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Harambee House Manifesto

Preamble

We the members of Harambee House Cooperative, in order to form a sustainable and just cooperative recognize that it is necessary:

1. To promote a clear awareness to the membership of their responsibilities and obligations toward the house; furthermore
2. To ensure that said responsibilities and obligations are discharged in a manner efficient, practical, and harmonious; also
3. To maintain Harambee House financially and physically in the soundest possible condition; moreover
4. To protect the individuals, living in the house, of minority opinion from harsh and unjust rules;

Hereby create this constitution to govern over the Harambee House Cooperative

Article I: Definitions

1. ‘Constitution’ shall refer to this document in its entirety.
2. ‘Harambee House Cooperative,’ ‘Harambee House,’ ‘Harambee’ and ‘house’ shall be defined as the building located on the property: 427 Hillsdale Street, Lansing, Michigan 48933
3. ‘Student Housing Cooperative,’ and ‘SHC’ shall refer to the body that owns the Harambee House Cooperative.
4. A ‘member’ is any person who has ever held a valid contract with Harambee House Cooperative.
5. An ‘active member’ or ‘house member’ is any member currently living in Harambee House privy to the following conditions
1. a. Has a valid contract with SHC.
2. b. I currently in good financial standing with SHC.
6. A ‘guest’ is anyone staying at Harambee House for any length of time without having signed a contract.
7. ‘Active membership’ or ‘membership’ is the total number of individuals who are active members, or the entire group of active members.
8. A ‘house meeting’ shall be defined as a congregation of house members assembled to transact business pertaining to the internal operation of Harambee House subject to the rules and regulations set forth by this constitution.
9. The ‘constitutional addendum’ or ‘addendum’ will be where passed rules and regulations will be placed. The addendum is not apart of the constitution, but a supplement to it.
10. The term ‘personal living space’ is defined as the individual room that an active member lives in.
11. A ‘common room’ shall be defined as any room that is not an active member’s personal living space.

Article II: Scope

1. This constitution shall be subject to all laws and regulations set forth by the United States of America, the State of Michigan, and the City of Lansing.
2. This constitution shall be subject to all rules and regulations set forth by the Michigan State Housing Cooperative (SHC) and all its respective governing bodies.
3. ‘This constitution shall supersede and nulls all previous constitutions initiated by Harambee House Cooperative.
4. This constitution shall supersede any rules or regulations that were implemented under the governance of this constitution.
5. All rules and regulations made under the governance of this constitution shall be placed in the addendum section of this constitution upon the approval of the active members during a Regular House Meeting.

Article IV: Governance

1. All rules and regulations imposed upon the members and guests of Harambee House shall be adopted at house meetings or be stated within this constitution.

Table of Contents

Harambee House Manifesto

Article I: Definitions

Article II: Scope

Article IV: Governance