OXFORD HOUSES OF VIRGINIA

CHAPTER 2 BY-LAWS

1. Oxford Houses of Virginia – Chapter 2 consists of 8 Oxford Houses providing 62 beds:

Bayview Gardens (male, 7 beds), Chesapeake (male, 6 beds), Lake Smith (male, 8 beds), Little
Creek (female, 7 beds), Pembroke (female, 7 beds), Plaza (male, 7 beds), Tidewater (male, 12
beds), and Victoria (female, 8 beds).
2. Chapter meetings are held once per month, on the first Wednesday of the month, at 7:30 p.m., at
the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center, 1053 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA
23451-5641. The time or location of a chapter meeting can only be changed at a prior chapter
meeting by a majority vote of the chapter.
3. The Housing Service Committee meets on the Monday prior to the Chapter Meeting each month
at 8:00 p.m. The location of the meeting is based on a rotation through the houses: Bayview
Gardens, Chesapeake, Lake Smith, Little Creek, Pembroke, Plaza, Tidewater, and Victoria.
4. The house hosting the Housing Service Committee meeting prior to the Chapter Meeting will be
responsible for hosting the Chapter Meeting. The house hosting the Chapter meeting shall
provide food and beverages for the meeting, will submit receipts for expenses, and will be
reimbursed up to $75.
5. The Chapter shall elect a chairperson, vice-chairperson, treasurer, secretary, and housing service
committee chairperson. Chapter officers serve terms not to exceed one year. The Chapter will
not allow any of these positions to remain vacant.
6. Each house has one vote in the Chapter: their house president, or in his/her absence, another
house member that has been approved by a majority vote of the house to represent them at the
chapter meeting.
7. Houses must send their house president or another approved representative to the Chapter
meeting. If there is no representative for the house present at the time the Chapter Treasurer
calls for dues, the house will be fined $25.
8. Houses are to submit an accurate activity report (to the Chapter Secretary) and monthly
financial report (to the Chapter Treasurer) at the Chapter meeting. If they fail to do so, the
house will be fined $25.
9. Dues are $7.50 per bed per month. (12-bed house = $90, 8-bed house = $60.00, 7-bed house =
$52.50, and 6-bed house = $45.00.) Of the $7.50/bed per month, $5.50 is for chapter dues and
$2.00 is for State Association dues.

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10. If a house check for dues in full is not available when the Chapter Treasurer calls for dues, the
house will be fined $25.
11. Each house will elect a representative for the Housing Service Committee. Each house is
responsible for having a Housing Service Committee Representative, or a house-approved
alternate, attend the Housing Service Committee meeting, any Housing Service Committee
house visits, and other Housing Service Committee activity. If there is no representative for the
house present at the time of roll call, the house will be fined $25.
12. The Chapter Treasurer will provide a copy of the Chapter’s monthly financial report for each
house to keep for its own records.
13. All house secretaries will provide their house’s activity report information for each month to the
Chapter Secretary no later than the 2nd of the following month and the Chapter Secretary will
forward that information to the appropriate Virginia Outreach Worker no later than the 3rd of the
month.
14. Two signatures are required for all Chapter checks; signers will be the Chapter Chairperson and
the Chapter Vice-Chairperson, with the Housing Services Chairperson serving as an alternate
signer. Two signatures are required for all Oxford House checks and the Chapter will not accept
checks without the appropriate authorized signatures.
15. The Chapter will conduct a bi-monthly audit of its checking account. This audit will be
conducted by the chapter treasurer, chapter chairperson, and chapter housing service committee
chairperson. Audits will occur after even numbered months, once the bank statement for that
month has been received and will be reported at the following Chapter meeting.
16. Houses still paying on their Revolving Loan to Oxford House, Inc. (OHI) shall bring proof of
monthly electronic payment to the Chapter meeting.
17. All houses are expected to support Oxford House World Services with a $50 per month dues.
All houses in Chapter 2 will make this payment by monthly electronic debit.
18. All houses must have a minimum of two residents fully attend and participate in the Oxford
Houses of Virginia annual State Convention. If only one resident from a house fully attends and
participates, the house will be fined $100; if no residents do so, the house will be fined $200.
19. Any house that pays for hotel accommodations in order for its residents to attend the Oxford
Houses of Virginia annual State Convention will be exempt from chapter dues for the month in
which the convention is held.
20. Chapter officers and Housing Service Committee members may submit for reimbursement
receipts for gasoline expenses associated with travel for Oxford House activities, pending
approval by chapter.
21. All Oxford House Traditions and Principles and all policies and guidelines in the House
Manual, Chapter Manual, and World Council Manual, as well as other supplemental Oxford
House literature, apply to this chapter, and all houses are expected to abide by them.

March, 2010