Arizona Chapter Bylaws


Proposed Changes to the Arizona Chapter Bylaws for Chapter Year 2003-2004.

1. Article IV Section 8 – Change “Area Director” to “Regional Vice President.”

2. Article IV Section 11 – Added Section 11 to Bylaws per the Executive Committee requirement that was proposed and approved by the Committee in Chapter Year 2001 – 2002.

3. Article V Section 4 (f) – Added the word “Chairpersons” to the subsection to clarify that the President appoints committee Chairpersons not committees.

4. Article V Section 7 (b) – Deleted the words “Chapter meetings.” Added the words “(in a timely manner), Chapter Executive Committee, and Regional Vice President.” This is to reflect the mandate of the Executive Committee for the Secretary to distribute the Committee Meeting Minutes in a timely manner and to distribute them to the appropriate people.

5. Article V Section 9 (a) – Change the wording from “and” to “who” and from “be” to “the office of” to clarify that the immediate Past-President will become the second Delegate to the House of Delegates for the Chapter.

6. Article VI Section 1 – Change the statement of who can be the Nominations Committee Chairperson to “The most recent Past President available to serve shall be appointed by the Chapter President as the Nominating Committee Chairperson. The President shall appoint one member of the Nominating Committee, and the Nominating Committee Chairperson shall appoint the remainder of Committee by no later than October 1 of each year. The Committee will consist of no less than three (3) nor more than five (5) members.” This is added to be consistent with the Model Chapter Bylaws. Remove “preferably Past Presidents” from the fourth sentence. Remove the last sentence of the second paragraph.

7. Article VI Section 2 – Moved the note that was in the body of the section to a note at the end of the Section as is in other parts of the Bylaws.

8. Article VI Section 5 – Add “Election results, either written or voice, will be decided by majority of the Members voting.” This is to clarify how the Nominees are elected by the Membership.

9. Article VI Section 7 - Change this Section to read: "Vacancies in elected Chapter offices shall be filled by the succession designated in the various officer descriptions. If no succession is designated, or the designated successor declines to accept the position, the position shall be filled in the way specified below, according to the position and timing of the vacancy."

a) Should a vacancy occur in any elected office, including Secretary, Treasurer, Secretary/Treasurer or any others, except President or President-Elect, the President shall appoint, with the approval of the Chapter Executive Committee, an eligible member (see Article V, Section 2) to fill the unexpired term of office, giving special consideration to current committee Chairpersons and experienced Chapter leaders who have recently completed their terms of office.

b) Should a vacancy occur early in the term, in the office of:

1) President, the President-Elect shall succeed to the Presidency. If the President-Elect declines the position, a past President may serve as President for this term upon the approval of the Executive Committee. Otherwise, a special election as specified in b.2 of this section will be considered for filling the seat of President. The President-elect or a special Nominations & Elections committee appointed by the Chapter Executive Committee will be responsible for completing the special election.

2) President-Elect, the President shall:

(a) Appoint a special Nominations & Elections Committee.

(b) Publish notification of the election and the slated nominees for office at least 15 days in advance of the Chapter meeting at which the election is to be held.

(c) Receive at the Chapter meeting any additional nominating petitions as may be rendered, and signed by the number of members specified in Article VI, Section 3.

(d) Conduct a voice vote at the Chapter meeting if there is only one nominee, and a written ballot if there is more than one nominee for office.

(e) Ensure that the elected candidate assumes office immediately upon election.

NOTE: This would also apply if the person succeeding to the Presidency did not wish to complete both the remainder of the current term and the term for which he was originally elected.

c) Should a vacancy occur at mid-term or later, in the office of:

1) President, the President-Elect shall serve the unexpired term of the President in addition to the term for which he was originally elected.

2) President-Elect, if it is not an operational hardship for the Chapter, the position may remain vacant until the next election is conducted. If it is operationally necessary for the Chapter to have a President-Elect, then the position should be filled as noted in this Article and Section, paragraph b) 2).

This Section is changed to be consistence with the Model Charter Bylaws.

10. Article VI Section 8 - Removed “with the approval of the Chapter Executive Committee” since the President appoints the Chairpersons without the Executive Committee approval he/she wouldn’t need their approval to replace a vacancy, per Article V Section 4(f).

11. Article VI Section 8 – Added “(Standing Committee Chairpersons, Committee Chairpersons, etc.)” to clarify who are the Appointed Offices apposed to the Elected Offices.

12. Article VI Section 9 – Added the word “elected” as a clarification.

13. Article IX Section 3 – Capitalized “The” at the beginning of the sentence.

14. Article X Section 5(a) – Minutes of Meetings must be retained “permanently.”

15. Article X Section 5(c) – Financial Records must be retained for “seven (7)” years, not five (5).

16. Article X Section 6 – changed “two thirds” to “at least 60%” to be consistent with how the Executive Committee conducts business.

At least 7 Members of the 11 Member Committee will be needed for approval and that is only 63.6%, not two thirds.

17. Article X Section 7 – Changed “Area” to “Regional” and “AOC” to “ROC” since our region does not have Area Operating Committees.

Chapter Bylaws


Article I: Name

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Arizona Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers.

Section 2. Hereinafter, the Arizona Chapter will be referred to as the Chapter and the American Society of Safety Engineers will be referred to as the Society.

Article II: Purpose

Section 1. The purpose of this Chapter will be to promote the advancement of the safety profession and foster the professional well being of its members in the geographical area served.

Section 2. In fulfilling its purposes, the Chapter shall have the following objectives within the geographical area:

(a) To develop and/or promote educational programs for obtaining the knowledge required to perform the functions of a safety professional in the various disciplines.

(b) To develop and/or disseminate locally, information and materials that will carry out the purposes of the Chapter, the Society, and serve the public.

(c) To provide and/or support forums for the interchange and acquisition of professional knowledge among its members.

(d) To foster liaison with local organizations of related disciplines.

(e) To inaugurate and implement such other programs and projects that are consistent with the purposes of the Chapter and the Society.

(f) To conduct its affairs in a manner that will reflect the standards, purposes and objectives of the Society.

Article III: Membership

Section 1. Membership in the Chapter is open to those individuals who are members of the Society in good standing and who are located within the Chapter’s geographical area or request membership in it. All members of the Chapter shall be members of the Society.

Section 2. All membership is personal and non-transferable.

Section 3. All Chapters members are eligible to vote on all matters submitted to the Arizona Chapter membership.

Article IV: Organization

Section 1. The Chapter is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the Society for the purpose of carrying out the objectives of the Society in its geographical area. It shall operate in accordance with Society Bylaws.

Section 2. In order to maintain its Charter, the Chapter shall have a minimum of 25 active members.

Section 3. The Chapter is located in Area A of Region II. The Chapter’s geographical area is defined as follows:

Section 4. There shall be an Executive Committee responsible for the operation and management of the Chapter. It shall be responsible for the supervision and care of all property, have full authority to commit the Chapter to action in consonance with resolutions adopted at meetings of the Chapter, and may cooperate with other organizations on such bases that will not impair the ability of the Chapter to pursue its purposes independently.

Section 5. A quorum for the Executive Committee shall consist of at least 60% of the committee, one of which must be the President, President-Elect or Vice President, who shall be the presiding officer. A majority vote of the Executive Committee shall be decisive, providing a quorum is present when the vote is taken.

NOTE: The Executive Committee consists of eleven (11) members with seven (7) members at a meeting constituting a quorum.

Section 6. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Elected Officers, the second Delegate to the House of Delegates and the following Standing Committee Chairpersons:

Section 7. Each major objective listed in Article II, Section 2, of these Bylaws shall be under the supervision of either a Chapter Officer or an appointed Committee Chairperson.

Section 8. The Chapter President is a member of the Regional Operating Committee (ROC). A Professional Member or Member elected by the Chapter may serve in the stead of the President if so designated in writing to the Area Director.

Section 9. Chapter Officers and Delegates to the Society House of Delegates, as defined in the ASSE Society Bylaws, shall be elected by members of the Chapter.

Section 10. The Chapter activity year will be from July 1 to June 30.

Article V: Officers

Section 1. Elected Officers of the Chapter shall be:

(a) President

(b) President-Elect

(c) Vice President

(d) Secretary

(e) Treasurer

(f) Delegates to the House of Delegates (One Delegate for each 250 members or portion thereof. One delegate for each additional 250 members.)

Section 2. Each elected Chapter Officer shall have been a member of the Society for one year prior to taking office. However, only a Professional Member or Member may hold the offices of President, President-Elect, Vice President and Delegate.

Section 3. The President-Elect and Vice President shall automatically succeed to the next office in the succeeding year.

Section 4. The President shall:

(a) Preside at regular and special meetings of the Chapter Executive Committee and membership meetings.

(b) Represent the Chapter at meetings of other organizations where official representation of the Chapter is desirable.

(c) Be a member of the Region II, Regional Operating Committee, representing the Chapter.

(d) Serve as a Delegate to the annual House of Delegates Meeting.

(e) Provide leadership for programs and activities for the Chapter during their term of office.

(f) Appoint such committees that are necessary to implement the objectives of the Chapter.

(g) Submit an annual report of the Chapter activities to the Regional Vice President, Area Director and the Society Secretary by August 15 of each year.

(h) Submit the names of Chapter Officers elected for the ensuing year, by June 1, to the Regional Vice President, Area Director and Society Secretary.

Section 5. The President-Elect shall:

(a) Succeed to the office of the President and carry out those duties if the President is unable to serve.

(b) Assume responsibilities for the work of Committees as assigned by the President.

(c) Coordinate monthly Chapter meeting speakers and programs.

Section 6. The Vice President shall:

(a) Succeed to the office of President-Elect and carry out those duties if the President-Elect is unable to serve.

(b) Assume responsibilities for the work of Committees as assigned by the President.

(c) Plan and implement professional development seminars.

Section 7. The Secretary shall:

(a) Maintain Chapter records and correspondence.

(b) Record and distribute minutes of the Chapter meetings and Chapter Executive Committee meetings to the Area Director and the Society Secretary.

(c) Assume the duties of Treasurer, as necessary.

Section 8. The Treasurer shall:

(a) Maintain all financial records of the Chapter.

(b) Supervise the receipt and disbursement of funds as directed by the Chapter Executive Committee.

(c) Maintain Chapter funds in a depository approved by the Chapter Executive Committee.

(d) By May 31, transmit to Society Headquarters, the audited income and expense statement for the fiscal year ending March 31; and submit any required tax documents to the IRS by August 15.

(e) Assume the duties of Secretary, as necessary.

Section 9. The Delegates to the House of Delegates:

(a) The Delegates to the House of Delegates shall be the current President and immediate Past-President of the Chapter, and will automatically succeed to be Delegates.

(b) Shall attend the annual House of Delegates meeting held in conjunction with the Professional Development Conference (PDC).

(c) Operate in accordance with House of Delegates Operating Procedures and Society Bylaws.

(d) Shall represent the Chapter when voting.

(e) Keep the Chapter informed of House of Delegates actions and proposed actions.

(f) Shall assure representation of the Chapter at the House of Delegates Meeting by appointing a proxy to represent him/her when unable to attend. The proxy must be a Professional Member or a Member in good standing of the Chapter and shall not be a member of the Society Board of Directors. Appointment of the proxy shall be made by letter, which shall be delivered to the Credentials Committee at least one hour prior to the House of Delegates Meeting.

Article VI: Nomination and Election of Officers

Section 1. The Chapter President shall appoint a Nominating Committee Chairperson no later than August 1, of each year. The Nominating Committee Chairperson shall appoint a Committee by no later than October 1 of each year. The Committee will consist of no less than three (3) members, preferably Past Presidents. The names of the members of the Nominating Committee will be published in the Chapter Newsletter, prior to the December meeting.

Members of the Nominating Committee who are chosen to run for office shall resign from the Committee and be replaced with non-candidate members. This exclusion does not apply to the President-Elect who is unopposed and may be a member of the Nominating Committee.

Section 2. The Nominating Committee shall select candidates for all elected offices. The Committee shall select those candidates, who, in their judgment, are capable of fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of the office for which they are selected. In the case of the President-Elect and the Vice President, capable of fulfilling the duties of the next higher office. Note: No more than two (2) persons from the same company, organization or governmental entity shall serve as elected members of the Executive Committee, at the same time. The names and qualifications for each candidate for office shall be published and distributed to the Chapter membership at least 60 days prior to the election.

Section 3. Any twenty (20) Chapter Professional Members or Members may submit a signed petition nominating one or more individuals for elective office. The petition shall be accompanied by a written acceptance by the nominee(s) and shall be submitted to the Chair of the Nominating Committee at least 60 days in advance of the election. The names and qualifications of such nominees shall be published and distributed to the membership at least 30 days prior to the election.

Section 4. The term of elected Chapter Officers shall be for one year, beginning on July 1.

Section 5. Election of Officers for the ensuing year shall be held at the May meeting. If there is more than one candidate for any office, election shall be by a written ballot. If there is only one candidate for an office, election may be by voice vote.

Section 6. Removal of elected Chapter Officers shall be by vote of the Chapter members at any regular or special meeting upon presentation of a signed petition from the Chapter Executive Committee or by 20 voting members of the Chapter. Notification of such meeting shall be mailed to each member at least 30 days in advance of the date of the meeting. Committee Chairpersons appointed by the elected officers of the Chapter Executive Committee may be removed by the same authority who appointed them.

Section 7. Vacancies in the offices of President and President-Elect shall be filled by the succession designated in the various offices. For a vacancy in the office of Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer, the Chapter President shall proceed as follows:

(a) Appoint a special nominating Committee.

(b) This Committee must publish the names of the nominees at least 30 days in advance of the Chapter Meeting at which the election is to be held.

(c) Receive, at the Chapter Meeting, any nominating petitions signed in accordance with Article VI, Section 3, of these bylaws.

(d) Conduct a voice vote at the Chapter Meeting if there is only one nominee and a written ballot if there is more than one nominee for an office.

(e) The successful candidate shall assume office immediately after election.

Section 8. Vacancies in appointed offices shall be filled for their unexpired term, by appointees of the President then in office, with the approval of the Chapter Executive Committee.

Section 9. If an officer is unable to serve, after election and before taking office, the vacancy shall be filled in the manner set forth in this Article. (This also applies if the person succeeding to office of President does not want to complete both the remainder of the current term and the term for which he/she was originally elected.)

Article VII: Sections

Section 1. Sections may be formed by this Chapter to serve 10 or more dues-paying Chapter members whose geographical location, within the Chapter area, constitutes an inconvenience to participate in Chapter affairs and whose number is insufficient to permit formation of a new Chapter.

Section 2. The group must petition the Chapter Executive Committee to form a Section of the Chapter, subject to approval by the Area Operating Committee.

(a) The petition should outline:

1. Name of the Section.

2. Territory the Section will encompass.

3. Number of members currently in the territory.

4. Plans for meetings to be held and the nature of the program.

5. Justification for creation of the Section.

6. Any dues arrangements between the Section and the Chapter.

(b) The Section shall operate in accordance with Society and Chapter Bylaws.

(c) Upon approval by the Regional Operating Committee, the Section shall elect a Chairperson and a Secretary/Treasurer. The Chairperson shall be a Professional Member or a Member. The Chairperson of the Section shall be invited to attend all meetings of the Chapter Executive Committee and shall attend at least two, as a non-voting participant.

(d) By July 15 of each Chapter year, the Section Chairperson shall submit a summary report of Section activities and a financial report to the Chapter President, the Area Director, and the Region Vice President.

(e) The Section Secretary/Treasurer shall keep records of meetings, send copies to the Chapter Secretary, notify members of meetings, maintain such financial records as are necessary and keep the Chapter officers informed of the Section’s financial status. The Chapter shall remit at least 30% of Chapter dues of Section members to the Section, for its use.

(f) The Chairperson of the Section shall appoint a Nominating Committee annually to select nominees for the offices of Chairperson and Secretary/Treasurer for the year beginning July 1. Both officers’ terms shall be for one year beginning July 1. Election of these officers shall be held at a Section meeting prior to July 1.

(g) If the Section ceases to function as a viable organization, the Chapter Executive Committee, after investigation, may recommend its dissolution to the Regional Operating Committee. Any funds in the Section treasury shall be remitted to the Chapter for Chapter use.

(h) Student members attending an educational institution may join together to form a Student Section of the Chapter within whose boundary the institution lies. (See Student Section Bylaws.)

Article VIII: Dues

Section 1. Each member, except Student, Emeritus and Honorary Members, shall be assessed annual Chapter dues of fifteen dollars ($15.00), in addition to Society dues.

Section 2. All Society and Chapter dues shall be paid annually, in advance, and are due on each member’s designated due date.

Section 3. Chapter dues shall be determined by vote of the Chapter membership at any regular or special meeting, prior to March 1, where a quorum is present. All Chapter members will be notified of the dues vote, at least 30 days in advance.

Section 4. Individuals found eligible for membership in the Society will be billed for Society and Chapter dues, as determined by the due date.

Article IX: Meetings

Section 1. Technical meetings that define or discuss methods, procedures, systems, devices and/or standards toward the reduction, control or elimination of hazardous exposure to people, property or the environment and which foster the technical, scientific and managerial knowledge and skills of attendees, shall be held at least six (6) times a year.

Section 2. The Chapter Executive Committee may call special meetings of members. The notice calling such a meeting shall state the purpose of the meeting and such notice will be sent to each member at least two weeks in advance of the meeting.

Section 3. The Chapter Executive Committee may use “email” as a voting method to conduct official business. The email responses must be sent to the Chapter President or designee, to be considered official.

Section 4. A quorum for any regular or special membership meeting is forty (40) active members, in good standing.

Section 5. The latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the transaction of business at all meetings of the Chapter and Executive Committee.

Article X: Miscellaneous

Section 1. The Chapter may be dissolved by Chapter members in the following manner:

(a) A resolution to dissolve the Chapter shall be acted upon at a meeting of the Chapter Executive Committee. The resolution shall set forth the reasons for dissolution.

(b) Within thirty (30) days following Chapter Executive Committee action, a mail ballot shall be sent to all Chapter members, setting forth the reasons for the dissolution. Thirty (30) days after the ballots are mailed; the Chapter Executive Committee shall count them. A two-thirds (2/3) vote (of the ballots received by the Chapter) is required for approval of the action.

(c) Upon the adoption of the resolution to dissolve, the officers shall carry out the dissolution of the Chapter in conformance with applicable laws and Society Bylaws.

Section 2. The Chapter may be dissolved by the Society Board of Directors after failure of the Chapter to conform to minimum Society requirements for activities or upon performance of actions contrary or detrimental to the Society and after a reasonable probation period. Upon notice, the officers shall carry out the dissolution of the Chapter.

Section 3. The official Society symbol may be used by the Chapter on correspondence, publications and other official documents, in accordance with the provisions for use and reproduction in the Society Bylaws.

Section 4. Any fund-raising projects or activities shall be limited to those activities that are consistent with the purpose of the Society and the Chapter.

Section 5. Chapter officers shall ensure retention of needed Chapter and membership records by adhering to the following record retention periods. Officers having charge of these records are authorized to dispose of the records at the end of the required retention period.

(a) Minutes of meetings: five (5) years following completion of the Chapter year.

(b) Correspondence: two (2) years following completion of the Chapter year.

(c) Financial records: five (5) years following completion of the Chapter year.

Section 6. The Chapter shall pay for designated expenses for the Delegates to the Society’s annual House of Delegates Meeting, as the treasury permits and as determined by the Executive Committee. Other expenses for delegates will be considered at the discretion of the President and approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the Executive Committee

Section 7. The Chapter shall pay for designated travel expenses of the representatives to the Areas Operating Committee meetings, provided the AOC meetings are out of the area defined in Article IV. Section 3.

Section 8. The Chapter shall pay for designated expenses for the Vice President, President Elect and/or President to attend the annual Leadership Conference.

Section 9. The Executive Committee shall approve any distribution of the Chapter membership and/or mailing list. Refer to the appropriate section in the Chapter Administration Guide for guidelines.

Section 10. The Chapter Charter will be held by a Past-President. At the September meeting, the Charter will be passed from the Past-President holding the Charter to the selected Past-President.

Article VI: Amendments

Section 1. Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by the Chapter Executive Committee or by 40 Chapter Professional Members or Members. Amendments proposed by the latter must be presented to the Chapter Executive Committee.

Section 2. The Chapter Executive Committee shall publish any proposed amendments to the membership at least thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting at which action will be taken.

Section 3. Chapter Bylaws Amendments shall be voted on at a regular or special Chapter meeting at which time action will be taken if a quorum is present. A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote will be required to accept the amendments.

Section 4. All amendments to these Bylaws will become effective after approval by the Regional Vice President, except for amendments to Article VIII, Section I, which will become effective on January 1 of the year following approval.