STATUTES of STD

(Sahne Tasarımcıları Dernegi / Association of Stage Designers)

ARTICLE-1: Name and Location
The name of the Asssociation is "Association of Stage Designers" (STD) It is located in Istanbul.

ARTICLE-2: Aims and Activities of the Association

A. Aims
The Association will operate as the professional organisation of Turkish stage designers all over the country. Its aims are:
1. To promote and maintain permanent communication and solidarity among professionals who work as designers for the theater, opera, ballett, TV and cinema; to stimulate the exchange of knowledge, ideas and experiences; to facilitate the introduction of innovations and the latest creations in the related fields.
2. To encourage and support life-long learning among the professionals. To make recordings and catalogues of the works of designers and to maintain the documents for future use .
3. To work as a link with colleagues and sister organisations all over the world. To promote Turkish designers to be a part of international family of stage designers. To take part in international organizations; to participate in professional international activities.
4. To support and help its members, to solve all kind of problems they encounter while practicing their profession. To work for higher standarts in every aspect of the professional practice. To promote necessary links and collaborations for that purpose; to establish and maintain links with press and other media.
5.To communicate and to be in solidarity with organisations of other disciplines in the field of performing arts; to stimulate the exchange of experiences and knowledge and to work for common solutions to the common problems of the professional practice in this field.

B. Activities
The Association undertakes the following activities in order to fulfill its aims:

1. It publishes reports and other printed material to make public its work and activities; i.e. brochures, bulletins, books, magazines, films, CD's, VCD's and distributes them; it prepares web pages.
2. It organizes national and international meetings, symposia, conferences, fairs and exhibitions; it prepares inventories and archives, organizes contests and gives awards. To these aims it cooperates with local authorities, with governmental and non-governmental organisations, foundations, educational institutions and with press and other media.
3. It takes part in every kind of professional and educational international events such as meetings, conferences, exhibitions; it organizes such events in Turkey; it collaborates with international organisations to this end. It invites foreign artists, experts, theoriticians to the country for these activities. It makes the necessary organisations to represent Turkish professionals in such activities abroad. For these aims it organizes professional and educational tours and trips in Turkey and abroad.
4. It may found schools and other educational institutions to teach stage designing and related disciplines. It may open guesthouses etc. where its members can come together and it may run these places to make profit in order to finance the activities of the Association; it can hire, buy and sell real estate for these enterprises.
5. It supports young fellows, students and academicians by giving scholarships.
6. In every calendar year, the Association expends at least 80 % of its yearly income to fulfill its aims.

3.The Founders
The founders of the Association are all Turkish citizens; their names and professions are listed below:

Yucel Tanyeri - Stage Designer / Address: Merkez mah. Eski Bagdat cad, Tanyeri Apt. 6/7 Kucukyali-Istanbul
Birden Osman Sengezer - Stage and Costume Designer/ Address: Bakrac sk. No:33/8 Cihangir-Istanbul
Husamettin Oktem - Stage Designer / Addresss: Konutkent mah. Oyak 3. kısım 56. giriş No:8-Ankara
Evcimen Percin - Stage Designer / Address: Selime Hatun camii sk. Gumus Palas apt. 32/8 Gumussuyu, Beyoglu - Istanbul
Nurullah Tuncer - Stage and Costume Designer / Address: Kuzguncuk Mentes sk. No:24/3 Uskudar -
Istanbul
Dr. Fatma Refika Tarcan - Costume Designer, University staff / Address: Hostes Rona Altınay sk. No: 92/4 Sarıyer - Istanbul
Aslı Nur Yağız - Stage Designer: Araba Yolu cad. Gul sk. No:1 Kirecburnu Sarıyer - Istanbul
Ismail Serdar Basbug - Stage and Costume Designer / Kazancı Yokuşu No:2/9 Beyoglu-Istanbul

ARTICLE - 4 : Membership
Membership in the Assocciation is open to all individuals with skills and degrees as listed below:
1. All graduates of stage design departments of universities or of equal degree educational institutions in Turkey and abroad.
2. All professionals (regardless of their degrees) who have been continuously active at least 5 years as stage, costume, lighting and sound designers, stage technicians or theatre architects in theatre, television, film and performing arts.

The Executive Committee (E.C.) evaluates the applications and informs the applicants within 30 days by letter. If the E.C. demands, applicants are due to declare the documents approving their graduation or professional career.

The E.C. is authorized to grant honorary membership to individuals or institutions that have significant contributions in accordance with the aims of the Stage Designers Association.

ARTICLE - 5: End of Membership:
Every member has the right to resign anytime by written declaration. The E.C. is entitled to end a membership if no membership fees are paid for two consecutive years. In that case the member has a right to appeal to the Congress to ask for the examination of the decision. If the Congress confirms the decision of the E.C., the member has a right to appeal to the appointed Law Court.

ARTICLE - 6: The Rights of the Members
Each member is at equal standing. Each member has the right to resign anytime. Each member has one vote in the Congress. Members must vote in person. Vote by proxy shall not be valid.

ARTICLE - 7: The Bodies of STD
STD has three bodies:
1. The Congress
2. The Executive Committee (E.C.)
3. The Supervision Committee (S.C.)

ARTICLE - 8: The Congress
Congress is the assembly of all registered members. The Congress normally meets every two years in May. Invitations will be made by the E.C. Extraordinary meetings will be held by written requests of one fifths of the total number of the members or by the request of the Supervision Committee. In case that the E.C. does not announce the invitation in 30 days, the Supervision Committee or any of the members has a right to appeal to the law court with a plea to appoint a committee of three members for the organisation of the meeting.

ARTICLE - 9: Invitation to the Congress
Invitation to the Congress will be made by the E.C. at least 15 days prior to the meeting by an announcement in a local daily newspaper. In the announcement, the time, place and agenda of the session is to be stated. If in the first meeting the quorum is not formed, a second meeting shall be settled and announced. There must be minimum of 7 days between the two meetings. In the second meeting no quorum will be required. The Congress can not be postponed more than once. The time, location and the agenda of the meeting and the list of the members are to be declared to the highest civil local authority 15 days in advance.

ARTICLE - 10: Location of the Congress
General Assemblies shall be held in Istanbul, where the center of the STD is located.

ARTICLE - 11: Quorum for the Congress
Quorum for the Congress is simple majority. If in the first meeting the majority is not present, a second meeting will be held in which no quorum is required. Nevertheless, the number of participating members should not be less than the total number of the E.C. and the S.C.

ARTICLE - 12: Procedure at the Congress
General assembly shall be held on the time and at the place which was announced in the newspaper and made known to the highest civil local authority. Before the opening, the present members shall sign the registration list made by the E.C. in advance. If the quorum is formed, the president or any of the E.C. members representing him opens the session. After the opening, the Congress elects a chair to preside the meeting and two secretaries to set the records. Taking decision at the Congress needs a simple majority. At the end of the session secretaries are to submit the signed records to the E.C.

ARTICLE - 13: Agenda of the Congress
At the General Assembly, only announced items will be discussed. Additions to the agenda of the session can be made only by the request of at least one tenth of members present.

ARTICLE - 14: Rights and Duties of the Congress
Rights and duties of the Congress are:
1. To elect the organs of the Assocciation.
2. To make amendments to the statutes.
3. To hear the reports of E.C. and S.C. on the work of previous two years.To confirm the financial report of E.C.
4. To discuss and confirm the budget forecast. To make amendments to the budget forecast.
5. To entitle the E.C. to buy or sell real estate in the name of the organisation.
6. To decide to join or to part with a national or international organisation, confederation etc. (Such a decision needs a two-thirds majority of the ballots.)
7. To dissolve the organisation.

ARTICLE - 15: Amendments
Amendments to the statutes need a two-thirds majority of the ballots.
Proposals for the amendments to the statutes should be put on the agenda of the Congress and submitted to the members in advance.

ARTICLE - 16: Make-up and Duties of the Executive Committee
The E.C. shall be elected in the Congress by secret voting and shall be comprised of seven members and seven substitutes. If any E.C. member leaves his/her post, a substitute shall replace him/her.
The E.C. elects the president, one vice-president, one secretary and one treasurer among its members.
The quorum for an E.C. meeting is simple majority (4 members)
The E.C. desicions shall be taken by simple majority of the attending members.
The E.C. shall meet at least once a month and the meetings shall be chaired by the president.
An E. C. member who does not attend three consecutive meetings without a valid excuse shall be dismissed from the committee.

Rights and duties of the E.C.:
1. To represent the organisation and to nominate any or some of its members to represent the organisation on official occasions.
2. To assume the day to day financial managment of the Association and to make the forecast budget for the following period and to submit it at the Congress.
3. To appeal to the authorities to add the title 'Turkish' to the name of the Assocciation.
4. To appeal to the authorities and carry out necessary legal procedures to join international organisations, and to organize or take part in international activities.
5. To buy or sell real estate in the name of the Assocciation.

ARTICLE - 17: Filling the Empty E.C. Chairs:
If the total number of the E.C. will be less than 4 members even after the replacement of the substituve members, the E.C. or the S.C. invites the Congress within one month for a new election. If both of them does not make the invitation, any member has a right to appeal to Court and ask for appointing a committee of three members to make the necessary undertakings to convene the Congress.

ARTICLE - 18: Make up and Duties of the Supervision Committee
The Supervision Committee (S.C.) shall be comprised of three main and three substitute members and will be elected by the Congress. The S.C. watchs and inspects all the financial activities, as well as records and registers of the Assocciation and submits the inspection reports to the E.C. every six months and to the Congress every two years, during the General Assembly.

ARTICLE - 19: Declaration of the Election Results
Within seven days following the Congress, president of the E.C. shall declare the names, identity details (name of the father, place of birth, date of birth) and addresses of the new elected main and substitute members of the E.C. and S.C. to the highest governmental authority of the district.

ARTICLE - 20: Restrictions
The Association shall not launch an activity which is not in accordance with the aims stated in its Statutes. The Association shall not put itself any goal restricted by the 'Turkish Assocciations Law' code No. 2908/5

ARTICLE -21: Making Declarations
Making declarations is governed by the rules stated in the 'Turkish Assocciations Law' code No. 2908/ 44. Declarations can be only made after an E.C. decision is taken. The declaration must be signed by all the E.C. members who have voted in favour of the decision.

ARTICLE -22: Dissolution of the Association by the Congress
The Congress is entitled to decide to dissolve the Association anytime. To put the dissolution to the vote needs a two-thirds majority. If at the first meeting the majority is not present, a second meeting shall be held. At the second meeting no majority is neeed. The decision of dissolution needs a two-thirds majority of the votes. In five days following the Congress, the E.C. declares the decision by letter to the highest civil authority of the district. If there is a dissolution case against the Association, dissolution by a Congress decision does not put an end to the legal process. If the court decides in favour of dissolution, judiciary procedures and their consequences will be carried on.

ARTICLE -23: Liquidation of the Assets in Case of Dissolution
Liquidation of the assets after the dissolution will be made by the decision of the Congress. If the Congress is not able to convene or to take a decision, all the possessions will be transferred to the State Treasury. If the Assocciation is dissolved by the court, all the possessions will be transferred to the court.

ARTICLE -24: Income of the Assocciation
The annual membership fee for the year 2003 is 60.000.000 TL. The membership fee for each calendar year will be determined by the Congress in accordance with the proposal made by the E.C.
The Association may receive donations, support and subvention from organisations, institutions and individuals.
Other sources of income are as follows:
1. Profits of social activities such as concerts, tours, fairs, parties, etc.
2. Profits of commercial assets or managments which the Assocciation possesses or runs.
3. Income of the properties/real estate in possession of the Assossiacion.
4. The money of the Assocciation will be kept at a bank account. It may be invested in government stock by decision of the E.C.
5. The president and the treasurer will open a joint account in a bank. The President has the responsibility of the expenditure of the STD funds. Payments will be made and the payment receipts will be signed by the treasurer.

ARTICLE -25: Registers
The list of the registers which the E.C. must orderly keep and save is given below:
1. Membership Registration Book.
2. Executive Committee Meetings Register Book
3. Official Correspondence Register Book.
4. Financial Revenue-Expenditure Register Book.
5. Final Budget Register Book.
6. Movable Property Inventory Register Book

ARTICLE -26
If there is no particular statement in the STD statutes on any particular issue, related articles of Turkish Assocciation Law code No. 2908 will be valid. If there is no particular statement in the related articles of the Turkish Assocciation Law code No. 2908, related articles of Turkish Civil Law will be valid.

ARTICLE -27: Members of E.C.
The make up of the founding E.C. is as follows:

President..............:Evcimen Percin
Vice president......:Birden Osman Sengezer
Secretary.............:Fatma Refika Tarcan,
Treasurer.............:Aslı Nur Yagız
Member................:Yucel Tanyeri:
Member................:Nurullah Tuncer
Member................:İsmail Serdar Basbug