Article 1: Name and Geographic Boundaries
Section 1. Name
The name of this organization is the Western Exploder’s Club Chapter of the Society of Explosives Engineers.
Section 2. Definitions
Explosives engineering is defined as that area of engineering practice where judgment and experience are utilized in the application of scientific principles and techniques as they pertain to the use, handling, manufacture, transportation and storage of explosives.
Section 3. Geographic Boundaries
The geographic boundaries served by this Chapter shall be California, Nevada and Arizona.
Article 2: Mission and Goals
Section 1. Mission
Mission: To advance the science and art of explosives engineering and encourage the safe and responsible use of this technology. To create a venue where members can share and address regional challenges related to the profession.
Section 2. Goals
The Goals of the chapter are:
(a) To maintain a strong organization structure that addresses the needs of all members.
(b) To serve society as a body of specialists and encourage service to the community where the skills of those who work with explosives can best be applied.
(c) To establish and strengthen working relationships with related national and international
associations, government agencies, academic institutions, and allied groups having common or related objectives.
(d) To provide forums and media through which principles and techniques of explosives engineering may be reported, discussed, and published, especially at a regional level.
(e) To educate policy makers in our area about our industry and identify, monitor, report and respond to public policy issues affecting the explosives industry.
(f) To promote the professional development, competence, and qualifications of explosives engineers, practitioners, and those entering the field through training, education and cooperation.
(g) To promote standardization of terminology, methods, and regulations in explosives engineering.
(h) To provide a venue outside of a member’s employer where career and professional development can be cultivated and encouraged.
(i) To establish and maintain a repository of information on the art and science of explosives engineering, practice, regulations, permit processes, licensing, and other industry knowledge.
Article 3 – Membership
Section 1: The Chapter membership shall consist of Individual Members, Corporate Members, Student Members and Regulatory Members.
Section 2: All applications for membership shall be completed on the Chapter Website. All membership payments shall be completed annually by March 1st and shall include the applicant’s ISEE Membership number if applicable. A membership renewal reminder e-mail will be sent to all current members in January of each year.
Section 3: An Individual Member shall be any person who is presently engaged in or has been engaged in explosives engineering. Any member in good standing may have the privilege of holding an elective office and voting for Officers.
Section 4: Corporate members are those employed by a Corporation that is a member of the Chapter. A Corporate Membership includes up to 10 members. Any Corporate member in good standing may have the privilege of holding an elective office and voting for Officers.
Section 5: A Student Member shall be a student regularly enrolled in a college, university or vocational school. A Student Member shall not be subject to dues, has no voting privileges and cannot hold an elective office.
Section 6: A Regulatory Member shall be a person who is employed by a regulating body of the explosive industry. A Regulatory Member shall not be subject to dues, has no voting privileges and cannot hold an elective office.
Article 4 – Officers and Directors
Section 1. The Officers of the Chapter shall be the President, Secretary and Treasurer. The officers shall constitute the Executive Committee.
Section 2. The governing body of the Chapter shall be the Chapter Board of Directors;
hereinafter called the Chapter Board, in which the government and management of the Chapter is vested, except as otherwise provided for in the Constitution.
Section 3. The Board shall consist of the Executive Committee and (2) Directors
elected at large from the Chapter membership and one Director appointed by the President.
Section 4. A person shall not hold concurrently more than one elected Chapter office.
Section 5. The Executive Committee shall have overall responsibility for the coordination, planning, and administration of all Chapter activities and for such other specific duties as may from time to time be assigned to it by the Chapter Board.
Section 6. A quorum of the Chapter Board shall consist of three (3) members.
Section 7. The term of office shall be nominally one year for the President, Secretary and Treasurer; nominally and one year for appointed or elected Directors. The exact duration of these terms of office shall be determined by the interval between successive Annual Meetings.
Section 8. All Officers and Directors shall take office at the end of the Annual Meeting
following their election.
Section 10. If the office of the President becomes vacant, the Secretary shall become acting President to fill out the unexpired portion of the term of the President.
Section 11. Vacancies occurring in the offices of President, Secretary, Treasurer, or among
the Directors-at Large, shall be filled by vote of the Chapter Board for the unexpired portion of the term.
Section 12. The President, Secretary, Treasurer and Directors-at-Large, shall not be eligible to serve more than three (3) successive terms.
Section 13. Nominations of Officers and Directors-at-Large shall be made by nomination and second from members at large during a regular in person or virtual chapter meeting.
Section 14. Election of Officers shall be by closed ballot as prescribed in the
Constitution.
Section 15. No more that one individual from any corporation or business entity shall be
nominated as a candidate for elected officer or director of the Chapter at any time.
Constitution, Article 5 – Duties of Officers and Directors
Section 1. The President shall preside at all in-person or virtual business meetings of the Chapter, and exercise general supervision over the affairs of the Chapter according to the policies and regulations established by the Chapter Board.
Section 2. The Secretary shall have overall responsibility for keeping minutes of the
meetings of the Chapter and proceedings of the Chapter Board, and keeping all official correspondence of the Chapter.
Section 3. The Treasurer shall have overall responsibility for the dues and funds of the
Chapter and shall disburse the same upon the authority of the Chapter Board. He shall report annually to the Society and to the Chapter Board. The bank accounts shall be administered by the President and the Treasurer. Both signatures shall be authority for withdrawal of funds. Receipts and records must accompany all transactions.
Section 5. The Chapter Board shall meet at least once a year on the call of the President
or any three (3) members of the Chapter Board. The Chapter Board shall have the power to make such regulations, not inconsistent with the Constitution, as shall be necessary for the protection of the property, and for the preservation of good order in the conduct of the affairs.
Section 6. Any Chapter Board Member unable to attend a meeting shall so notify the
President, in writing, prior to the meeting. Any Chapter Board member failing to attend two (2) consecutive meetings, without sufficient cause, shall be deemed inactive as a Member of the Chapter Board of Directors, and his office shall be filled by vote of the Chapter Board for the unexpired portion of the term.
Article 6 – Nomination of Officers and Directors
Section 1. At each Annual Meeting a call for nominations will be made to the members at large. A nomination must be seconded by another member present, and the person nominated for office must agree to the nomination prior to their name being placed on a ballot for election as a chapter officer.
Section 2. The official election ballot shall be finalized at the annual meeting, at which time a vote will be taken using paper ballots, a web form or other means as decided by the board.
Section 3. Those candidates receiving the greatest number of votes cast shall be elected. In the case of a tie vote, the office shall be filled by vote of the Chapter Board from among those tied for office. The results shall be announced at the Annual Meeting and published in the Chapter newsletter.
Article 7 – Committees
Section 1. Committees may be established by the Chapter Board or by the President with the consent of the Chapter Board at any time with specified authority and responsibilities. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
Section 2. Actions taken by Committees shall be subject to Article 11 (Declaration of Policy) of this Constitution relating to limitations of responsibility and authority and restricting commitments on behalf of the Society and the Chapter and in matters of policy.
Section 3. The Standing Committees of the Chapter shall include: (a) Constitution; (b)
Section 4. It shall be the function of the Constitution Committee to advise the Board about proposed changes to the Constitution.
Section 5. It shall be the function of the Membership Committee to promote
membership in the Chapter and the Society.
Section 6. It shall be the function of the Newsletter Committee to publish and distribute
The Chapter Newsletter.
Section 7. It shall be the function of the Program Committee to plan and organize the
program for Chapter meetings.
Section 8. It shall be the function of the Governmental Committee to review proposed
legislation and regulations which apply exclusively within the geographic area represented by the Chapter and make recommendations to the Chapter Board of Directors regarding positions to be taken.
Section 9. The Chairman of each Committee shall appoint the other members of his
committee, subject to the approval of the Chapter Board.
Section 10. Members of Committees shall be appointed to terms of office, nominally
one (1) year, running concurrently with the terms of the President of the Society. Members of Committees shall be eligible to serve any number of successive terms to which they are appointed.
Section 11. Committees shall devise their own rules of procedure and adopt the same
with approval of the Chapter Board.
Section 12. Each Committee Chairman shall file a written report of activities and
recommendations to the President, at least thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Meeting.
Constitution, Article 8 – Meetings
Section 1. There shall be an Annual Meeting of the Chapter held at such time and place, as the Chapter Board shall determine. Due to the distances involved in Western states, the meeting may be held virtually using Internet technology at the discretion of the board.
Section 2. Other meetings of the Chapter shall be called by the President upon approval
of the Chapter Board, or may be called by a majority of the Chapter Board.
Section 3. Notices of the time and place or virtual meeting instructions of each meeting, and general information shall be sent to all members. Such notices, except in case of urgency, shall be mailed not less than thirty (30) days before the meeting.
Section 4. At any meeting, any procedural question requiring parliamentary ruling not
provided for in the Constitution shall be decided in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.
Section 5. At each Annual Meeting, the President shall present a report of the state of
the Chapter to the membership. The President may call upon other officers, directors, and committee chairmen to present additional reports at this time. Questions, resolutions, announcements and discussions by the membership from the floor will be entertained at this meeting.
Article 9 – Charter Responsibilities
Section 1. Actions taken by this Chapter shall be subject to Article 11 (Declaration of
Policy) of this Constitution relating to limitations of responsibility and authority and restricting commitments on behalf of the Society and in matters of policy.
Section 2. At its discretion, the Board of Directors of the Society may redefine the
geographic boundaries of this Chapter.
Section 3. This Chapter shall be governed by its own officers and directors, subject to its
own Constitution and the Constitution of the Society. Adoption of changes in the Constitution of Chapters shall be approved in advance by the Board of Directors of the Society.
Section 4. The minutes of each Chapter meeting shall be regularly transmitted to the
Executive Director of the Society.
Section 5. The Chapter shall make an annual report and such other reports as required,
in the form and at the time prescribed by the Executive Director of the Society. The annual report shall contain the financial position, membership by name and current address, and a summary of activities for the previous year and a calendar of events scheduled for the succeeding year.
Section 6. The Charter of this Chapter may be withdrawn by the Board of Directors of
the ISEE if, in its opinion, the chapter is not serving the best interests of the Society or if the Chapter is not in substantial compliance with the Constitution of the Society.
Article 10 – Financial
Section 1. The schedule of dues, assessments and fees for members of various grades
shall be fixed by a two-thirds vote of the entire Chapter Board. Changes in the dues schedule shall become effective at the beginning of the ensuing fiscal year.
Section 2. In the event that the Chapter should be dissolved for any reason, its assets –
physical and monetary should be disposed of as follows:
a. All just debts and claims shall be paid from cash on hand; said assets shall be sold if said cash is insufficient to pay all debts and claims.
b. Any remaining assets, for which there are not just claims or debts, shall be turned over, without any restrictions whatsoever, to the Society of Explosives Engineers Educational Foundation, Inc.
Section 3. The books and financial records of the Chapter shall be open to review at
any time by any member of the Chapter and by the Executive Director of the Society.
Article 11 – Declarations of Policy
Section 1. Responsibility and authority for any declarations of Society policy, and/or
endorsement, and/or rejection of any matter on any subject of policy, is reserved to the judgment and discretion of the Society Board of Directors. Committees, other than the Executive Committee, chapters, officers, corporate or individual members, employees or agents of the Society are not authorized directly or indirectly to commit the Society in any way or any manner financially or otherwise, without prior approval of the Board of Directors of the Society of Explosives Engineers.
Section 2. Responsibility and authority for any declarations of Chapter policy, and/or
endorsement, and/or rejection of any matter on any subject of policy, is reserved to the judgment and discretion of the Chapter Board of Directors. Committees, other than the Executive Committee, officers, corporate or individual members, employees or agents of the Chapter are not authorized directly or indirectly to commit the Chapter in any way or any manner financially or otherwise, without prior approval of the Chapter Board of Directors.
Article 12 – Penalties and Expulsion
Section 1. If any member of the Chapter shall be suspended or expelled from the
Society pursuant to the Society’s Constitution, such member shall be deemed to be suspended or expelled from the Chapter.
Article 13 – Duration
Section 1. The Chapter shall exist so long as it continues to be Chartered by the Society, except that it may be dissolved in the manner provided by law and pursuant to Article 12, Section 3 of this
Constitution.
Article 14 – Amendments
Section 1. The Constitution may be amended, repealed or added to only in the following manner: Recommendations for amending, repealing, or adding provisions to the Constitution may be presented for consideration to the Constitution Committee.
Section 2. The Constitution Committee shall consider all proposals submitted and
present recommendations to the Chapter Board.
Section 3. A proposal to amend the Constitution, having been approved in advance by
the Board of Directors of the Society and by the Chapter Board shall be placed on a ballot and mailed to all members eligible to vote on changes to the Constitution.
Section 4. Ballots shall be marked by the members and returned prior to the next
scheduled meeting of the Chapter Board. Ballots received after the specified time shall not be counted.
Section 5. The Secretary shall count the ballots and report the results to the Board prior
to the next Board meeting and to the membership at the next Chapter Meeting. The results also shall be published in the Chapter newsletter.
Section 6. Amendments to the Constitution shall become effective at the close of the
Chapter Board meeting following their adoption.
Section 7. An affirmative vote of two-thirds of the valid votes cast shall be required for
adoption of an amendment.
Constitution, Article 15 – Official Newsletter
Section 1. The Chapter shall publish an official newsletter, which shall be e-mailed to all
members. All official and legal notices required to be issued by the Chapter Board of Directors to the membership shall be considered as so issued when published in the official newsletter.
Article 16 – Emblem and Seal
Constitution, Article 16, Section 1. The official emblem and seal of the Chapter shall be determined by the Chapter Board of Directors.
Article 17 – Standards of Ethical Conduct
Section 1. Chapter members are expected to follow the ISEE standards of ethical conduct as published periodically at the ISEE.COM website
Section 2. The chapter shall remain free of undue influence from employers, corporate members, sponsors, vendors and other commercial interests. The board is authorized to take action should a particular organization or employer become an obstacle to the chapter’s operation as an open, vendor-neutral forum for explosives professionals.
Appendix A
International Society of Explosives Engineers Standards of Ethical Conduct
All members of the Society are required to comply with the standards of conduct for engineers as set forth in the ISEE Fundamental Principles and Fundamental Canons as a condition of continuing membership in good standing.
Fundamental Principles
ISEE Members uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering profession by:
1. using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of humankind;
2. serving their peers, their employers and their clients with integrity, honesty, and fidelity;
3. striving to increase the standard of excellence and prestige of the explosives industry; and
4. supporting the profession and technical societies of their disciplines.
Fundamental Canons
1. ISEE Members shall maintain and promote the safety, and health and welfare of persons and property at all times.
2. ISEE Members shall perform services only in areas in which they are competent.
3. ISEE Members shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. ISEE Members shall act as faithful agents or trustees for each employer or client in professional matters. They shall avoid conflicts of interest.
5. ISEE Members shall build their professional reputation on merit of their services, and shall not compete unfairly with others.
6. ISEE Members shall, by their conduct, uphold and enhance t/he honor, integrity and dignity of the explosives industry.
7. ISEE Members shall continue their professional development throughout their career and shall provide opportunities for the professional development of those that they supervise.
8. ISEE members shall accept responsibility for their actions: be open to acknowledge criticism of their work; be sensitive and offer honest criticism of the work of others: properly credit the contributions of others; and shall not accept credit for work that is not theirs.