Our Rules

Architecture Women NZ Incorporated

Architecture Women NZ Inc is a not-for-profit organisation made up of voluntary members who meet the following criteria;

1.) They have trained to the equivalent of a Bachelor Degree in architecture, spatial design, or similar.

2.) They identify as female.

3.) They have either trained in New Zealand or reside in New Zealand.

3.1. The purpose of Architecture Women NZ Inc is to raise the level of visibility of women trained or working in the architectural field, in order to achieve equity in the architectural field, as well as to provide support, advocacy and information. This may be achieved through several methods, including;

• Providing research opportunities in the areas of gender equity, (eg website database as archival reference tool)
• Providing research opportunities into areas of diversity, eg gender, cultural, spiritual, and physical disability,
• Providing publication opportunities, (magazine, broadsheet, journal, catalogue and book publication)
• Providing the platform for award and sponsorship opportunities and development
• Providing an online database, which is voluntary and self-uploading/deleting,
• Providing mentorship, (via website and events etc)
• Assisting communication and connection (via monthly newsletter, online forums etc)
• Holding events (such as exhibitions, symposiums, book launches etc),
• Providing survey opportunities and results,

3.2. It is the intention of Architecture Women NZ Inc to be inclusive, as it is recognised that women often have a variety of work/life patterns throughout their working lives. This inclusive aim applies in several ways, including;

A core aim is to maintain free membership for the online database, in the recognition that not all those trained in architecture are working professionals,

• If the three criteria for membership are met, exclusion of any member can only occur if they behave in an unlawful manner, or one which is not related to architecture and/or related creative arts.
• There is no requirement for members to be currently active in the architectural field,
• A wide variety of training options into, or out of architecture are recognised.

4.1. To become a member of Architecture Women NZ Inc, members upload their details to the online database at www.architecturewomen.org,nz. To complete registration, each member is to provide two images and their name. Any further information is optional. Database membership is free.

Members can amend, suspend or delete their membership at any time by signing in to the Architecture Women NZ Inc website with their own password. No notification is necessary and no costs apply.

4.2. The Architecture Women NZ Incorporated Society is to have a minimum of 15 members at all times.

4.3. There is to be a Chairperson, a Secretary and a Treasurer at all times, elected by current Architecture Women NZ Inc members. (This is called the core committee.)

4.4. The core committee can establish and disestablish sub-groups at any time during the year, as deemed necessary to meet the aims of the incorporated society. Leaders of the sub-groups are to be agreed upon by the core committee. The timing of meetings for the core group and/or sub-groups can be determined as necessary by those groups.

4.5. There is to be one annual meeting (AGM) to elect a Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer, and to have members approve the Architecture Women NZ Inc Society's annual financial statement.

• The timing of this annual meeting is usually held between the months of April and September, and is determined by the current core committee. Notification of the meeting will be given via the website 'News/Events' page. (Other notification methods such as the A+W·NZ newsletter and A+W Facebook page may also be used, however these are optional.)
• Nomination for election is called for via the Architecture Women NZ Inc website one month prior to the AGM, and can be provided via personal contact, email or mail to Architecture Women NZ Inc at any time up to and including the meeting.
• Voting will take place at the AGM meeting, by ballot.
• At an AGM, all members can provide the Chairperson with topics for discussion prior to the meeting. The Chairperson is to determine the order of discussion and length of time allocated to each item.
• Minutes are be taken at each meeting and distributed to all members present or with apologies to that meeting

Resolution to issues may be reached through general debate, a voting process, or by a Chairperson's decision. If resolution is unable to be reached, the item concerned will be closed and re-presented for further debate at the next meeting called.

5.1. All income and sponsorship raised on behalf of Architecture Women NZ Inc is to be deposited into the nominated Architecture Women NZ Inc bank account. This account is not to be used for any financial transactions not related to Architecture Women NZ Inc.

5.2. There must be two approvals for any financial transaction relating to the Architecture Women NZ Inc bank account, and anyone benefiting from a payment must not be one of those approvals.

5.3. Architecture Women NZ Inc should operate in credit at all times and borrowing funds to meet operating costs is not encouraged. If it is deemed necessary by the core committee that short-term borrowing is necessary, agreement must be reached from the core committee and at least 15 members.

5.4. Any profits are to remain in the nominated Architecture Women NZ Inc bank account to gain interest for future use by Architecture Women NZ Inc to meet the main objectives of the society. These funds should not be directed into alternative investment accounts.

5.5. All profits raised by Architecture Women NZ Inc are to be used for the activities and benefit of the Incorporated Society. Architecture Women NZ Inc can employ people, including society members, and pay them for the work they do subject to the following:

a) Any income, benefit or advantage shall be applied to the charitable purposes of the organisation.

b) No Individual member or associated person shall receive any form of private income, benefit or advantage from the operations.

c) No Member of the organisation or any person associated with a member shall participate in or materially influence any decision made by the organisation in respect of the payment to or on behalf of that member or associated person of any income, benefit or advantage whatsoever.

d) Any such income paid shall be reasonable and relative to that which would be paid in an arm's-length transaction (being the open market value).

e) The provisions and effect of this clause shall not be removed from this document and shall be included and implied in any document replacing this document.

5.6. All funds shall be applied wholly or principally in New Zealand to promote the benevolent objectives of Architecture Women NZ Inc.

5.7. Annual financial statements are to be prepared by either the Treasurer or an accountant and filed with the Registrar of Incorporated Societies, Ministry of Economic Development*. There is no requirement for financial statements to be audited. The financial year ends on 31st March, in accordance with the New Zealand IRD financial year.

*[The annual financial statement should include the following information:

• The society's full name
• The financial year that the financial statement has been prepared for
• The income and expenditure of the society for that financial year
• The assets and liabilities, as at the close of the financial year
• All mortgages, charges, and securities of any description affecting any of the property of the society at the close of that year.]

6.1. The Architecture Women NZ Inc website (www.architecturewomen.org.nz) is to be maintained in operation as a priority.

6.2. Contact information is to be provided on the website 'Contact' page at all times. This contact information is;

• Website: www.architecturewomen.org.nz
• Email: [email protected]
• Physical: Architecture + Women NZ Inc, Ground Level - Kauri Timber Building, 104 Fanshawe Street, Auckland.

6.3. Any changes to the contact information can be made on agreement at a core committee meeting. The physical office for Architecture Women NZ Inc can be a selected architectural office of any one of the members, as agreed by members of the core committee.

6.4. Architecture Women NZ Inc is to maintain an identity as a group rather than be a vehicle for personal identification. The intention of this rule is to ensure the A+W·NZ Inc group identity can continue to exist indefinitely, after committee members leave their positions.

6.5. The Committee shall provide a common seal for the Society and may from time to time replace it with a new one.

6.6. The Secretary shall have custody of the common seal, which shall only be used by the authority of the Committee for matters directly related to the aims of Architecture Women NZ Inc. Every document to which the common seal is affixed shall be signed and countersigned by at least two members of the core committee (Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer).

6.7. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained elsewhere in these rules, these rules may only be altered or added to at any meeting of the Core Committee if all of the following conditions are fulfilled:

• a) The core committee unanimously agree to the rule alteration.
• b) The resolution is agreed to by at least 15 members.
• c) No addition to or alteration or rescission of the rules shall be approved if it affects the Benevolent objects (3.0), the personal benefit clause (5.5) or the winding up clause (6.10).

6.8. All activities of Architecture Women NZ Inc and its members must be lawful.

6.9. Any activity carried out by Architecture Women NZ Inc must fall within the objectives as stated above and as set out in the rules.

6.10. Architecture Women NZ Inc can be brought to an end as an Incorporated Society when the members decide through a voting ballot. On closure, all assets are to be donated to a nominated charitable, benevolent or philanthropic charity within New Zealand, with similar objectives to Architecture Women NZ Inc, which works towards achieving gender equity in the field of architecture and associated creative fields. The funds shall not be disposed of in any other way.