THE SUPER (OFFICIAL) CHARTER
Super Ladies Foundation Official Charter
Updated July 2020
Article 1. Mission Statement
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It is our mission, and our passion, to bring joy to youth in our community through live-action suspension of disbelief by embodying and portraying superheroines familiar to the public. It is our goal to inspire children to persevere through times of strained physical and/or mental health, especially young women who are in need of female role models. Secondarily, we aim to foster a non-competitive (but high standard) environment for ladies in Arizona who want to use their creative costuming and performing talents to give back to those less fortunate than themselves.
Article 2. Copyright Disclaimer
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We strongly assert that Super Ladies Foundation (SLF) does NOT LAY ANY CLAIM to the intellectual properties of DC Comics or Marvel Comics, and are not affiliated with either corporate entity. As a nonprofit, we do not seek to financially profit from the work of others.
We are not affiliated with, nor exist as an ad hoc group, for any other costuming organizations nationally or locally. These include but are not limited to Arizona Avengers, Justice League Arizona, Put on the Cape: A Foundation for Hope, Comicare, Rebel Legion (or any other LFL recognized club), Avengers Initiative, etc. However, we do NOT require exclusivity from our members or their images.
Article 3. Leadership and Organization
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Super Ladies Foundation is dedicated to a holistic and republic-based hierarchy structure. As such, no one individual will be given the power to make any decisions that alter the overall course or direction of the group. A Board of Officers has been established to vote on major issues and communicate within the organization as a whole. In many instances, all founding members will be included in a vote, regardless of whether or not they hold an officer position.
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Our current officers and presiding responsibilities include: ​
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Social Media Manager and Co-President : Jennifer Burch: maintain a positive connection through Facebook and Instagram, communicate with the public, answer inquiries from fans, potential donors, and prospective members.
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Public Relations Manager and Co-President - Hayl Daugherty: build and maintain relationships with media outlets and businesses, directing communication from external inquiries to the officer best suited to handle the task at hand, and manage cross-promotional deals.
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Member Intake Manager - Brooke Stevens: be the first line of communication with potential new members and walk them through the application/acceptance process, reach out to established cosplayers about potential involvement, provide mentorship when needed.
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Treasurer (open) manage the finances of donations, budget spending, set fundraising goals, providing initial approval or dismissal of financial requests.
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Outreach and Fundraising Organizer (open): organize fundraisers and manage the logistics therein, reach out to potential donors and identify grant opportunities.
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Webmaster (open) keep member information and event calendar up to date, compose blog post entries, track website analytics for donations via website.
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Charity Event Liaison (open): identify and pursue public events alongside other costuming groups, foster relationships with event organizers, facilitate tabling opportunities, and manage costume guideline adjustments for individual events.
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While officer positions are important to maintain a professional and legitimized structure, keep in mind that above all else WE ARE A TEAM! Everyone is encouraged to participate where they can and assist each other with responsibilities. Formalities and egos will not stand in the way of advancement and innovation.
Article 4. Elections
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SLF operates as a republic rather than a direct democracy. All members of the organization (except the president) have the ability to vote for members of the Board of Directors. Any active member may run for any officer position except the presidency, which will always remain the decision of both the officers and founding members. A new president can only be elected under a unanimous decision.
Elections will be held every July during an in-person meeting (or via an online video chat), though the votes themselves remain anonymous. This is to ensure that all those running for office have the ability to present their cases in a face-to-face delivery rather than written text.
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Article 5. Costuming Standards and Approvable Characters
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It is important to keep our mission statement in mind while approving costumes: suspension of disbelief for young children in need of inspiration and role models. As such, members attending events “suited up” must adhere to a high standard of accuracy.
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Costumes must be at a minimum of Disney Park character standards. If your kit could not pass for a Disney Cast Member, the costuming committee will work with you on how we can work together to improve your presentation. Here is a link to a Pinterest board with examples of Marvel characters at Disney Parks as well as other kits of an approvable standard.
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It is imperative that both founding members and prospective members do not take any suggestions for change personally. We all want to give our kids the best experience possible, and that starts with quality.
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While all heroines of any comic universe are welcome, priority will be given to characters who have appeared on screen, either on film or television, with distinctly identifiable costumes. This includes but is not limited to:
Characters have been designated into categories of either Green Team, Blue Team, or Red Team. These categorizations are SUGGESTIONS subject to the nature of the event and by no means binding. Red Team are the BIG characters we want to have at least one of present at most events. Green Team characters are show/movie leads that would be approvable for any “solo missions” even if a Red Team member is not available, and Blue Team characters are advised for groups of two or more.
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Again, these are merely SUGGESTIONS. If there are any requests for specific characters by children, or a character that members would like to include from off screen (such as Zatanna, Power Girl, Lady Loki, She-Hulk, etc.) we will do our best to accommodate.
We ask that members stay away from non-canon costumes within reason during events with children (such as gender-bends, casual/street clothes, alternate universes, obscure variations), however, alterations will always be considered on the basis of comfort, safety, weather conditions, modesty, and religious restrictions. Screen accurate casual/street clothes are allowed for handlers as long as the same costumed character is not in attendance (ex.: incognito Diana Prince handling for Wonder Woman) and the handler is wearing at least one piece of SLF branded gear.
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AZSL will NEVER discriminate character selection based on skin color, body type, religious presentation, or age. We ask that you use your best judgement for suspension of disbelief, but inclusion and comfort will always come first.
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Every costume used for official purposes must be approved through the costuming committee, which is comprised of three officers, who will either examine the kit in its entirety. Review and approval is required for EVERY outfit (including all clothing, accessories, footwear, wigs, and major makeup) by EVERY member. Please see the “Costuming Approval Guidelines and Process” document for more information.
Article 6. Conduct While on “Missions”
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The following behaviors are prohibited on the basis of putting our best foot forward for the community and creating a safe environment for children in unstable situations:
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Visible intoxication
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Smoking in front of children or families
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Swearing in front of children or families
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Lewdness outside the context of fundraisers limited to 21+ audiences and NOT TO BE RECORDED OR POSTED ONLINE
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Sexual harassment, racism, sexism, microagressions, or any discriminatory behavior
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We encourage members to:
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Speak to children at their eye level
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Offer the opportunities for photographs
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Ask children about the specific event at hand rather than a general “How are you doing?”/ “How are you feeling?” / “How’s your day?”
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Give hugs only when requested. Some vulnerable populations are uncomfortable with physical contact.
This is simply an overview of our code of conduct. A more indepth review will be provided upon official membership through “Super Ladies 101.”
Article 7. Membership
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AZSL’s first priority is creating a positive experience for the community members we serve, not to be a social club or sorority. As such, membership is very selective at this time. We sometimes work with vulnerable populations that require finesse and tact, meaning all members must have prior experience working with charity groups of a similar vein (either recreationally or professionally) OR have a professional background in education, childcare, psychology, or jobs that include similarly transferable skills. Priority will be given to applicants with references from existing members to prevent the need for background checks. Applicants without references from existing members must have a fingerprint card to reduce liability risk.
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One of the reasons we have a predominantly female group is to provide a unique opportunity for young women in need of role models, or those who don’t yet feel comfortable around men after traumatic experiences. We are more than happy to accept and include qualified male, masculine-indentified, and non-binary applicants who share our passions. We simply ask for your patience and understanding that some missions will require an exclusively female/femme team.
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SLF does not have a participation or event minimum since we know these are tempestuous times in regard to scheduling, but keep in mind that prolonged inactivity will be noted and may be subject to review by the Board of Officers.
For more information on the application process, please visit this page.