Constitution of Taipei Twins Association

Constitution of Taipei Twins Association
Chapter I Summary

Article 1
The name of the association is Taipei Twins Association.

Article 2
Taipei Twins Association is a non-profit organization established in accordance with the Law of civic Organization.

Article 3
Twins includes multiple births.

Article 4
The objective of Taipei Twins Association is to be attentive to obtain social benefits of children, adolescence and adult twins and multiple births, for which to construct and strengthen social resource network and family function of twins and multiple births family. Through connections between twins and their families, they can build up friendship and exchange upbringing experiences so that prevention services can be provided actively to avoid and minimize the possibilities of unfair treatments to twins. The Association also aims at creating a safe, cheerful, harmonious and fair social environment to guarantee twins to have a normal development.

Article 5
The national administrative region shall be the organization region of the Association, which is Taipei City.


Chapter II Mission

Article 6
The missions of the Association are as follows:
a. Establish 11th November as “Twins Day”
Events will be organized for gathering and promotion.
b. Set up consultation system
New members can consult individual members and experienced twins’ family members in order to enrich experience.
c. Set up age groups
Twins who are in the same age can meet and support each other; Parents of twins can share experiences and exchange resources.
d. Publish professional publications and press
The Association publishes professional publications in order to enrich twins’ upbringing knowledge of twins’ families as well as enhance public knowledge of twins.
e. Set up information system
The Association coordinates government units to assist twins and their families who are in exceptional situations.
f. Assist other counties to establish twins associations.
g. Fight for welfare that mutually beneficial to twins and their families.


Chapter III Members

Article 7
Qualifications for membership application are as follows:
a. Regular Member:
Any twins who aged 20 or above lives in Taipei City and subscribes to the objective of the Association OR any twins whose parents fill in the application form for membership and pay the membership fee upon approval by the Board of Directors.
b. Affiliated Member:
Any twins family members who aged 20 or above does not live in Taipei City and subscribes to the objective of the Association OR any twins whose parents fill in the application form for membership and pay the membership fee upon approval by the Board of Directors.
c. Honorary Member:
Any group or individual sponsoring the Association in its work.

Article 8
Each member has the following obligations:
a. Each member should abide to the Constitution of Taipei Twins Association.
b. Each member should abide to decision made by the Association.
c. Each member should pay the membership fee.

Article 9
Each member can enjoy the following rights:
a. Each member can participate in any event that organized by the Association.
b. Each member has the right to speak and draft resolution.

Article 10
Regular Member shall have the right of voting, being selected, veto and the right of recalling. Each member shall have one vote. Sponsor Member and Honorary Member do not have the above rights.

Article 11
Any member who had violated the regulation, constitution of the Association, or disobeyed the decision resolved by the Members’ Meeting shall be given a warning his/her right shall be suspended upon being resolved by the Board of Directors. Membership of those who committed serious wrongdoings and/or had done harm to the association shall be cancelled upon being resolved by the Member Meeting.

Article 12
A member may withdraw his/her membership from the Association by describing his/her reason in writing. Any member who postpones paying the membership for a year or above and under receivable on demand for three months will be ousted from the Association.

Article 13
The paid membership fee will not be refunded to any members who withdraw from the Association.


Chapter IV Organization and Authority

Article 14
The Members’ Meeting is the highest power of the Association. During the Member Meeting, the Board of Directors will execute the Association while the Board of Supervisors will supervise the Association. In the event that there are more than 300 members, member representative may be selected according to division ratio, and then call for a Members’ Meeting to exercise the authority of Members’ Meeting.

Article 15
The authority of the Members’ Meeting is as follows:
a. Draw up and amend the Constitution of Taipei Twins Association.
b. Elect and recall the director(s) and supervisor(s).
c. Making decision regarding membership fee, regular membership fee, business expense, and the quota and method of donation by member(s).
d. Making decision regarding annual work plan, report, budget and final accounting.
e. Making decision regarding cancellation of member (member representative).
f. Making decision regarding disposal of property.
g. Making decision regarding on the dissolution of the Association.
h. Making decision on the other significant matters related to the rights and obligation of members.

Article 16
The association shall have 15 directors and 5 supervisors who shall be elected by and among the members (member representatives) to for the Board of Directors and the Board of Supervisors.
Five alternate directors and two alternate supervisors may be elected based on ballot count at the time of electing the directors and supervisors mentioned above to makeup for any vacancy of director and supervisor according to its order. The Board of Directors of this term may propose a list of candidates for the next term’s directors and supervisors to be taken into consideration.

Article 17
The authority of the Board of Directors is as follows:
a. Convening Members’ Meeting (member representative).
b. Executing the resolution made in Members’ Meeting (member representative).
c. Drawing up annual work plan, report, budget and final accounting.
d. Coping with general office works.
e. Electing and recalling the executive director and Chairman of the Board (President).
f. Making decision regarding the resignation of director, executive director, and Chairman of the Board (President).
g. Employment and dismissal of working staff.
h. Other matters to be executed.

Article 18
There are five execute directors selected by the directors in the Board of Directors. The chairman of the Board of Directors (President) is selected by directors. The chairman (President) is responsible for internal administration and representing the Association externally. The chairman is the president of Members’ Meeting and Board of Directors. Executive directors represent chairperson while chairperson is not available to execute his/her work.

Article 19
The authority of Board of Supervisors is as follows:
1. Supervising the execution of job of the Board of Directors
2. Approving the annual financial accounting
3. Electing and recalling the executive supervisors
4. Making decision regarding the resignation of supervisors and executive supervisors
5. Other matters of supervisors

Article 20
The Board of Supervisors shall have one executive supervisor who shall be elected by and among the supervisors, who shall supervise the daily affairs of the Association and who shall preside over the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting.

Article 21
The term of office of the directors and supervisors of the Association is 2 years, and are eligible for re-election. The Chairman of the Board (President) is allowed to be elected for one consecutive term only. The term of office of directors and supervisors starts on the day of the first meeting of directors and supervisors.

Article 22
The directors and supervisors of the Association shall receive no salary or remuneration.

Article 23
Any director or supervisor who has committed one of the followings shall be dismissed immediately:
1. Losing his/her qualification as a member (member representative).
2. Resigning from the position and has been resolved by the Board of Directors’ Meeting or Board of Supervisors’ Meeting.
3. Been recalled or removed from office.
4. Been suspended for more than 1/2 or his/her term.

Article 24
The Association shall have one secretary who shall handle the Association’s affairs under the order of the chairman and shall be employed or dismissed upon being passed by the Board of Directors, and shall be reported to the competent authority.

Article 25
The Association may set up various committees, internal working organization, or the district representations. The means of forming the organization shall be determined by the Board of Directors. Regulations of the organization shall be reported to competent authority.

Article 26
The working staff shall not filled by the directors and supervisors.


Chapter V Meetings

Article 27
Members’ Meeting of the Association shall be of two types, which shall be convened by the Chairman of the Board (President). All the members shall be notified fifteen days prior to a Regular Meeting in writing. A Regular Meeting shall be held once a year. A Special Meeting shall be convened whenever deemed necessary by the Board of Directors, or upon the request of more than 1/5 of members (member representatives), or upon a written request of the Board of Supervisors.
Upon registration of the incorporation of Association, a Special Meeting may be convened upon the request of more than 1/10 of members (member representatives).

Article 28
If a member (member representative) is unable to attend the Members’ (member representatives) Meeting, he/she may authorize a proxy to attend the meeting on his/her behalf and exercise his/her powers and authority by executing a power-of-attorney. The member may submit one Power-of-Attorney only.

Article 29
Resolution may be passed by the Members’ (Member Representatives) Meeting by a majority vote of attending members, the number of attending members shall be over a half of the members.
The following resolutions shall be passed by 3/4 of attending members or by more than 2/3 of all the members in writing:
1. Drawing up and revising the Constitutions of the Taipei Twins Association
2. Cancellation of member (member representative)
3. Recalling the director (s) or supervisor (s)
4. Disposal of property
5. Dissolution of the Association
6. Other significant matters related to the rights and obligation of members
Upon registration of the Constitutions of the Taipei Twins Association, revision of the Constitutions of the Taipei Twins Association shall be permitted by the competent authority.

Article 30
The Board of Directors Meeting and the Board of supervisors Meeting shall be held once every four months each. A joint meeting or Special Meeting may be convened if deemed necessary. Except Special Meeting, members of the board shall be notified seven days prior to a meeting in writing. The quorum necessary for a board meeting shall be no less than the attendance of the majority board members. Resolution shall be passed by a majority vote of attending board members.

Article 31
The competent authority shall be notified fifteen days prior to a Members’ (Member representatives) Meeting and seven days prior to the Board of Directors Meeting and the Board of Supervisors about the agenda, meeting type, time and venue. The minute shall be reported to the competent authority within one month after the meeting.

Article 32
Directors should attend the Board of Directors’ Meeting. Supervisors should attend the Board of Supervisors’ Meeting. Attendance by proxy is not allowed. Any director or supervisor who failed to attend the Board of Directors’ Meeting or Board of Supervisors’ Meeting for two consecutive times shall be considered as having resigned from that position. The alternate directors and supervisors shall make up for any vacancy of director and supervisor according to its order.
Chapter VI Finances

Article 33
The revenue source of the associations is as follow:
a) Membership Fee
I – Regular member: NT$500 for entry fee and NT$1000 for annual fee
II – Sponsored member: NT$500 for entry fee and NT$1000 for annual fee
b) Subsidy
c) Business fee
d) Donation for members
e) Commission income
f) Fund and interest
g) Other

Article 34
Fiscal year of the Association shall be based on the universal calendar, from January 1 to December 31 of each year.

Article 35
The Association shall prepare an annual income and expenditure budget and financial report within two months at the end of the fiscal year, send to the Board of Directors for review and approval pass by the Members’ (Member Representatives) Meeting, then report to the competent government authority in case the Members’ Meeting was not held on time due to some reasons, the competent authority shall be reported. But the financial report shall be sent to the board of directors. The Board of Supervisors shall submit a written opinion to the Board of Directors, which shall be passed by the Members’ (Member Representatives) Meeting.

Article 36
In the event that the Association was dissolved, all its remaining properties shall be attributed to the local self-governance group or governmental group specified by the competent authority.


Section VII Addendum

Article 37
Matters that are not covered in this Constitution of Taipei Twins Association shall be governed by related regulations.

Article 38
The Constitution of Taipei Twins Association shall be passed by the Members’ (Member Representatives) Meeting and reported to the competent authority before implementation. The same applies during its revision.
Article 39 The Constitution of Taipei Twins Association shall be passed by the Establishment Meeting on April 22, 1995. It was reported to the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government and was approved by the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government on June 12, 1995 as per Letter No. 31652.

The Constitution of Taipei Twins Association shall be passed by The 3rd Taipei Twins Association the First Members’ Meeting on November 11, 1999. It was reported to the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government and was approved by the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government on December 23, 1999 as per Letter No. 8828494200.

The Constitution of Taipei Twins Association shall be passed by The 4th Taipei Twins Association the First Members’ Meeting on November 11, 2001. It was reported to the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government and was approved by the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government on February 15, 2002 as per Letter No. 09130907400.

The Constitution of Taipei Twins Association shall be passed by The 7th Taipei Twins Association the First Members’ Meeting on November 11, 2007. It was reported to the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government and was approved by the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government on January 23, 2008 as per Letter No.09730600200.

The Constitution of Taipei Twins Association shall be passed by The 7th Taipei Twins Association the First Members’ Meeting on November 11, 2007. It was reported to the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government and was approved by the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government on May 10, 2010 as per Letter No.09936429900.

The Constitution of Taipei Twins Association shall be passed by The 8th Taipei Twins Association the First Members’ Meeting on May 1, 2010. It was reported to the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government and was approved by the Department of Social Welfare of Taipei City Government on May 10, 2010 as per Letter No.09936429900.

Other resources

The Chinese version of the Taipei Twins Association Blog
Taipei Twins Association

Other resources:
In English Only

Taiwan
1. United Way of Taiwan
2. Hsin yi Foundation
3. Premature Baby Foundation


United States
1. Twins Day
2. The Center for the Study of Multiple Birth
3. International Twinless Twins Support Group
4. The Twins World

United Kingdom
1. The Multiple Births Foundation
2. TwinsUK
3. Twins Festival around the world
4. Tamba


Canada
1. Triplets & More Association of Calgary
2. Twins magazine
3. Twins list
4. National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs, Inc


Argentina
1. Multifamilias


Australia
1. The Australian Multiple Birth Association (AMBA)
2. International Society for Twin Studies


New Zealand
1. The New Zealand Multiple Birth Association


Singapore
1. Twins Plus Singapore


Hong Kong
1. Hong Kong Mothers of Multiples Organization (MOMs)


South Africa
1. The South African Multiple Birth association




In Chinese Only

China
1. China Twins


Taiwan
1. Kimy
2. Baby and mother

The Twins Book – Explore the history, cause, psychology and family of twins

Name: The Twins Book – Explore the history, cause, psychology and family of twins Second Edition

Author: Chueh Chang

Publisher: Taipei Twins Association

Publication year: First Edition November 11, 1995
Second Edition November 11, 2006

Page: 268

Language: Traditional Chinese

ISBN: 978-986-82855-0-7


Content
Chapter 1 History of Twins
- History of Chinese Twins
- History of Western Twins

Chapter 2 Exploration of Twins
- The occurrence rate of twins
- The classification of twins
- The cause of twins

Chapter 3 The process of twins pregnancy
- Diagnosis
- The feeling of twins pregnancy
- The hospital care before giving birth
- Self-care of pregnant twins mother
- Help from family members

Chapter 4 Giving birth the twins

Chapter 5 The health and daily life care of twins
- Baby twins
 Breastfeed or Milk Powder?
 Health care
 Daily life care
- Child twins
 Health care
 Daily life care

Chapter 6 Interaction of family members
- Siblings of twins
- Mother of twins
- Father of twins
- Relationship between parents

Chapter 7 Exploration of the needs of twins when they grow up
- The attitude of parents
- The status of physically and psychologically maturation
- The choice of school

Chapter 8 The special needs of twins
- Discover disabled twins
- The reaction of disabled twins
- When both members of twins are disabled
- When one of the twin members is disabled
- The help for disabled twins


Chapter9 The death of twins
- The death of infant
- The death of child
- Parents’ attitude towards the alive twin members
- The alive twin members

Chapter 10 Ten Hard and Ten Pain
- Ten hard and ten pain
- Five appeals proposed by Taipei Twins Association


Chapter 11 Walk hand in hand
- We both have a rich life
- I am in Taiwan, you are in New York
- Suffer some lost to gain a better relationship
- Self-introduction by 10 pairs of twins
- The story between you and me
- The 20-year-old promise
- With my twins brother
- Intimacy and Independence
- The uniqueness and complementary of a pair of brother
- The memory of Chun Wing
- Review the childhood
- Never separate
- Chung’s brother
- My revolve life


Appendix
- The establishment and history of Taipei Twins Association
- The constitution of Taipei Twins Association
- The Declaration of rights and needs of twins
- The introduction of Taipei Twins Association
- The membership application form of Taipei Twins Association (Table A)
- The membership application form of Taipei Twins Association (Table B)

Twins: Uniqueness

《獨一無二雙胞胎》--Twins: Uniqueness

Page Number : P.1-P.342
Publisher : Parenting Source Press, Inc.
Compiler : Taipei Twins Association
Contents : Chapter 1: How to upbringing twins?
1. Twins’ Education: Same class or not?
2. To be closer to learn twins
3. Emergency of taking concern with educational problems to multiple births
4. In love with twins
5. Outside the curious eyes in the crowd
6. Prevention of premature births: Aims and Prospects of Taipei Twins Association


Chapter 2: Superior works of essay contest
Group A: Campus Group
Champions
1. We are the two sides of magnet
2. They are not dolls
3. A lifelong fate
4. Pillow talks of twins sister
Selected Essays
1. The most prettiest twins
2. Our twins
3. Uniqueness of twins
4. We are not parallel lines
5. My best partner
6. Dull and slow-witted
7. A girl like me
8. Feelin’ good to be twins

Group B: Social Group
Champions
1. Vicissitudes of twins life
2. My twins’ students
Selected Essays
1. You always be with me
2. Sisterhood
3. Two good news
4. Two new born babies
5. Uniqueness of triplets
6. When you say nothing at all
7. Life community
8. Goat beard father
9. Tempting heart
10. Interdependent and independent while living under another’s house
11. Unconditional love
12. A story of three mother
13. A good fortune of the whole village
14. Bitterness ends and happiness begins

Group C: Mothers Group
Champion
1. Imperfect love
2. Natural health of twins
3. Triplets: My favorite and my fear
4. Premature birth of twins
5. Twins won’t be bored
Selected Essays
1. A favorable news
2. We go towards the ends of the world
3. The best actress－Twins’ mother
4. Meet a 100% perfect child
5. False Identification, Correct marriage
6. An exclamation mark of twins
7. God bless my sons
8. How different they are
9. A sweet burden
10. Welcome the wonderful life together
11. 1+1 may not equal to two!
12. A brilliant mother
13. Mum, you bias!
14. A wonderful burden
15. Leaving more space for twins to develop
16. Twins brothers walk with mum
17. Double happiness; Not double hard and worries
18. Perfect match
19. A magical twins
20. Equal love
21. I only sleep 3 hours every day!
22. My two helpers
23. Tired!
24. The mentality of the twins mother
25. Single mother’s twins brothers


Chapter 3: Appendix
Appendix 1: Establishment of Taipei Twins Association
Appendix 2: Constitutions of Taipei Twins Association
Appendix 3: Declaration of rights and needs of twins/multiple births
Appendix 4: A juridical person, Mr. Lin Bo Zou foundation
Appendix 5: 關懷長青文教基金會
Appendix 6: About Taipei Twins Association
Appendix 7: We make it because of your help!

10 Pains and 10 Hards

10 Hards
1. Pregnant restricts mother’s mobility and affects daily life.
2. Facing long productive time and always worry about producing abnormal babies.
3. Difficult in finding nanny and worry about bearing financial burden due to double spending.
4. Twins’ family loss life quality as twins’ parents feel helpless. They are exhausted to take care of two or more babies while they can seek no one help.
5. Twins’ parents are lack of experience in upbringing twins. They can only rely on their own to explore and may harm their children psychologically.
6. Every spending is double and twins’ family may suffer from economic difficulty, such as the cost of education, tuition fee and after school classes.
7. Lack of support from family and social capital. Depressed parents may abuse twins.
8. No emergency medical support. One of the twins gets sick and another one will be easy infected.
9. Twins’ parents tend not to go out with their children as they are not able to take care of the children at the same time alone.
10. Comparison and competition among twins damage the relations.



10 Pains
1. Stereotyped concept about patriarchal and gender discrimination causes female twins being neglected.
2. Twins were born in a country that without social support.
3. The Department of Health does not pay attention to the problems of twins reproduction and thus unable to prevent ectogenesis of multiple births.
4. Premature birth of twins causes plenty of chronic diseases. (Respiratory tract infection, incubator radiation damage etc.)
5. Education of twins is neglected and comparison and labeling among twins by teachers will negatively influence twins.
6. The government neglects the family problems caused by having twins, such as divorce or abandonment. Also, the government provides none social welfare that specific to twins and the subsidies to twins’ family are rare.
7. Twins will hurt each other due to jealousy.
8. Twins maybe anti-socialized or deliberately set aside the fact that they are twins.
9. Some parents may bias to one twins and the other one will get hurt.
10. People harm twins by applying stereotype concepts to them. For example, they expected that twins must be the same and dependent on each other.

Five Appeals proposed by Taipei Twins Association

Five Appeals proposed by Taipei Twins Association

1. Medicine
- The number of pregnancy checking shall be increased and the content of checking shall be strengthened.
- The length of hospital stay and the home visit shall be longer.
- Child care health care approach shall be provided.
- Child health handbook for twins or multiple shall be extended to six- year-old children

2. Social Welfare
- Priority for accessing public day care centers shall be provided. Tuition fee for one of the twin (multiple) members from low-income family and middle-income family shall be remised
- Temporary child care services and volunteers assistance shall be provided in order to enable twins’ mothers to go out.
- A flea market for the exchange of goods shall be set up.
- Tree milk powder and diapers shall be provided for one year.
- In the public awareness of population figures, the data of twins (multiple) shall be included.

3. Health
Issues about parenting methods for twins, disease prevention, getting along with the brothers or sisters, self-understanding, physical and psychological health shall be addressed.

4. Education
- The understanding of twins and knowledge of education methods for parents, teachers and students of twins shall be increased
- The stereotype of the twins shall get rid of.
- The twin student database shall be established to study issues of adaptation of twins in the local community.

5. Emergency relief
- Giving help to twins who face unexpected family change, who need tuition assistance and grief therapy for the other members of twins (or multiple) die

Adult Member Application Form

Taipei Twins Association
Adult Member Application Form

Please fill in both yours and your brother or sister twins for the following information.

Applicant Applicant’s Brother or Sister
Name :
Birth Order :
Nationality :
Educational Level :
Occupation :
Date of Birth :
Contact Number : Daytime: Daytime:
Nighttime: Nighttime:
E-mail :
Mailing Address : (Postal Code)
Home Address :
Membership : 1.) General Member
(Taipei Citizen)

2.) Sponsor Member
(Non-Taipei Citizen)

3.) Honor Member Membership Number:
Review Result :
Applicant’s Signature:


Date :

Introduction to Taipei Twins Association

Introduction to Taipei Twins Association

Origin
There is about one pair of twins born every 100 birth in Taiwan. It is estimated 0.4 million out of 21 million citizens are twins. Take Taipei as an example, 50000 out of 2.5 million people are twins. It is really a big population.

However, people do not notice the hard and pain in term of physically, psychologically and economically of bringing up a pair of twins. The twins receive little assistance from the government.

Furthermore, a general perception to see a pair of twins as a whole may resulted in competition among twins or adjustment difficulties.

Therefore, under the support of a group of twins and their parents, Taipei Twins Association successfully registers as a legal association on April 22, 1995. The members now exist throughout the Taiwan.

(The probability of occurrence of twins: Monozygotic 0.75%, Dizygotic 0.4%, Total1.1% (+ artificial technology 1.4-2.0%);
The probability of occurrence of triplets: two ten thousandths (+ artificial Technology: 1.4 per thousand);
The probability of occurrence of 4 Quadruplets: under artificial Technology: Extreme 1.5)

Aim
- To care about twins and their parents
- To build a network for twins and their parents
- To enable exchange of family education experience
- To provide educational counseling
- To seek common well-being of twins
- To create a more pleasant and harmonious social environment for a better growth of twins

Services
- Publishing professional journals or newsletters
- Setting up a twins consultation station
- Organizing social functions
- Organizing seminar for parents and their children
- Organizing home visits for newborn twins
- Organizing professional workshops for teachers, health care workers and social workers
- Organizing a series of activities for Twins’ Day
- Promoting and assisting other counties to set up Twins Association
- Processing applications of membership

Admission of application
Anyone who interested in joining the Taipei Twins Association as a member, please contact the Association.
Step 1: Fill in the application form
Step 2: Return it to us
Step 3: The application is censored by the Board of Directors
Step 4: Success application will be notified.
Step 5: Pay the membership fee
Step 6: Become a member officially

Contact information
Address: Room 622, 6th Floor, No. 17, Xu-Zhou Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan
Tel: (02) 2397-4812
Fax: (02) 2394-9769
Transfer account number: 18694974
Account Name: Taipei Twins Association