Women in Architecture Taiwan

Share

Constitution Articles of Women in Architecture Taiwan (WAT)

Chapter I. General Rules

Article 1   The title of the association is "台灣女建築家學會" in Chinese, "Women in Architecture Taiwan" in English (abbreviated as WAT).
 
Article 2   This Association is a legally established non-profit social association.
Missions of WAT includes: to record the history of women in architectural history (HERSTORY) and enhance gender equality historically; to respect a diversified architectural environment, to restore the harmony of people and environment; and to promote spatial empowerment and sustainable craftsmanship development.

Article 3   The range of activity of WAT is based on the national administration area of R.O.C.

Article 4   The site of this WAT is located at where the regulating authority is. Branches may be established with the approval of the regulating authority.
The aforementioned branches' establishment basis shall be drafted by Board of Directors and be implemented with the approval of the regulating authority.
The settlement and changes of the site of WAT and its branches shall notify the regulating authority.

Article 5  Missions of WAT:
  1. Academically—To record and research the history of women in architectural; to build an archive beneficial to academic research; so to enhance gender equality historically.
  2. International exchange—To connect with Women in Architecture associations in other countries, and to build a platform so to exchange on experiences, knowledge and resources; to enhance more collaboration and cooperation with different professional fields; and to develop the sustainability and adaptability of architecture so to restore the relationship between human and environment.
  3. Diverse sustainability—To take notice on the education and systematic revolution of spatial planning. To enhance the education and career development that respects gender differences. To encourage more improving spatial friendly design; sustainable craftsmanship development; and the activities that promotes spatial empowerment.
Article 6  The "regulating authority" of WAT refers to the Ministry of the Interior. The regulating authority of a target business, concerning its tenet and mission, refers to the Construction and Planning Agency of the Ministry of the Interior. The target business shall be directed and supervised by the regulating authorities of specific businesses.

Chapter II. Membership

Article 7  There are 4 kinds of WAT's membership:
  1. Honor Member—With the recommendation of 3 Formal Members and 2 Directors of the board, Honor Membership is for those whose excellence as an individual or in a corporate manifest WAT's value.
  2. Formal Member—Women who are over 20 years old, and (a) holds a degree in allied fields of architecture, and has a minimum of 3 years of experience in related field of architecture, OR (b) does not have a related degree, but has a minimum of 5 years of experience in related field of architecture, AND With the recommendation of 1 Formal Member and 1 Director of the board, along with the consensus of Board Directors, one may acquire Formal Membership. 
  3. Student Member—Students who are over 20 years old, with the recommendation of 1 formal member and 1 Director of the board, the consensus of Board Directors, and after paying admission fee (NT $1,000), one may acquire Student Membership. The membership needs to be renewed after 2 years. Yet, you may ask for prolonging of membership if you are still a student when 2 years are due.
  4. Sponsor Member—Any person or (representative of a) group who would like to sponsor WAT, with the recommendation of 1 Formal Member and 1 Director of the board, along with the consensus of Board Directors, can acquire Sponsor Membership for 2 years. 
Article 8  Only Formal Members (member representatives) have the right to vote, elect, be voted, and recall. Each Formal Member (member representative) stands for one vote. Honor Member, Student Member, and Sponsor Member do not hold the rights above.
ALL members can participate in all the activities of WAT.

Article 9  All members are obliged to follow this constitution article, the resolution, and the duty of membership fee. Formal members who fail to pay the fee shall not execute the rights as a member. If the member fails to pay 2nd year in a row, the dismissal of membership will effect automatically. To restore the affiliation, disaffiliation, and dismissal of membership, despite the individual cases scrutinized by the board committee, one must pay off all owed membership fee first.

Article 10  If a member (member representative) violates a law or the constitution of the association, or does not follow a resolution of the members'(member representatives') congress, thus causing serious damage to the association, one may be warned or even disaffiliated with the resolution of the members’ (member representatives') congress.

Article 11  In any of the following occasions happened, a member shall be disaffiliated:
1. Deprived of membership.
2. Dismissed by a resolution of the members' (member representatives') congress.

Article 12  All members may write to explain to WAT so to claim their disaffiliation.

Chapter III. Organization and Authority

Article 13   WAT's top authority organization is "member's congress". If the number of members (member representative) exceeds three hundred (300) or more, the organizational area may be subdivided to elect representatives according to the percentage of members (member representatives) and to call a representative's congress to perform the duty of the member's congress. The tenure of representatives is 2 years, the nomination and the electing rules will be drafted by the Board of Directors and be implemented after notifying the regulating authority.

Article 14  The authority of members (member representatives) including:
1. The drafting and changing of constitution.
2. The electing and recalling of Directors and Supervisors.
3. The resolution concerning admission fee, annual membership fee, business fee and the quota and payment of member's donation.
4. The resolution concerning annual working plan, reports, auditing budgets and final accounts.
5. The resolution concerning the dismissal of membership.
6. The resolution concerning the disposal of property.
7. The resolution concerning the dismiss of this association.
8. The resolution concerning other important affairs involved with the right and duty of members.
The range of "important affairs" will be defined by the Board of Directors.

Article 15  WAT's board members include Directors and 3 Supervisors. Formal members (member representatives) have the right to elect board members. Board members comprise the Board of Directors and the Board of Supervisors respectively. During the election of Directors and Supervisors, 3 alternate Directors and 1 alternate Supervisor may be elected according to the number of votes. When Directors and Supervisors are absent, alternate Directors and Supervisor shall fill in their vacancy in order.
The Board of Directors may propose a recommending list for the next Director and Supervisor candidates.
The election of Directors and Supervisors may be implemented via telecommunication. The regulation of telecommunication-election may be implemented with the approval of Board of Directors and after notifying the regulating authority.

Article 16  The authority of Board of Directors including:
1. The right to examine and approve membership (member representatives).
2. The election and recall of Chair of the Board (later abbreviated as COB).
3. The resolution concerning the resign of Directors and COB.
4. The employment of staff.
5. The drafting of annual working plan, report, auditing budgets and final account.
6. Other necessary affairs.

Article 17  The Board of Directors shall be composed of 9 Directors. Among 9 Directors, a COB shall be elected and appointed. COB shall be in charge of overseeing and handling internal affairs, and represent WAT in external affairs. COB shall also be the chairperson of member’s congress and the board of Directors.
If COB is unable to execute her duty, a Director shall be appointed to fill the vacancy. If the appointment is suspended or unable to be done, the Directors shall appoint from one among them to be the surrogate.
The vacancy of COB shall be filled via reelection in a month due.

Article 18  The authority of Board of Supervisors including:
1. The overseeing of the work executed by the Board of Directors.
2. The auditing of annual final account.
3. The election and recall of Managing Supervisor (later abbreviated as MS) and COB.
4. The resolution concerning the resign of Supervisors and MS.
5. Other necessary affairs.

Article 19  The Board of Supervisors shall have one MS, whom shall be elected and appointed from among Supervisors. MS shall be in charge of overseeing general routine affairs, and be the chairperson of the Board of Supervisors.
If MS is unable to execute her duty, a Supervisor shall be appointed to fill the vacancy. If the appointment is suspended or unable to be done, the Supervisors shall appoint from one among them to be the surrogate.
The vacancy of the chairperson of Board of Supervisors (which is, MS) shall be filled via reelection in a month due.

Article 20  The Board of Directors and Supervisors is a position without remuneration. The tenure of them may not exceed 2 years, but they can run for reelection. COB may only be reappointed once. The tenure of board of Directors and Supervisors commences at the day this association calls for the 1st board of Directors meeting.

Article 21  A Director or Supervisor who meets any of the following conditions shall be relieved from the position immediately:
1. Deprived of membership (qualification of member representative).
2. Resigned due to certain reasons and approved by the Board of Directors or the Board of Supervisors.
3. Dismissed or removed.
4. Suspended from the rights for a term of longer than a half of the tenure.

Article 22  A executive secretary and several other staffs shall be set to assist COB on handling affairs. COB shall propose the nomination of candidates. The employment shall pass the approval of board of Directors, and notify the regulating authority for the record.
The aforementioned staff shall not be anyone from the Directors or Supervisors.
The authority and responsibility of staffs shall be regulated by the Board of Directors.

Article 23  WAT may establish different commissions, groups or other internal operational organizations. Their regulation basis, including its change, shall be implemented with the approval of the Board of Directors.

Article 24  Several councilors may be employed by the Board of Directors. Councilor is a position without remuneration. The tenure is same as Directors and Supervisors.

Chapter IV. Meetings

Article 25  The members' (member representatives') congress is divided into two types: regular meetings and temporary meetings, and both shall be convened by COB. To call a meeting of the members' (member representatives') congress, WAT shall give notice to the members (member representatives) 15 days in advance. However, this is not applicable where a temporary meeting is called due to emergency.
Regular meetings must be convened at least once a year.
Temporary meetings convened when the Board of Directors consider necessary; or on one fifth of the members' (member representatives') demand; or convened by COB when demanded by the Board of Supervisors.
After completing the registration of becoming a legal person, a temporary meeting may be convened on the demand of over one tenth of members (member representatives).

Article 26  Where a member (member representative) cannot attend a meeting of the members’ congress, she may entrust in writing another member (member representative) to represent her. Each member (member representative) may only represent one other.

Article 27  The decisions made in members' congress will take effect when more than half of the member (member representative) attend the meetings and half of the attending member (member representative) agree to them. But, about the following items, the decisions will take effect only when more than two thirds of the member (member representative) attending the congress and more than two thirds of the attending member representatives agree to the decisions.
1. Establishment and modification of constitution articles.
2. Dismissal of members (member representatives).
3. Recall of Directors and Supervisors.
4. Disposal of property.
5. Dismiss of WAT.
6. Other important affairs involved with the right and duty of members.
After completing the registration of becoming a legal person, the changing of constitution articles of WAT require the agreement of three fourth of the attending members in members’ congress, or the written agreement of two third of all members.
The dismiss of WAT can take effect anytime with the agreement of over two thirds of members.

Article 28  The meeting of Board of Directors shall be convened for every 6 months, so is the meeting of Board of Supervisors. A joint meeting of Board of Directors and Board of Supervisors or temporary meeting may be convened when it is necessary.
Except temporary meetings, the aforementioned meetings shall notify Directors and/or Supervisors with a written notification 7 days before the meeting date. The decision of the meeting shall take effect with more than half of the Directors and Supervisors attend the meetings and half of Directors and Supervisors agree to them.

Article 29  Directors shall attend the meeting of the board of Directors in person; Supervisors shall attend the meeting of the Board of Supervisors in person; and must not entrust others to represent them. Absence without due reason for 2 consecutive times will be regarded as resigning.

Chapter V. Funds and Accounting

Article 30  The financial sources of WAT are as follows:
1. Admission fee and annual membership fee:
  • Honor Members: No admission fee. But to own the same right as a Formal Member (if one is, originally, a Formal Member), one need to pay the annual membership fee as Formal Members do.
  • Formal Members: Admission fee: NT $3,000 (one-time only when joining). Annual membership fee: NT $2,000 per year.
  • Student Members: Admission fee: NT $1,000 (one-time only when joining). Annual membership fee: NT $500 per year.
  • Sponsor Members: No admission fee. The membership needs to be renewed every 2 year. For each year, you need to sponsor a minimum of NT $30,000.
2. Funds for public undertakings.
3. Donations from the members.
4. Entrusted incomes.
5. Fund and its interests.
6. Other incomes.

Article 31  The accounting year shall be determined by the calendar year, and shall commence from January 1st and terminate on December 31st each year.

Article 32  2 months before an accounting year begins, the Board of Directors shall compile an annual work plan, a budget sheet for revenues and expenditures, along with a chart recording employee's treatment, and submit them to the member's (member representative's) congress for approval, and before the accounting year begins report them to the regulating authority for reference. If the member’s congress fail to convene the date as scheduled for some reason, it can be done by submitting to the joint meeting of Directors and Supervisors for approval.
2 months after an accounting year terminates, the Board of Directors shall compile an annual work report, along with a final accounting form of incomes and expenditures, a statement of incomes and expenditures in cash, a statement of assets and liabilities, an inventory of properties, and a statement of incomes and expenditures in funds. These documents shall be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for auditing. Then, after the documents are adopted in the member's congress, they shall be reported to the regulating authority for reference before the end of March. If the member's congress fail to convene as scheduled, it can be done by submitting to the regulating authority for examination.

Article 33  After the dismiss of this association, the residual properties shall be allocated to the appointed organization by the regulating authority where the associated is located.

Chapter VI. Supplementary Provisions

Article 34  The Enforcement Rules of this association will be enacted other time.

Article 35  The affairs unlisted in this constitution articles shall be subject to related laws and regulations.

Article 36  This constitution articles take effect with the approval of member's congress and after notifying the regulating authority. Same when there is any change to be made.

Article 37  The date of establishing and changes made, the date of notifying regulating authority, and the official document number are as follows:
Approved by the 1st meeting of the 1st term of member's congress on May 5th, 2018.
Approved by Ministry of the Interior by letter Tai-Nei-Twain Zhi No. 1070054055, dated August 22, 2018 (內政部107年8月22日台內團字第1070054055號函).
Approved by the 2st meeting of the 1st term of member’s congress on March 9th, 2019.
Approved by Ministry of the Interior by letter Tai-Nei-Twain Zhi No. 1080292267, dated April 15, 2019 (內政部108年4月15日台內團字第1080292267號函).

*Registration number of a legal people's society: approval from Ministry of the Interior, letter Tai-Nei-Twain Zhi No. 1070054055, dated August 22, 2018 (立案證書字號: 內政部107年8月22日台內團字第1070054055號函) .
*Registration number of a Juridical Association: approval of Taiwan Taipei District Court, 107 Zhang Zhi No. 135 (法人登記字號: 台北地方法院107證社字第135號).

Share