====Article V – Membership====
   - **A.** Prospective members shall become members upon full payment of their dues and shares and upon signing a membership agreement. Members must also become full members of the MSU SHC and agree to obey its policies and procedures. A member is considered to be in good standing with the House as long as they are less than 30 days behind on their rent.
   - **B.** Any person wishing to become a member of Bower Cooperative House must first tour the house, attend a house meeting, and participate in a house event (such as game night or house dinner). Once a prospective member has completed these steps, the current members of the house will vote to approve or deny their membership. A prospective member may be denied if their behavior contradicts the outlined values and norms of the house, such as a demonstrated unwillingness to participate in communal responsibilities or a pattern of disruptive or disrespectful conduct.
-  - **C.** In accordance with the Fair Housing Act, no applicant may be denied on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial status. Any decision to deny membership must be based on legitimate concerns related to the cooperative's functioning and values, not on personal biases or discriminatory reasons.
+  - **C.**  Voting in new members requires the consensus of all house members.
-  - **D.** No one may live in Bower Cooperative House without first signing a valid contract, except temporary guests of members of Bower, who must abide by the guest policy as outlined in Article IV of this constitution.
+      - **1.** A single “no” vote of any member may block the prospective member.
-  - **E.** New members will be charged a membership fee and a house share. The share will be returned to a member in a timely manner after they no longer reside in the House. An account will be considered closed when all costs are paid, including fines, rent, and room damages, and when the member’s room and/or house keys have been returned. Any outstanding debts will be subtracted from the house share.
+      - **2.** After a meeting to discuss “no” voter concerns, a revote of ¾ of the house in favor of allowing the prospective member to move in may overturn the “no” vote.
-  - **F.** Members are required to sign full contracts. Members who join after the beginning of the school year will pay the complete membership fee, but other charges will be made proportional to the amount of time left in the year.
+      - **3.** Votes on prospective members may not be made while they are present in the house.
+  - **D.** In accordance with the Fair Housing Act, no applicant may be denied on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial status. Any decision to deny membership must be based on legitimate concerns related to the cooperative's functioning and values, not on personal biases or discriminatory reasons.
+  - **E.** No one may live in Bower Cooperative House without first signing a valid contract, except temporary guests of members of Bower, who must abide by the guest policy as outlined in Article IV of this constitution.
+  - **F.** New members will be charged a membership fee and a house share. The share will be returned to a member in a timely manner after they no longer reside in the House. An account will be considered closed when all costs are paid, including fines, rent, and room damages, and when the member’s room and/or house keys have been returned. Any outstanding debts will be subtracted from the house share.
+  - **G.** Members are required to sign full contracts. Members who join after the beginning of the school year will pay the complete membership fee, but other charges will be made proportional to the amount of time left in the year.
     - 1. Seniority. If a member of the Haus would like to move rooms during the contract cycle, it will be based on seniority of the signed contract date of the specific member(s).
-  - **G.** If a member of the Haus terminates their contract, they are responsible for advertising their vacancy to ensure the spot gets filled.
+  - **H.** If a member of the Haus terminates their contract, they are responsible for advertising their vacancy to ensure the spot gets filled.
-    - 1. Members who buy out of their contract are still responsible for three months’ carrying charges, in accordance with SHC policy. However, their house charges may be waived through a quorum house vote. Whether to waive these charges should be based on the member’s effort to fill their vacancy.
+    - . Members who buy out of their contract are still responsible for three months’ carrying charges, in accordance with SHC policy. However, their house charges may be waived through a quorum house vote. Whether to waive these charges should be based on the member’s effort to fill their vacancy.
   - **H.** Changing contracts within the House during the cycle (i.e. changing from a double to single/single to double) requires notification of the membership officer. The member changing contracts will still be responsible for advertising their vacancy.
-  - **I.** Members are required to:
+  - **10.** Members are required to:
     - 1. Understand and promote the purpose of the House as outlined in the SHC Articles of Incorporation.
     - 2. take an active part in the affairs of the House.
     - 3. attend House meetings.
     - 4. maintain House facilities.
     - 5. obey all rules and policies, values and norms that the House sets.
 ====Article VI: House Meetings====
   - **A.** A Regular House Meeting shall be a house meeting composed of the membership subject to the following:
-      - **1.** Quorum shall consist of 1 member more than ½  of members (10).
+      - **1.** Quorum shall consist of 1 member more than ½  of members.
       - **2.** Will be held every other week as it is agreed upon the house, barring school breaks and major holidays.
-      - **3.** A facilitator for a meeting shall be selected at the previous house meeting. In the event that no facilitator was selected at the previous house meeting, a volunteer to whom no member objects shall facilitate.
+      - **3.** A facilitator for a meeting shall be selected at the previous house meeting. In the event that no facilitator was selected at the previous house meeting, the education officer shall facilitate.
       - **4.** Will have the ability to vote on any business that concerns Bower House.
       - **5.** Decisions at a house meeting will pass by quorum as defined above, unless otherwise described in this constitution.
@@ Line 84: / Line 87: @@
   - **C.** Any member or guest who violates a rule is subject to a fine as prescribed by that rule and/or this constitution.
   - **D.** Any rule not added to the official constitution addendum shall not be enforced.
+  - **E.** A blind vote, where all but the meeting facilitator view the voting process, should be called when passing rules for sensitive topics. It is encouraged when a vote pertains to a specific member(s).
-====Article VII – Expulsion====
+====Article VIII: Specific Powers of the Membership====
-  - **A.** Expulsion should be treated as a last resort measure in any situation. Expulsion proceedings should be pursued only after the Vice-President of Membership has been notified and all other attempts to deal with the issue have failed.
+  - **A.** The membership is empowered to determine the work obligation of members and to establish the rating system for each given job.
-  - **B.** Reasons for expulsion include:
+  - **B.** The membership is empowered to impose consequences as outlined in this constitution in the event of non-performance of work duty on the part of a member or a consistent delinquency of payments.
-  **1.** a. continued nonperformance of House duties.
+  - **C.** The membership is empowered to recall a house officer by a majority vote of the membership at a Regular House Meeting, in the event that said officer has been negligent in their duties.
-  **2.** b. malicious destruction of House or members’ property.
+  - **D.** The membership is empowered to evict a member as outlined in the SHC Code of Operations.
-  **3.** c. use of violence, force, or threats, including harassment as described in Article IX, against House members or guests.
-  **4.** d. nonpayment of money owed to Bower
-  **5.** e. continuous violation of House rules.
-  **6.** f. discrimination against any person.
-  **7.** g. violation of city, state, or federal law.
-  - **C.** The accused member shall be personally notified both orally and in writing of the charges citing appropriate grounds for expulsion and shall be given a chance to respond at a House meeting before an expulsion vote is cast. Both oral and written notification must be approved by a majority of House members.
-   - **D.** An expulsion vote may only take place at a scheduled House meeting where at least ⅔ of the membership currently residing in the house is present (13 members), following the posting for one week of signed charges citing appropriate grounds for expulsion. These charges must include specific details of the alleged violations, along with the name of at least one witness.
-  - **E.** Upon passage of the motion to expel, the person expelled shall be given 24 hours to indicate when, within no more than seven days, they will be leaving. If the person refuses to leave the House, the Membership Officer shall ask the SHC Vice President of Membership to initiate formal eviction proceedings in court.
-  - **F.** During the eviction proceedings, the rights of the expelled member shall be scrupulously protected by the House members.
-====Article VIII – Guest Policy====
-  - **A.** A guest may stay in a resident’s room for up to two weeks. After two weeks, the guest must be voted on and pass with quorum (half of membership +1) or move out.
-  - **B.** A guest may stay in the common room for up to three nights, the membership is to be informed of the guest through facebook, groupme, or other social media outlet. A guest staying longer than three nights will need approval of a majority of members. This can be accomplished by either a vote at a House meeting or a social media post.
-  - **C.** A guest may stay and attend house meetings in their entirety until open floor discussion, any guest, potential housemates, significant others of housemates are expected to leave the room for this part of house meetings.
-====Article IX – House Officers====
+====Article IX: Responsibilities of the Membership====
+  - **A.** Work Responsibilities
+    - **1.** All active members of Bower House are required to perform work duties as decided upon by the house. These include:
+      - **i.** Regularly assigned work duties.
+      - **ii.** Work Weekend tasks chosen from work weekend task lists
+    - **2.** Final responsibility for assigned work rests with the members who originally signed up for the job. If a member cannot do a job, they may exchange duties with another member if both members agree to the conditions of exchange.
+    - **3.** Any member who fails to do assigned work within the specified time will be fined; this is in effect for house officers as well.
+  - **B.** Financial Responsibilities: Contracts, Charges and Shares.
+    - **1.** Any fines imposed by the membership for violating house rules, non-performance of assigned work, or other offenses shall be added to the member’s house charges.
+    - **2.** Openings due to a vote to release a person from a contract must be filled by that member.
+    - **3.** If a contract is broken:
+       - **i.** If a member finds an acceptable applicant through their own advertising efforts, then that member will be released from their contract when their applicant’s contract is finalized.
+       - **ii.** If there are no vacancies except those resulting from broken contracts, the broken contracts will be filled by prospective members that contact the house through the regular membership process. Such contracts will be filled in the order that departing members signed their release forms with the SHC office.
+    - **4.** All house expenditures not accounted for will have an immediate stop payment put on them by the Finance Officer.
+====Article X: House Officers and Other Leadership Positions====
+  - **A.** Bower House shall have the following elected officers: Membership, Education, Facilities, Finance and Board Representative.
+  - **B.** Elections for a given term are to occur at the first Regular House Meeting of each semester with the following constraints:
+    - **1.** A list of each service position shall be provided for all members to view.
+    - **2.** Any member may run for any given position.
+    - **3.** A vote will occur for each position. In the event that multiple members wish to hold a position: the house will use ranked choice voting The lowest vote receiver will be dropped after a vote, and further votes will be taken until one person achieves a clear majority.
+    - **4.** The newly elected members shall take charge of their respective positions immediately.
+    - **5.** The newly elected active members shall take charge of their respective positions immediately.
+===Officer and Leadership Position Responsibilities====
 **A. Jobs Manager (Chore Checker)**
   - **1.** The Jobs Manager is elected at the first House meeting at the beginning of MSU’s fall semester for the rest of the contract period.
@@ Line 146: / Line 161: @@
   - **5.** The Education Officer is responsible for ensuring that members are educated in the principles of this House and this Organization.
   - **6.** The Education Officer is responsible for any other duties assigned by the SHC Education Committee or the SHC Articles of Incorporation.
-**Meeting Facilitator**
+**F. Meeting Facilitator**
   - **1.** The Meeting Facilitator is represented by the Education Officer or a member designated at the previous meeting.
   - **2.** The Meeting Facilitator is responsible for calling and facilitating House meetings in accordance with this document. The Meeting Facilitator is to post an agenda at least 72 hours in advance of regularly scheduled meetings. In the case of an unscheduled emergency meeting, the agenda must be posted at least 24 hours in advance. Any member may call for the Meeting Facilitator to hold an emergency meeting of the House. Any member may add items to meeting agendas.
@@ Line 154: / Line 169: @@
   - **6.** The Meeting Facilitator is responsible for issuing fines (determined by vote at the first House meeting of each MSU semester) to members who fail to attend a meeting without a valid excuse.
   - **7.** The Meeting Facilitator shall record the minutes of all House meetings and post them in a common area or in the house Discord. The posted minutes are to be read and initialed (virtually signed) by any members who failed to attend the meeting. Any correction to these minutes will be corrected at the next House meeting.
-**F. Finance Officer**
+**G. Finance Officer**
   - **1.** The Finance Officer shall be elected at the first House meeting of each MSU semester.
   - **2.** The Finance Officer shall maintain the house fiscal records in an accurate and timely manner. This includes keeping house members informed of the status of all house accounts, including, but not limited to posting house charges monthly.
@@ Line 161: / Line 176: @@
   - **5.** The Finance Officer shall represent Bower House at SHC Finance Committee meetings. This includes submitting a budget proposal to the SHC Corporate Treasurer for the following term at the end of the current term.
   - **6.** The Finance Officer shall complete duties as assigned by SHC Corporate Treasurer
-**G. Kitchen Steward**
+**H. Kitchen Steward**
   - **1.** The Kitchen Steward will be elected at the first House meeting of each MSU semester.
   - **2.** The Kitchen Steward will keep tabs on the cleanliness and operational capability of the kitchen and work with members to return it to ideal conditions when they are subpar.
@@ Line 169: / Line 184: @@
   - **6.** The Kitchen Steward will work with the House treasurer to set up budgets for food and supplies.
   - **7.** The Kitchen Steward cannot purchase meat or seafood products with House funds.
-**H. Interim Coordinator**
+**I. Interim Coordinator**
   - **1.** The Interim Coordinator for the transition to the next SHC contract period will be elected at the last House meeting of the contract period (usually the last House meeting of the MSU Spring semester). The Interim Coordinator should be a member that is returning for the next contract period. The Interim Coordinator will collect all House and room keys from leaving House members and keep track of all keys not turned in. The Interim Coordinator will provide the House treasurer a list of all House members who have not turned in their keys so that they can be charged accordingly.
   - **2.** The Interim Coordinator will be responsible for giving House and room keys to all new House members at the start of the next contract period.
   - **3.** The Interim Coordinator will set the agenda for and facilitate the first House meeting of the new contract period.
+====Article XI: Work Duties, Fines and Penalties====
+ - **A.** Before the work schedule is made, the duties of each job are to be posted by the Jobs Manager and remain posted throughout the contract period.
+  - **B.** The manner in which the work is distributed must ensure that each member does approximately the same amount of work for the House. Jobs should be distributed at the first House meeting of each MSU semester.
+  - **C.** Each member of the House must accomplish four/five hours of general improvement work per semester.
+  - **D.** Weekly work will be fined in the following manner by the Chore Checker:
+    - **1.** Every hour of weekly work missed necessitates a $15 fine.
+    - **2.** If the same job has been missed two or more consecutive times the fine will be doubled.
+  - **E.** House destruction and blatant disregard for rules will be fined in the following manner unless otherwise described in this constitution:
+    - **1.** The membership will hear complaints about the member who has purposefully destroyed an item belonging to the house during a Regular House Meeting.
+    - **2.** The membership will vote on whether to fine the individual in question after both sides are heard.
+        - **i.** If the vote is in favor of fining the member in question, then fines shall be levied based on the value of said destroyed item.
+        - **ii.** If the vote is not in favor of fining the member in question, then the issue will be considered resolved.
+    - **3.** Grounds and procedures for expulsion are outlined in the SHC Code of Operations and within this constitution.
+  - **F.** Fines may be removed if a ⅔  majority of the membership votes to remove the levied fine during a Regular House Meeting or if the SHC Grievance Committee determines the fine to be unfair.
+====Article XI – Seniority====
+  - **1.** Seniority in the House is determined by the date a member contract is signed to the Bower Cooperative. In the event that two or more members signed on the same day, the member who first contacted Bower’s Membership Officer has seniority.
+====Article XII – Rooms====
+  - **A.** Room pick order is determined by seniority. Every year before moving in there will be an event for new and returning members to pick rooms.
+    - 1. Room pick seniority is unaffected by double or single contract status.
+    - 2. Members have the right to remain in their current room when renewing their contract.
+====Article XIII — Parking====
+  - **A.** Parking seniority in the Bower parking lot (and other spaces guaranteed to the house by the SHC) will be determined by two factors: whether a member has a vehicle upon their move-in (or renewed contract start) date, and their signing date. Members who will have a specific vehicle by the time of said move-in/renewed contract start dates will have the priority to access parking for the remainder of their contract, but if there are more members with vehicles, then access will be based on the earliest signing date.
+    - 1. Exception: If a member has physical limitations or needs to have a vehicle in the lot for their personal health and/or safety, then such members will have top seniority for a parking spot in the Bower parking lot.
+    - 2. Exception: If a member has possession of a vehicle that is not with them physically or has a proof of a definitive plan to own a specific vehicle within three months of their contract start date, they can request to have a parking spot held in the lot up until the end of the third month. If by then they do not have said vehicle they will revoke their parking spot. During the period that this spot is empty, members next in line of seniority may use this spot until the original member has their vehicle.
+  - **B.**  If there are any extenuating circumstances, additional accommodations can be made.
+    - 1. Exception: If two members are fighting over parking spots they will drag race in drag. An arbitrary third party will act as referee for a race that spans across the Bower/Haven House lots.
+  - **C.** Guests may use the Bower parking lot to park their vehicle if at the time there are more parking spots than members with vehicles. Otherwise, guests must find a different spot to park their vehicle(s).
+  - **D.** Assigned parking spots (a specific physical area for a specific person’s vehicle) are determined by current members, yet members do not need to assign spots if they decide this as a house.
+====Article XIV — Smoking Policy====
+  - **A.** There is no smoking permitted within Bower House, including tobacco, e-cigarettes and marijuana products.
+    - 1. If you have questions or concerns about this policy, please talk to our Membership Officer.
+  - **B.** Smoking is allowed outside of Bower House.
+====Article XV – Large Appliances====
+  - **A.** Members using a space heater or a wall-mounted air conditioning unit will be subject to an additional per month charge each month of use as agreed upon by the membership.
+    - a. Space heaters in personal living spaces must be less than 5 years old.
+    - b. Maximum energy usage for a space heater is 1000kWh.
+    - c. Charges will be waived for rooms deemed uninhabitable without heaters.
+    - d. Other personal appliances that use large amounts of energy may result in an additional per month charge each month of use as agreed upon by the membership.
+====Article XVI – Pet Policy====
+  - **A.** One’s pet is one’s own responsibility. This includes the financial responsibility if one’s pet damages property of the house or other members.
+  - **B.** Any and all pet waste is to be managed by the owner of said pet.
+    - a. Litter boxes are to be kept within the room of the owner, not within common spaces.
+    - b. All pet waste that finds itself outside of a litter box, including outdoor waste, must be cleaned up as soon as possible by the owner of said pet. Managing pet waste includes managing the smell in shared spaces.
+  - **C. ** Any dog living at Bower must know and respond to “no”, “down”, “stop”, “leave it”, etc - OR be enrolled in training classes of some sort. This ensures that everyone’s personal boundaries are not being violated.
+  - **D.** Pets are to be registered with the SHC after receiving a “yes” vote from the house.
+    - a. It is at the house's discretion to vote on whether or not an individual's pet can live in the house based on size, behavior, and any other practical considerations.
+====Article XVII: Work Week====
+  - **A.** Work Week
+    - **1.** The purpose of Work Week will be to clean Bower House and to complete projects that add value to Bower House.
+    - **2.** Will be held once a semester.
+    - **3.** The Facilities Officer will be in charge of organizing, facilitating, and supervising Work Week.
+    - **4.** The following items must occur prior to Work Week:
+       - **i.** List of jobs will be completed and receive approval during a Regular House Meeting by a vote.
+       - **ii.** House members will choose the jobs they will complete from the approved list with facilitation from the Finance Officer and Chore Checker.
+       - **iii.** Times and dates for the work to be completed will be established and approved during a Regular House Meeting by a vote.
+       - **iv.** House members unable to attend Work Weekend must notify the Facilities Officer and negotiate a project to make up for that house member’s absence.
+       - **v.** The Facilities Officer will acquire all tools, supplies, and permits necessary to complete work week.
+    - **5.** This event is mandatory for all house members.
+====Article XVIII – “Party” Policy====
+  - **A.** All house parties must be voted on and approved at a house meeting by quorum (10 members).
+    - a. A house member voting yes shall enjoy full privileges enjoyed as a host of the party as well as shared responsibility of any damages, fines, legal action, or any other negative ramifications resulting from the party.
+    - b. A house member voting no or abstaining to vote for the party will be expected not to participate in the party unless otherwise approved by a house vote. These members will also be exempt from any shared responsibility as described above.
+  - **B.** A party is subject to be stopped or cancelled at any moment due to medical, legal, or any other situations where the welfare and safety of the house and its members is at risk.
+    - a. In the event that any legal or dangerous situation arises as a result of a housemate or housemate’s friends, the house shall discuss the consequences for said behavior at the following meeting.
+  - **C.** A party shall be defined as an official house gathering that is voted on by the house members. This status requires that house members recognize and follow the specific traits and responsibilities described in this section of the house constitution.
+  - **D.** Due to legal and safety reasons, the preferred distribution of alcohol will be BYOB (bring your own booze).
+  - **E.** If Bower House and its members decide to throw a party they as a house must elect a “sober rep”, this member will refrain from “substances” for the evening, making themselves available to handle escalating situations, mediating of any kind, any situation someone who is under the influence is not able to handle alone.
+    - a. In the event the fire alarm goes off the “sober rep” is to be the person to talk to the fire department, likewise the “sober rep” is also the person who needs to talk to the police in the event they show up.
+  - **F.** Any hard copy or electronic invitations must only be made available in a private or a secret setting. Any distribution of the party information or description to public forums is strictly prohibited. Examples include open facebook events, coffeehouses, or campus billboards.
+  - **G.** The house members who vote to participate in the party must participate in the set up, clean up, and security of the party.
+    - a. The Jobs Manager shall create a signup sheet in order to designate which jobs are to be completed before, during, and after the party as well as which participating house members are responsible for specific tasks.
+    - b. Any participating member who does not complete their specific duty as defined by the Jobs Manager shall receive a fine of $**10.**
+====Article XIX - Consent====
+  - **A.** Consent is an active and informed agreement between two parties.
+====Article XX – Amendments====
+  - **A.** Amendments to this document require 2/3 approval of House membership.
+  - **B.** Amendment proceedings must be preceded by at least a two week viewing period during which amendments can be proposed by any member. This period is to be announced at a House meeting.
+  - **C.** Voting on amendments to this document can take place at any House meeting attended by at least 2/3 of membership (the amount required for amendment approval). All members, whether or not present at the House meeting, must have the opportunity to vote on changes.
+====Article XXI - House Values and Norms====
+  - **A.** Bower House values are as follows and may be changed by a ⅔ vote of the house. Bower and its members value:
+    - a. Diverse Opinions and Perspectives
+    - b. Respect
+    - c. Open Communication
+    - d. Honesty
+    - e. Friendliness
+    - f. Being cooperative
+    - g. Being an active participant in our community
+    - h. Cleanliness
+    - i. Sustainability
+    - j. Consent
+  - **B.** Our norms are derived from our values and should be discussed at every first house meeting of the year. It is important that all members and their guests follow these norms and they must be posted in common spaces for constant reference.
+    - a. Open and Honest Communication
+      - i. Use I statements
+      - ii. Be proactive in your communication, not reactive.
+      - iii. Don’t make assumptions, communicate clearly
+      - iv. Conflict? Try to work it out one on one (Face to face) first
+      - v. Conflict you can’t solve by yourself? Go to your membership officer or education officer for resolution
+      - vi. Don’t talk about other house members behind their back
+      - vii. Don’t be passive aggressive
+      - viii. Step up - Step back
+      - ix. All house norms and rules apply to social media use.
+    - b. Consent!
+      - i. Ask for consent when touching someone or their property, eating their food, or entering their room
+      - ii. No one is static, ask each time
+      - iii. Educate yourself on each others boundaries
+      - iv. Smoking in common areas? Ask your housemates in that room first
+      - v. Don’t be a bystander
+      - vi. Don’t post pictures of other housemates on social media without their consent or any pictures that would be found in violation of the constitution.
+    - c. Respect!
+      - i. All members are treated equal
+      - ii. Hold visitors to same standards
+      - iii. Include everyone
+      - iv. ALWAYS respect your housemates (THIS IS YOUR FAM)
+      - d. Be Eco-Friendly
+        - i. Conserve resources
+        - ii. Recycle!
+        - iii. Turn lights/TV off when you’re the last one leaving the room
+    - e. Cleanliness
+      - i. Do your jobs to the best of your ability
+      - ii.Leave everything better than you found it!
+      - iii. You don’t have to have the job to do what has to be done (take initiative)
+    - f. Spread positivity
+      - i. If you need to vent - ask first
+    - g. Actively participate in our family
+      - i. Be a part of house events
+      - ii. Help foster a sense of home/family
+      - iii. Put in the effort to make a happy healthy home
+      - iv. Have an emotional investment in the house
+      - v. Honor Bower traditions.
-====Article XII: Amendments====
-  - **A.** This constitution may be amended by the following procedure:
-      - **1.** A committee or house member writes the amendment.
-      - **2.** The house approves the amendment by minimum vote requirements/restrictions described in I(E) of Article IV during a Regular House Meeting.
-      - **3.** The House Scholar adds it to the constitution at the SHC office.
-  - **B.** Vote Requirements/Restrictions
-      - **1.** Article VI: Standing House Rules requires an 80% vote of the membership.
-      - **2.** All other articles require ⅔ of those present at the Regular House Meeting.