Dabney Hovse Bylaws

Full membership is available to students of the California Institute of Technology (“the Institute”) who are currently enrolled or on temporary leave. All full members are granted equal and full ability to participate in house votes, hold office in Dabney, enter Dabney roompicks, attend social functions, and use house resources.

Other types of membership can exist and can confer any subset of privileges allotted by full membership.

Members enrolled in the Institute must pay the dues associated with their membership type. Procedures for gaining membership are set by the house. Membership is revoked if a student graduates or permanently separates from the institute, announces resignation of membership, or loses membership as part of an Institute-imposed sanction. If a member remains on temporary leave for at least 2 years, Excomm may, by unanimous consent, revoke their membership.

House offices consist of an Executive Committee (Excomm) and other non-Excomm offices. Offices can be set, created, and destroyed by a vote of the house. Excomm consists of the President, Secretary, and any other offices specifically designated to sit on Excomm. Standard elections for each office are held once per academic year.

Removal of a member from office happens if a member announces resignation from the office, if all members of Excomm (excepting the officer in question and anyone else holding the same office, if applicable) deem the member unfit to hold the office, or if a recall vote passes.

A recall vote can be started via a petition signed by 10 full members. After such a petition is obtained, a house vote will be held to be closed within 7 days of the petition being submitted. To recall the officer in question, the vote requires the approval of 2/3rds of voters who cast non-abstaining votes.

If a position opens due to resignation, the person leaving may specify an interim appointee subject to the approval of Excomm. Otherwise, Excomm will specify an appointee. The appointee will hold all duties of the position, excluding sitting on Excomm, until a special election can be held. In the case that an officer is unable to perform their duties for a known period of time, Excomm, with the consent of the affected officer, may choose to hold an election for an interim officer to serve in their place for that period of time. This interim officer will perform all duties of the given office, including sitting on Excomm, if applicable.

House votes are required for the following: (a) election of members to any Dabney office; (b) significant changes to house membership types, roompicks procedures, duties of any Dabney office, or house dues; (c) or by petition of 10 full members. House votes must be open to all full members and in rare circumstances can be opened to other types of membership with consent of full members via vote. Excomm is responsible for fairly administering house votes.

The proposed full text of any house vote must be made available to all voting members prior to the opening of the vote. Votes must then be open for at least 72 hours before closing. All voting members must be granted reasonable access to vote, change their vote before the close of the voting period, and cast an absentee ballot.

Exceptions may be enacted in the event that any house policy or part of these bylaws become impossible to enact without violating any applicable laws, coming into conflict with Institute policy (which can be communicated either verbally or through writing), or causing direct and significant harm to any person’s well-being. In cases of exception, Excomm may create temporary policy to supercede original policy without consulting the house so long as said policy is announced. Excomm may amend the temporary policy at any time. If the temporary policy is approved over the conflicting policy in a house vote, it shall replace the conflicting policy permanently and no longer be governed by the terms specified in this paragraph. If the original conflict no longer exists, Excomm can choose to either hold a vote between the original and temporary policies or to simply revert to the original policy.

In cases of question, Excomm is responsible for providing a reasonable interpretation of this document and other house policies.

Other house policies can be passed by Excomm to govern policies and actions of the house. In the absence of established policy, decisions can be made based on precedent and discretion of relevant officers.

Any proposed amendment or ratification of these bylaws shall pass only if supported by 2/3rds of people who cast non-abstaining votes.

THE SECRETARY SHALL BE THE HOUSE’S CHAMPION. THE ORIGINAL BEING THE ALMIGHTY CHAMPION DMAG!!!! LONG LIVE THE CHAMPION! Special thanks to Catrin for preserving this important message Cayla shall be known hereto as Honorary Champion and granted all rights of the house champion.