Koinonia Christian Cooperative

House Rules

These rules are guidelines to be applied with scriptural principle:

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the the Lord and not for men.

- Colossians 3:23

Brothers,if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

- Galatians 6:1-2

(See also Matthew 18:15-17)

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HOUSE RESPONSIBILITIES

Cleaning Details

  • Work details to be done twice a week shall be assigned by the House Manager. The days and time that they are due will be chosen by the House Manager.
  • If an extension is needed to complete a detail, the House Manager must be notified.
  • The House Manager can assign wakes or extra work to those who are delinquent in their details.
  • If a persistent problem becomes apparent, further measures may be taken by the House Managers and/or the Cabinet.
  • In the occasion that the house is in a state of unsuitable nature the cabinet will be able to take a vote initiating that details will be moved to 3 times a week. Occurring on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, still due at 10 p.m. and checked by the house managers.

◦The state of the house will be determined by the cabinet and will be voted on among the cabinet.

◦The 3 times a week details will not go into effect until a week after this motion is brought forward to the house after the vote among the cabinet stating that the house is unsuitable. After the week the cabinet will vote again and if they feel as if the house is still not in a state of which is acceptable the 3 details a week will be implemented.

◦They will stay in effect until the house is returned to a well-managed state which will be determined and voted on by the cabinet. If the cabinet feels that the state of the house is back to where it should be the details will be moved back down to the original 2 times a week.

Prep and Clean-up Policy

  • Preps and clean-ups will be assigned by the house manager.
  • There must be two people on every prep and lunch cleanup and three people on every dinner clean-up unless otherwise approved by the Commissars.
  • You must fulfill your prep and/or clean-up duties or find a substitute.
  • If a resident misses a prep/clean-up:

◦He will be assigned wakes, according to the same procedures as details

◦He will owe the person(s) who covered for him one prep/clean-up, which will be determined between them.

  • If persistent problems occur, further measures may be taken by the House Managers and/or the Cabinet.

Wakes

  • The schedule for wakes will be made by the secretary at the beginning of each semester. House residents will be expected to do approximately one wakes each month.
  • The wakes man will be responsible for the following:

◦The Night Before

▪Locking doors and securing windows.

▪Turning off unnecessary hall and public area lights.

◦The Morning Of

▪Waking up house members at:

  • 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 7:45 A.M. - Monday through Friday.
  • 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 9:00 A.M. - Saturdays.
  • 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00 A.M. - Sundays.

▪Washing the dishes left overnight.

▪Bringing in the morning newspapers.

▪Taking out the trash.

▪Emptying the ice trays in the white fridge

▪Reminding the next wakes man of his responsibilities.

  • Procedure for Wakes

◦Wake up the person and tell them what time it is.

◦The person being woken up must make eye contact and acknowledge to you that they are awake before you may move to the next person.

◦If tag is on DMO:

▪Wake up at the time indicated.

▪If necessary wake them up a second time five minutes later and indicate to them that it is the second time.

▪If necessary wake them up a third time five minutes later and indicate it is the third time.

▪Stay with them on the third time and if they do not get up and take down their tag, then do whatever it takes, remembering they are your brothers, to get them up.

◦If tag is not DMO:

▪Wake up at the time indicated.

▪If they do not get up, move their tag to the next time slot.

▪Repeat this every wakes time.

▪On the last wakes, if they do not get up, move their tag off of the hook.

House Meeting Attendance Policy

  • House Meetings are considered mandatory for residents of Koinonia
  • The cabinet will decide at the beginning of each semester when House Meetings will be for that semester.
  • If you have a valid reason (class, work, exam) for missing a House Meeting, you must do the following:

◦Report to the President your reason for absence and receive his approval

◦Read the House notes after the meeting

  • The President has the authority to give fines or assign wakes for unexcused absences.

Volunteering

  • All residents will be required to fulfill a certain number of service hours each semester.
  • The amount of required volunteer hours will be voted on at the beginning of each semester either during the Retreat meeting or the first meeting of the semester. Voting will begin by taking a reasonable amount of suggestions for hour amounts. The suggestions will be read and then a vote will be taken by raise of hands for each different suggestion. After all votes have been taken, if there is no absolute majority (>50%), the lowest voted for amount(s) will be removed and the house will vote again. This will continue until there is an absolute majority. In the event of a tie, the vote will be decided by whichever hour amount the majority of the cabinet votes for. Only members present at the meeting can vote.
  • Residents are responsible for recording their service hours on the house spreadsheet, which will be kept by the Philanthropic Operations Director.
  • The penalty for not completing service hours will be a fine and a review of membership, both up to the discretion of the cabinet.

HOUSE FUNCTIONING

Quiet Hours

  • Quiet hours to facilitate studying are:

◦6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. and 11:00 P.M. to 8:00 A.M. - Sunday through Thursday.

  • During quiet hours, house residents should take precaution to keep the noise from music and games at a minimum
  • There are 24 Quiet Hours in the dorm. The Vice President shall maintain Quiet Hours. The cabinet may issue fines for violations of these Quiet Hours.

Toweled Doors

  • A towel placed on a door signifies that the individuals in the room are studying and do not wish to be disturbed.
  • Females are not allowed in a towelled room.
  • No one except those who live in the room shall knock or enter that towelled room.
  • Buzzing is the only means of contacting a person in a "towelled room".

Proposals

  • Any house resident may make a proposal
  • Each proposal should be typed and include the following information:

◦The proposal's name.

◦If it refers to changes in the House Rules, the Constitution, or the Budget, it should indicate what section, and both what it says currently, and what it will be changed to.

◦If it involves spending, it should indicate where the money will come from (after discussion with the House Treasurer), and how much it will cost.

◦When it will be voted on (i.e. House Meeting on _____ date)

◦Who is able to vote on it (See Constitution to find out).

◦What vote is required to pass it (See Constitution to find out).

◦The name of the person proposing it.

◦Any other appropriate information (i.e. pictures of products, or websites where information can be found)

  • The President must be informed of the proposal before the House Meeting it will be presented at so he can introduce it in the meeting.
  • Proposals must be pinned up in the dining room until the vote so that residents may view them.

Meal Procedures

  • Lunch starts at 12:05pm. Dinner starts at 5:30pm.
  • Shirts are required for every meal.
  • The commissar(s) may give a $5.00 fine to anyone who used house food without permission, or who causes food to be wasted.
  • Do not ring the final until the prepsters tell you to and can be present for prayer.
  • Everyone stands during prayer and any hats should be removed.
  • After the prayer is over, the table order begins with the table of the person who prayed and then proceeds around the room in a clockwise direction. Guests are served first at their table.
  • Seconds/Thirds may be called fifteen minutes after the meal is supposed to start. Guests have first claim to seconds. If there is not enough food for all of those wanting seconds/thirds, an auction must be called.
  • Announcements must be made by first yelling “ding”, and then giving the announcement.
  • Auction Rules:

◦All those wanting seconds/thirds must raise their hands and show a 1 or 2 with their fingers.

◦The auctioneer adds all of the displayed numbers; this is the objective number.

◦The auctioneer counts the number of second/third portions available; this is the portion number.

◦Select a unique starting person (i.e. oldest person in the room, next birthday in house, etc.). The starting point shall be a person wanting seconds/thirds.

◦Including that person, count off hands in a clockwise direction from 1 to the objective number. The first person after the objective number is the first person of the portion number. The clockwise counting continues until the portion number is reached.

◦After thirds, food may be taken freely without need of an auction.

  • Lates:

◦If you must miss a meal you may sign up for a late plate on the permanent late lists

◦Lunch lates go on snarf at 6:00pm. Dinner lates go on snarf at 11:00pm. Late Lates of any kind go on snarf at 8:00am the following morning.

◦If the prepsters fail to make a late plate, they owe the recipient five dollars upon request.

Laundry Room Policy

  • No one but Koinonia residents may use the washers and dryers.
  • Washer and dryer usage is subject to a fee determined by the Treasurer in conjunction with the Cabinet.
  • Clothes in washers and dryers should be clearly marked with your name on the laundry whiteboard.
  • Another’s clothes should be systematically moved from washer to dryer provided that he writes “dry” next to his name on the whiteboard.
  • Another’s clothes should be systematically moved from dryer to basket provided that they are completely dry.

Telephone Usage Policy

  • The house telephone is not to be used by house residents except in the case of an emergency or as needed by servicemen.

Recreation Room Policy

  • The Recreation room may be reserved by house members by posting a note of the room’s door indicating the time and reason for reservation.
  • Using house equipment is a privilege. Anyone who uses house equipment needs to be sensitive towards others. If using the equipment offends others in the house (i.e. watching a movie that is offensive to others), it is not appropriate for public areas (Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8). If the cabinet feels anyone is repeatedly using house equipment without regard towards others, it reserves the right to ban that person from such uses.

FINANCIAL

Spending

  • The Treasurer shall have the authority to approve all miscellaneous purchases of less than $40.00.
  • All purchases under $100.00 but over $40.00 from savings or miscellaneous expenditure must be voted on at a regular house meeting.
  • All purchases over $100.00 which would be taken from savings or miscellaneous expenditure must be read at one house meeting and voted on at the following house meeting. It must be approved by a majority of those present and not abstaining. In order for a vote to take place, 3/4 of the House must be present or have given their vote to the President before the house meeting.
  • A Repairs & Improvement expenditure shall consist of purchases for extraordinary supplies, major repairs, and structural improvements and will be at the discretion of the House Manager. Ordinary repairs come out of the House Manager's budget.
  • A savings expenditure shall consist of expenditures for items that shall last for more than one year and that do not qualify for a Repairs & Improvements expenditure. In cases of dispute the Treasurer will decide which account will be used.

Unpaid House Bills Policy

  • You must notify the Treasure in writing if your house bill will be late, and the Treasurer must approve. In your notice you must include:

◦When you will be able to make the payment

◦Why the payment is late

  • If you fail to submit an acceptable notice, you will be fined five dollars per week if your house bill is under $500. You will be fined ten dollars per week if your house bill is $500 or greater. The fines will be incurred up to and until you submit an acceptable notice to the Treasurer.
  • All of the house bills are to be fully paid by November 13 unless arrangements are made with the Treasurer. If a bill remains unpaid at the end of the semester, the Cabinet reserves the right to turn your account over to the University Collection Agency and you will be encumbered.
  • At seven days past due, residents with outstanding balances can lose house privileges, such as participation in house activities, at the discretion of the Cabinet.
  • At thirty days past due, residents with outstanding balances will meet with the House Cabinet to discuss payment. The negligent resident will explain his inability to pay, provide an exact date for payment, and discuss the methods by which payment will be achieved. If the Cabinet finds it necessary, they may remove the resident’s meal privileges until payment is received.
  • At sixty days past due, residents with outstanding balances will meet with the Housing Director to discuss payment. The Housing Director will communicate the urgency of the situation and assist the resident if possible in developing a practical plan for payment.
  • At ninety days past due, the House Cabinet will meet with the Housing Director to consider asking the negligent resident to leave the house and to discuss turning the account over to the University Collection Agency.

SOCIAL

Guest Meal Policy

  • Each resident may have one guest may come to one meal a week. The Cabinet will deal with abuses of this policy.
  • Out-of-town guests, Dr. Sutton, Dr. Travers, or BSF or Church representatives are exempted from this rule.

Women Policy

  • Women are not allowed in rooms or in the basement or on the top floor after

◦2am – Sunday through Thursday

◦3am – Friday and Saturday

  • Women are allowed back into these areas at 8am.
  • If your roommate wants your guests to leave the room, the guests must leave.
  • A one hour grace period will be granted for groups of three or more, if all three are awake.
  • When anyone has a female guest in his room he may not lock or place a towel on his door.
  • The living room, recreation room, and study rooms are public areas meant for everyone's use. Couples need to abstain from excessive PDA (kissing, lying on the couch together) while in these areas.
  • Abuse of this policy will be dealt with at the discretion of the cabinet.

Homeless Policy

  • The person must be sober to come into the house.
  • If you let a homeless person into the house, you must stay with him at all times, unless someone agrees to take responsibility for him.
  • If the homeless person is unknown to you, two people must stay with him at all times.
  • You cannot give him money while on house property.
  • You may give him a sack lunch, left-overs, or invite him to come for a meal.
  • Homeless persons are restricted to first floor public areas.
  • If a homeless person becomes violent or obscene, you must make him leave.
  • Homeless persons must leave Koinonia by 1am.
  • Abuses of our generosity will be dealt with by the cabinet.

Ernie Policy

  • While in the House:

◦The person who lets Ernie in must stay with him until he leaves, unless someone else takes responsibility for him.

◦If no one will watch him Ernie must leave the house.

◦If he gets out of control, give him one warning to correct his behavior. If this fails, then ban him from the House for the remainder of the day.

◦Ernie is not allowed to spend the night without the approval of the Cabinet.

◦Ernie must leave by 1am.

  • To come to dinner:

◦He must be someone’s guest under an arrangement made at least one day in advance.

◦He must be showered and have applied deodorant.

  • Ernie has been alerted to our policy, so do not hesitate to enforce it. The Cabinet will deal with extreme cases.

Gun/Weapon/Substance Policies

  • In accordance with the policy of Private Certified Housing, no weapons or any object resembling a weapon will be permitted within Koinonia. The Cabinet will deal with violations of this policy appropriately.
  • There are to be no alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, or smoking in the House.

GENERAL