ICC Houses : Luther Buchele Cooperative House

Luther members seek to build a strong, mature and responsible community, although certainly not a boring one. We have lots of talented members in the house, including writers, artists, and musicians. Luther has large rooms and lots of space in common areas. We have regular parties, including our annual Halloween Party where co-opers from other houses and other guests descend in richly costumed droves. We are tolerant and accepting of diversity, with a wide range of people living cooperatively together. You can hide in your room and no one will bother you, or you could help create an active social scene. We have a great location right across from "the rock," you can hang out on the porch and watch it being painted by various groups. We are also within walking distance of campus and the bustling South University area with restaurants, bars, and shops.


Come hang out on our porch! We even have our own porch swing.	Luther house holds as many as 50 members. That's a lot of individual mail boxes, but it does mean there is always someone in the house to hang out with.	Not too many houses have their own pool table, but we do!

Our dining room offers plenty of space for the entire house to eat dinner.	Our kitchen is well stocked and spacious. Feel free to make whatever you desire in here!	Microwaves, toaster oven, coffee maker...you name it, we probably got it.

One of the many bathrooms in our house.	Luther is comprised of two houses. The TV room is located in the other house right next door.	Our living room is also bright and spacious.

The kitchen in our second house is smaller, but much more personal. As a Luther house member, you would have access to both!	The second half of our kitchen.	Both houses have their own laundry rooms. Like all other ICC houses, our machines are coin-free.

Meals: Meals are served Sunday through Thursday at 6:00 PM. If you cannot be present for dinner and would like a dinner saved for you, sign up on the save meal list posted on the refrigerator posted in 1520.

Quiet Hours: Each term we vote to determine quiet hours. This term, quiet hours are from 12-8 on weeknights and from 2-10 during weekends. We have separate quiet hours for the piano and basketball court. Courtesy hours are in effect at all times.

Bulletin Board: Be sure to check the bulletin boards in the dining rooms of 1510 and 1520 for important information such as when rent is due, how much it is, time and location of next House and House Council meetings, ICC activities, information on the next ICC Board of Directors meeting, etc.

Charges: Charges are normally due on the first day of every month. Amount due will be posted on the House bulletin boards. Give checks, made out to "Inter-Cooperative Council" to the Treasurer.

Phones: The phone number for 1510 is 662-3735; for 1520, 662-3736. Everyone may use these phones to place local calls. You cannot make long distance calls on these phones--even collect calls--as the phones are locked to prevent this. Some long distance carriers can provide you with a local number to access a long distance network which will allow you to dial long distance.

Meetings: The house decides when to have House meetings and House Council meetings. Generally, House meetings are held immediately after dinner on a predetermined night. Agendas are posted at least two days in advance. Anyone may post an item on the agenda that they feel needs to be brought up. House meetings operate under a majority system. We discuss an issue, formulate a proposal, second the proposal, ask clarifying questions on the proposal, and take a vote. You will receive more information about this at your first House meeting in the fall. Go to House meetings. Co-ops need participation to work effectively. At House meetings, we set budgets and discuss issues that affect us as a house as well as larger issues that affect the ICC as a whole.

House Council: This is an advisory board comprised of all House Officers and six other members. The house Council hashes out issues and presents recommendations for action to the House. This is a smaller group where committee-type work occurs, saving the House time during the meetings. Any member may attend House Council meetings. Meeting time, locations and agendas are posted in advance; the Council determines meeting times. Serving on the House Council does not fulfill any portion of the House's work requirement.

House Officers: With the exception of Presidents, officers are elected each term. The House Officers are: Out-of-house President, In-house President, Treasurer, Maintenance Manager, Work Manager, and Food Steward. The Presidents, Treasurer, Maintenance Manager, Work Manager, and the Food Steward positions all fulfill the House's work requirement. The in-house president facilitates all house meetings, House Council, and oversees general operation of the house. The out-of-house president attends ICC Board of Directors meetings every other Sunday and serves on an ICC Board committee. The Treasurer maintains all financial records of the House, collects all rent checks, writes all checks, instigates expulsion proceedings for non-payment, computes monthly rent, posts the amount, regularly reports to the House on the House's financial condition, and attends assigned ICC committee meetings. The Maintenance Managers (2) determine what maintenance needs to be done, assign maintenance work, purchase maintenance supplies, attend ICC MPC meetings, and arrange any necessary outside work to be done with the Maintenance Director. The Work Managers (2) make the work schedule, make sure members sign up for required work, organizine the sign up for required work, make sure everyone is doing their job, organize the work holiday, fine individuals for not doing their work, and initiate expulsion proceedings for non-work. The Food Stewards (2) plan all menus, order all ingredients, and make sure everything is delivered. All officers are nominated and elected at the beginning of each term, except the presidents, who are elected the previous Winter. All officers are required to attend the ICC's officer training programs.

Work: Everyone is required to work approximately 4 hours every week, performing various tasks to keep the House running. Members select jobs at the term's work holiday, a fun day of cleaning and maintenance that ends with pizza and sometimes beer. No matter what your schedule is, there is a job for you. You can cook, perform maintenance, clean the kitchen, clean the bathrooms, vacuum the hallways and stairs, etc. If you cannot complete your required work at the required time, you must find a replacement. You are responsible for making sure the job gets done. Everyone (officers too!) is also required to complete two dinner cleans each term, so that no one has to get stuck washing dishes every Friday or Saturday evening.

GUFF: General Unspecified Free Food. Some examples include bread, breakfast cereal, dairy products, dinner leftovers, condiments, mixes, produce, and baked goods. Guff also includes toilet and household cleaning supplies, and paper towels. The exact items vary from semester to semester, depending on the current "staples". Generally you will find you will buy little to no food for yourself, as most of your food will come from meals and Guff.

Refrigerators/Food Storage: Each house has a refrigerator for members to store their personal food, such as ice cream, pop, salad dressing, etc. Clearly label any food you store in these refrigerators as "Not Guff," and put your name and the date that the food was opened on it. You should not feel obligated to bring a personal refrigerator with you, although some members do.

Room Improvements: Curtains, painting rooms, etc. Any improvement must be approved in advance by the House. If you expect to be reimbursed by the House for the room improvement you made, you must receive approval from the House before you arrange to make the room improvement. Room improvements stay in the room in which they were made, i.e. if the house agrees to reimburse you for blinds, you cannot bring those blinds with you to a different room. Before purchasing anything for a room improvement, check with the Maintenance Manager or the President to see if we already have what you need, as we maintain a stock pile of paint, paintbrushes, lumber, nails, etc. Reimbursement cannot be guaranteed if a member purchases something we already have such as paint, regardless of the amount or the desired reimbursement. Reimbursement will be by receipt only, i.e. you must present receipts to be reimbursed for any amount. If you are unsure about this policy or do not understand it, talk with the President!

Fine Policy: Members are fined for non-work and uncooperative behavior. The fine policy is strictly enforced.

Parking: We have 15 spaces in our parking lot; 2 are reserved for the ICC truck and ICC maintenance coordinator. That leaves our House with 13 spots. If we have more than 13 cars, parking spaces are assigned by house senority. Every Wednesday morning, our dumpster is emptied. In order for the dumpster to be emptied, cars should not be parked along the west side of 1520, and must park on a nearby side street. Under no circumstances can anyone park along the east side of 1520 (closer to Washtenaw).

Room Inspection/Furniture: Fill out room inspection sheets when you move in. Notify the President of any furniture changes throughout the year. Everyone is entitled to a mattress, a desk, and a dresser. We do have a few box springs available.

Entertainment: We have a piano and a television with cable channels and VCR/DVD in 1510. We also have a basketball hoop, a pool table, and foosefall. On Thursdays the house has art night, where members get together to draw, paint, play music, bake cookies, or just hang out.