Argent Aspis
Argent Aspis is a great house in the outpost town of Wehnimer's Landing, and a member of the Co-operative Houses of Elanthia, or CHE.
Argent Aspis is one of the three oldest established houses in Wehnimer's (see Kelfour Edition volume I number X), located on the east side of the town beyond the river. It is adjacent to the town gardens. Aspis is most well known for its annual Bardfest, in which it invites the best in the musical arts to come and perform.
Founders: Erebor, Taarna, Jamel, Caroam, Ilstar and Delvian.
Application for House Membership
Basic Requirements
Fifth Level in trainings: The House clerk wants to know you have established a lasting tie to the community.
One-time fee of 25,000 silvers at the time of induction. (There are no monthly dues.)
Letter of Application: We want to know with whom we are going to be living. This letter should include a brief description of yourself and your history within the lands, why you want to join Aspis, and why you think you would make a good member. Please include three (3) or four (4) references - these being people who know you who may be contacted as to your character and citizenship in the lands. Any without references will not be considered.
Remember this letter is what will initially get you noticed and a good reputation goes a long way.
Please note, that if you are not prepared to expend some effort and interest in joining and participating in House functions, you should look for another House.
Admissions Council
Aspis has a voting council made up of the six officers and three appointees, but all members contribute opinions and histories of encounters with prospective members.
All applications received will be forwarded to the voting council when received and a voting list submitted once a month. All applicants names will remain on the list for three (3) months. This gives them the chance to seek out members or for members to seek them out. If they are not accepted or declined within those first three months, they will be dropped and encouraged to re-apply if they choose to continue to seek membership.
New applicant's names will be posted each month making them available for all members to comment on, either on the boards, or send private mail to one of the voting council
Send a missive to: join@houseaspis.com
Events
2018 Preliminary Event Schedule
Subject to change.
| Month | Date/Time | Locale | Event Name | Event Description | Resource |
| January | Thursday 1/25/18 @ 9pm Eastern | Wehnimer's Landing, House Sovyn Courtyard | Got Chrisms? | House Sovyn & Aspis join forces to replenish your chrism supply! Bring your valuable gems for purification and blessing! | N/A |
| February | 2/11/18 @ 7pm | Halcyon Hills, Chorus of Ferns (Lich #14859) | Remembrance Service for Thia Bagheri | Bring your memories of Thia to share if you wish as we gather to honor her memory. After the vigil, candles will be lit on the lake in her honor. | N/A |
| 2/17/18 @ 9pm Eastern | Wehnimer's Landing, Den of the Dragon Theatre | How to Win Bardfest | Budding bards, preparing performers, and troubadours in training are all invited to a seminar and Q&A on Bardfest preparation and planning. | N/A | |
| April | Friday 3/30 through Sunday 4/1 | Ta'Vaalor, Various locations | Spring Rises in the East | Singing songbirds, swelling flowerbuds, and dewy mornings can only mean one thing... It's time for House Aspis to celebrate Spring in Ta'Vaalor! | N/A |
| May & June | TBD | Wehnimer's Landing & Ta'Illistim | Roar into Bardfest Event Series | Join Argent Aspis sibs in a series of creative challenges and games meant to stoke your creative fires! Two events will be held in Wehnimer's Landing and two will be in Ta'Illistim. | N/A |
| July | 7/16 through 7/18 & 7/23 at 10pm Eastern | Wehnimer's Landing, House Aspis Den of the Dragon Theatre | Bardfest | Argent Aspis Presents the 23rd Annual Bardfest. Once again the most gifted performers in Elanthia will take to the stage to showcase their crafts! Save the dates for the biggest artistic event of the year! | How to Win Bardfest (log)
Registration opens in May! |
| August | TBD | Wehnimer's Landing, North Dock & various spots! | Frontier Days - Hook & Cook Fishing Derby | How fast can you catch five fish . . . And run them around town for fileting and cooking!? Find out with Argent Aspis! | N/A |
| September | TBD | Ta'Vaalor, Various locations | Autumnal Glory Festival | Join the Alliance of High Elven Society and the Aspis sibs in Ta'Vaalor to celebrate the harvest season! | N/A |
| October | TBD | Wehnimer's Landing, House Aspis Game Room | Spirit Night Spooky Darts Tourney! | Come show off your costumes and throw pointy things at tiny targets with Argent Aspis! | N/A |
| December | Thursday 12/6 through Saturday 12/8 | Icemule Trace, Various locations | Winterfest! | Argent Aspis is pleased to host Winterfest in Icemule Trace! Join us and a variety of Great Houses and Halls to celebrate the winter fun! | N/A |
Annexes
House Aspis has annexes in every town located in the main House annex buildings, except in Ta'Illistim, where Aspis has built a separate Annex building at the Seethe Naedal hot springs.
Bylaws of the House of the Argent Aspis
ARTICLE I: PURPOSE OF THE HOUSE
The purposes of the House of the Argent Aspis (hereinafter, "The House") are to promote aid and guidance to the good citizens of Elanthia. The House will perform its legal goals in a manner mutually beneficial to both Elanthia and itself as determined by its members.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. HOUSE MANAGEMENT
The activities of the House shall be managed by its members.
Section 2. ELIGIBILITY
A citizen is eligible to be a member if he or she has attained at least the fifth level of training and has submitted an application to the secretaries. All applications will be forwarded to the House Council.
Section 3. ACCEPTANCE
The names of those proposed for membership shall be posted on the Gemstone IV Message Board, House of the Argent Aspis folder and sent to the House mailing list. Members are encouraged to comment on the nominees. Upon review, a vote is taken on nominees by the House Council, as defined in Article IV, Section 2. Five "aye" votes are required for acceptance; two "nay" votes serve to veto a candidate.
Section 4. INITIATION
Requirements for initiation: A citizen may only be initiated if he or she meets the requirements of Section 2 of this Article and is voted in by the House Council in accordance with Section 3 of this Article. Initiation Fee: An initiation fee of 25,000 silvers is required from each initiate at the time of induction; 10,000 to be placed in the endowment fund and the remainder in the House's general account. Procedure: The procedure of initiation is described in, and shall conform to, the rules set forth by the Cooperative Houses of Elanthia (hereinafter, "CHE").
Section 5. ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP
Active Members: An "active member" shall subscribe to the House Mailing List and/or have participated in the most recent House Election and/or the most recent House Census. Newly inducted members will be considered active until the next election or census, whichever occurs first. Members will also be considered active by participation in a House sponsored function. However, it remains the responsibility of each member to keep current with the business of the House. Privileges: Active members shall be authorized to vote in any and all meetings of the House, upon elections of officers, and upon changes to the House Bylaws. They are eligible to stand for office should they be eligible as provided for in Article IV. Inactive Members: An "inactive member" is a member of the House failing to qualify as "active" under Subsection A of this Section. Nothing in this Section shall serve to deny inactive members the freedom of the House, access to lockers, or any other privilege of House membership set forth in Section 7 of Article II, save for those enumerated in Subsection B of Section 5. Inactive members may freely become active members upon fulfillment of the provisions of the aforementioned Subsection A. Roster: The secretary shall maintain and provide upon request a roster of all known active members to be posted on the Aspis Message Board, the official website, and mailed to the House mailing list in the first month of the calendar year.
Section 6. EXPULSION OF MEMBERS
Members may be expelled from the House by a vote of three-quarters or more of all active members voting. The selling of a character may result in expulsion. Engaging in non-consensual PvP may result in expulsion.
Procedure for expulsion:
Any member may call for the expulsion of another member by appealing to a House officer verbally or in writing. This appeal will be sent to all officers. Four of the six officers must agree to proceed. Notice will be sent to the complaining member and the member in question. Each will have two weeks to state their case. Both sides will be presented to the officers verbally or in writing. Four of the six officers must again agree to proceed. Either party, the complainant or the defendant, may call for an oral or public presentation of issues and subsequent vote (to include a special meeting), or proceed through the House mailing list, at the time such vote is announced. The vote will be recorded at the meeting and/or registered through the House mailing list - the statements of both parties will be included. There will be a three week voting period. Votes will be sent to House officers only. Results will be posted as the total "aye" or "nay" votes only and the member will be expelled only if three-quarters of those responding concur.
Section 7. SERVICES PROVIDED TO MEMBERS
Access to the House: Members shall have free access to the House building and grounds, located on East Ring Road in the town of Wehnimer's Landing, excepting such areas as determined by the chairman to be limited access, including, but not limited to, private member rooms and the enchantment workshop. Lockers: Members shall each receive a locker for storage purposes. Only legal goods may be stored in such lockers. Engraving Service: Members my have items engraved with the House Coat of Arms at the Engraver's Shop, at their own expense. Member Pins: A pure silver Aspis pin, providing a private "House Net" may be purchased at the House and worn by members only. These pins will crumble if worn and rubbed by a non-member. Loans: Members complying with CHE regulations governing loans from the House General Fund may obtain loans by applying to the House treasurer. In all instances CHE regulations concerning house loans to members will prevail. The treasurer will be responsible for complying with those regulations and for approval or denial of all loans. A written agreement will be filed with the treasurer and forwarded to the chair and co-chair. Approved and denied loan decisions may be overridden by a three-quarters majority vote at a regularly convoked House meeting.
Section 8. DISPUTES
Disputes between members or with members of other Houses shall be resolved in accordance with the rules of the CHE, if applicable.
ARTICLE III: MEETINGS
Section 1. FREQUENCY
The House shall hold regular meetings no less frequently than four times annually, within fifteen days before or after each quarter of the year. The chairman shall set the date of each meeting at his or her own discretion. Meetings may be held more frequently, upon dates set by the chairman, and posted on the House Message Board.
Section 2. SPECIAL MEETINGS
Special meetings may be convoked by the chairman upon one week's notice to the House Message Board, or by petition of a majority of the active membership of the House, as forwarded to the members of the House Council and/or the House Controller of the CHE.
Section 3. PRESIDENCY OF MEETINGS
The chairman shall preside over meetings. In the absence of the chairman, the co-chairman shall preside. In the absence of both chairman and co-chairman, the members present at the meeting shall determine, by a majority vote, who shall preside from among the officers present, or failing the presence of any House officers, from the active members present.
Section 4. NOTICE OF MEETINGS
Notice: Notice of any meeting shall be in the form of a letter posted to the House Message Board not less than five days ahead of the meeting. Agenda to Accompany Notices: A meeting agenda shall accompany notices which shall list topics to be discussed or acted upon, provided however, that topics not listed on the agenda may be raised, discussed, and acted upon.
Section 5. QUORUM
Three-quarters of the active membership shall constitute a quorum. NO official action may be taken without a quorum present with the exception for expulsion as described in Article II, Section 6. For purposes of determining whether a quorum is present, members who may have filed votes or remarks with the secretary pursuant to Section 7 of Article III shall be counted as present.
Section 6. MANNER OF ACTING
One vote per member - Number needed to act: Each active member shall be entitled to one vote. Except as separately provided in Section 3 of Article II, Section 6 of Article II, and Article V, when a majority of the active members present act at a meeting at which a legal quorum is established, their duly voted actions shall be recognized as the official action of the House, provided that such action does not conflict with any provision of these bylaws.
Votes of absent members: For the purposes of determining whether a majority of present active members have acted, the votes of members who have filed a vote with the secretary pursuant to Section 7 of Article III shall be deemed to be votes of active members present at that given meeting.
Member silence: Silence by a member during a meeting or a vote shall neither be construed as consent or dissent to any issue under debate but shall be considered an abstention during any vote.
Section 7. ACTION OF ABSENT MEMBERS
Submission of Resolution to be voted upon:
An active member who cannot attend a scheduled meeting may submit a written resolution to the secretary and request that such resolution be voted upon at the meeting. The member may request in writing that the secretary mail a copy of any such resolutions to the House mailing list before the meeting.
The secretary shall comply with such requests as soon as possible but only if any such resolutions and accompanying requests are received by the secretary at least seven days before the meeting.
The secretary shall introduce any such resolution at the meeting at such time during the meeting as the secretary deems appropriate and time must be provided at the meeting for the presentation of any such resolutions.
The text of resolutions so presented shall not be edited, corrected, or changed in any way prior to being voted upon, although such text may be amended by the voting members at such meeting.
In determining whether the resolution passes, the petitioning member shall be counted as having voted in favor of the resolution.
Submission of a vote on a Resolution:
A member who cannot attend a meeting may vote on any resolution mailed to the members before the meeting by delivering an "aye" or "nay" vote in writing to the secretary before the meeting.
Section 8. REPRESENTATION BY PROXY
An active member may be represented by another active member at a meeting, provided the member has sent a letter to the secretary authorizing the second member as his or her proxy, along with a copy of his or her letter to the proxy. The proxy must acknowledge the appointment in writing to the secretary prior to the meeting, stating his or her acceptance as proxy. All such notifications must be received by the secretary at least two days in advance of the date of the meeting. Proxies are valid for the scheduled meeting only and the procedure must be repeated for any future appointment.
Section 9. CONDUCT OF MEETINGS
All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS
Section 1. ELIGIBILITY
Definition: Officers must be active members of the House as provided for in Article II, as well as fulfilling all the criteria set forth by the regulations of the CHE.
Multiple Offices: No person may hold more than one office. Any two or more persons manipulated by the same "soul" may not hold more than one office.
Section 2. DESIGNATION OF OFFICERS
The House shall have the following officers, in accordance with the regulations of the CHE: a chairman, a secretary, a treasurer, a co-chairman, a co-secretary, and a co-treasurer.
In addition to the aforementioned officers, three members will be appointed by the chairman as council members.
The aforementioned officers and appointees shall collectively comprise the House Council.
The chairman may create and appoint active members to such other positions as deemed necessary. Such additional appointments serve at the chairman's pleasure and may be removed from duty at the chairman's discretion, and are not members of the House Council.
Section 3. TERMS OF OFFICE
Term: Officers and representatives shall server for one full year beginning from the date of their election or appointment.
Elections: Elective offices shall be filled at an annual election through the mailing list as outlined by the chairman with notice sent as provided above, held no later than thirteen months after the most recent annual election.
Appointments: Council members are appointed by the chairman no later than thirty days after the annual election or when a vacancy occurs.
Section 4. REMOVAL OF OFFICERS
Elected officers may be forcibly removed from office only by a vote of three-quarters of all active members. Appointed council members and additional officers, appointed under the provisions of Subsection C of Section 2 of Article IV, may be removed at will by the chairman. No reason need be given for any such removal.
Section 5. VACANCIES
Definition: An office becomes vacant upon notification by the departing officer to the chairman or on the House Message Board or upon failure of the officer to maintain eligibility under Section 1 of Article IV.
Replacement: Vacated offices shall be filled at the net scheduled meeting in a manner consistent with normal election practice.
Eligibility: Replacement officers must be eligible as provided for in Section 1 of Article IV.
Term of Appointed Officer: An officer appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the un-expired term of his or her predecessor.
Emergencies: The chairman may make an immediate temporary appointment to a vacant office if, in his or her discretion, such appointment is crucial to the continued activities of the House. Such replacements are temporary only and last until the next scheduled meeting of the House, at which time the office shall be permanently filled in accordance with the provisions of this Section.
Section 6. NO RIGHT TO COMPENSATION
Officers shall serve without compensation for their services, provided however, that this restriction shall not prevent the House from reimbursing officers for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with their duties as officers.
Section 7. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
House Titles Chair Argent Master Co-Chair Argent Provost
Secretary Argent Scribe Co-Secretary Argent Herald
Treasurer Argent Bursar Co-Secretary Argent Steward
Chairman:
The chairman shall be the chief executive officer of the House, but shall be subject to the lawful control of the members.
The chairman shall have the following duties: Supervising and controlling all activities of the House; Presiding over all meetings of the members; Appointing council members and any additional officers, including assistant secretaries or treasurers as he or she deems appropriate; Induction and expulsion of House members; Investiture of House officers, and Such other duties as are necessary for the continuance of the purposes of the House. Secretary:
The secretary shall have the following duties: Sending out notices of meetings within the time limits set by these bylaws; Taking and keeping of the minutes of meetings; Maintaining the records of the House; Ruling on the meaning of the bylaws in instances of dispute or if the bylaws appear not to cover a situation, and Such other duties as may be assigned by the chairman or the members. The secretary may delegate any of his or her duties to one or more appointed assistants. Treasurer:
The treasurer shall have the following duties:
Receiving all monies due and payable to the House and depositing such monies in the name of the House in the banks not disapproved by the members; Monitoring and maintaining all funds and loans of the House, and Such other duties as may be assigned by the chairman or the members. The treasurer may delegate any of his or her duties to one or more appointed assistants. Co-Chairman, Co-Secretary, Co-Treasurer: These officers have duties commensurate with those listed for the individual offices with the proviso that the chairman is the senior executive officer of the House and that the co-chairman works under the chairman's guidance.
ARTICLE V: AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS
The above bylaws may be amended by a three-quarters majority vote of active members at a duly scheduled meeting or through the House mailing list as directed by the chairman, such amendment becoming active immediately thereafter. The revised bylaws shall be posted at the earliest possible opportunity on the relevant House Message Board.
ARTICLE VI: CONFLICT AND SEVERABILITY
These bylaws are in accordance with, and subject to, the laws of Elanthia and the regulations of the CHE. In the event of a conflict between any provision of these bylaws and said laws and regulations, said laws and regulations shall prevail. Such invalidation of such provision of these bylaws do not affect the legality or applicability of any other bylaws hereinafter set forth.