Chapter Bylaws

2016-2017

Noblesse Oblige: “Those in high rank have the obligation to behave honorably, generously, and responsibly to others.”

Approved and updated 09-26-2016
Introduction

The following are the Taconic Chapter Bylaws for the National Honor Society in effect for the remainder of the current school year and through the next academic year (2016-2017). The document amplifies sections of the National Honor Society Constitution and clarifies the operating procedures of the John Jay High School chapter. These bylaws were adopted in accordance with Article XVI of the NHS Constitution, and are meant to provide guidance for its members, parents, adviser, principal, and faculty members as well as to assist each individual involved with this organization in his/her endeavor to pursue the desirable personal qualities that are the pillars of the NHS (Scholarship, Service, Leadership, Character). It is also designed to help current members fulfill their respective roles in the National Honor Society.

Pre-requisite for induction:

  1. Every student with a 90.00 cumulative, weighted GPA (no rounding up) by the end of the second marking period of his/her junior or senior year will be considered for membership.
  2. Students wishing to become members must submit a Student Activity Information Packet by the designated deadline. This packet will be reviewed by the faculty council to determine selection.
  3. All candidates must demonstrate outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, and service.

PLEASE NOTE THAT: The National Honor Society (NHS) requires that “once selected, members have the responsibility to continue to demonstrate these qualities.”

Membership Requirements

In addition to maintaining all of the requirements of the NHS, members of the Taconic Chapter have these additional obligations. In order to graduate with NHS recognition, members must:

  1. Attend all meetings. Members are expected to attend at least 75% of all meetings throughout the year. Minimal absences for any reason will be allowed, and there is no distinction between “excused” or “unexcused” absences. After excessive absences, members will receive a warning. If the member continues to miss meetings, the member may be automatically removed from NHS, subject to review by the Faculty Council. Attendance at meetings is crucial to receive information and be an active club member.
  1. Meetings are held every other week beginning the first week of school until the end of the school year, unless otherwise indicated on the calendar (to be distributed at the first meeting). The dates of the meeting will be organized in conjunction with the student government calendar.
  1. Students must be present for the entire meeting and must personally sign out with the membership secretary or his or her designee at the end of the meeting. Attendance at meetings begins at the call to order and ends after all business is concluded. Attendance will not be granted for arriving after the call to order or leaving before all business has been concluded. Meetings start at 2:00 p.m.
  1. Regularly attend National Honor Society events. There are several mandatory events every member must attend regardless of the amount of hours accrued. The events are Freshman Orientation, Parent Open House Night, John Jay Man, the Winter Carnival, and NHS Inductions.
  1. Complete a minimum of 25 hours of NHS APPROVED and/or SPONSORED community service by the first week in May of their senior year. Individual members are encouraged to choose and participate in service projects that reflects his or her particular talents and interests. NHS will provide various opportunities for hours in addition to the NHS events.
  1. Baked goods and donations are an expected contribution from every active member. Each member is expected to bake at least once during the year and for our mandatory events; however, for each additional time members bake they will receive ½ hour of service credited to their 25 hours up to a total of 1 hour.
  1. Each member must sign in and out of any NHS activity in which he/she participates and must return any NHS ID tag to an officer immediately upon completion of the activity.
  1. Outside and/or independent service projects must receive prior approval from the NHS adviser(s). Requests for service hour credit without prior approval will be denied.
  1. Members must have 25 hours of community service. All hours can be inside hours, however there is an option to have up to 10 pre-approved independent service hours (outside hours). Such hours may not also be used towards the completion of any district requirements or other club..
  1. Independent Service Projects MAY NOT BE service rendered for or with another school organization. ISP MUST BE performed for a legitimate and recognized NOT-FOR-PROFIT or COMMUNITY BASED organization. See the adviser(s) with any questions.
  1. Students MUST obtain the signature of the adult sponsor of any service activity not under the direct supervision of the NHS adviser. This means that ONLY SUPERVISER SIGNATURES will be accepted as verification of hours performed. NO PARENT/RELATIVE letters will be accepted as documentation of service hours.
  1. In lieu of the signature on the Activity log, a student may submit signed (by appropriate supervisor) documentation on the letterhead of the organization as verification of hours served. Again – NO PARENT/RELATIVE letters will accepted as documentation of service hours.
  1. It is REQUIRED that each member maintain the attached NHS Activity log. Each member must keep track of every NHS activity in which s/he participates, and must obtain the adviser or designee signature upon completion of the activity. Copies of this log will be required quarterly throughout the year to be submitted by the Membership secretary and your original copy will be submitted in May (the date is TBD). If this paperwork is not filed in a timely fashion, your honors status will be in jeopardy. No special accommodations will be made for members with a deficit in service hours/
  1. Strictly adhere to all school rules and policies. Dismissal may follow in the case of violation of school rules or civil laws. In the case of flagrant violation, no warning is required for dismissal. This includes cheating of any kind, disrespectful behavior, and criminal charges.
  1. Maintain a 90.00 weighted average for the entire school year (NO ROUNDING UP). If a member’s average drops below a 90%, he/she will have one quarter to bring it back up in order to remain in NHS unless this happens in the third quarter which may incur automatic dismissal from the club.
  1. Be members in good standing. Generally the phrase “in good standing” means that the member is maintaining the standards by which he or she was selected, and has fulfilled or is fulfilling all chapter obligations. It is expected that each member will maintain these standards from application to the NHS through graduation. Any conduct unbecoming of an NHS member seriously jeopardizes his/her “good standing” status and may result in the loss of NHS graduation honors pending review by the NHS Faculty Council.
  1. Any NHS member who elects to attend college in lieu of classes at John Jay must still maintain active member status in order to graduate with NHS honors. A class schedule transcript for each semester must be submitted for proof of GPA requirement.

NOTE:These are the MINIMUM requirements. It is EXPECTED that a member in good standing will regularly work on ALL NHS projects as needed to fulfill the chapter’s goals successfully.

Bylaws

All members should be familiar with and adhere to the chapter bylaws. These will be distributed and reviewed by all members, officers, and advisers at the first new members meeting prior to induction. Members and parents are required to provide a signature indicating their understanding of and intention to comply with these bylaws.

If changes are necessary, the suggested revisions will be reviewed by the officers and the general membership, and ratified by majority vote. They will then be reviewed for final approval by the Faculty Council. This is in keeping with the guidelines for bylaws as set forth in the national NHS constitution.

Meetings

Meetings will normally be held every other week, starting no later than the second week of school. All meetings will be conducted only on days when school is in session.

Officer meetings will be held weekly, prior to the NHS general meeting. Committee meetings will occur as needed. It is expected that all committee members and committee chairpersons will be in attendance when the officers call for a committee meeting.

Members are responsible for staying informed on all NHS matters discussed in each meeting. The chapter, however, reserves the right to cancel any meeting when necessary without prior notice nor with any obligation to individual members’ meeting requirements. It is the members’ responsibility to schedule their time appropriately to meet graduation requirements. However, every effort will be made to post any cancellation on the morning and afternoon school announcements and to allow enough meetings during the year to easily achieve the attendance requirement for graduation with NHS recognition.

Communication

The NHS officers will use a variety of methods to communicate important announcements to the general membership. The school NHS website, Twitter, Facebook (for JJMAN ONLY) , a separate text alert service, daily announcements as well as the bulletin board in the main lobby are just some of the ways the NHS officers and advisers will communicate important information. It is your responsibility to sign up for and maintain your account.

Faculty Council

The Faculty Council consists of five anonymous faculty members, approved by the Principal. The Faculty Council adopts any changes to the bylaws, selects new members, and dismisses members who do not maintain the standards according to which they were inducted, and/or not fulfilling their obligations. Any members in flagrant violation of NHS standards, the District Behavior Code, or civil law may be dismissed immediately and without warning pending consideration of the Faculty Council. Faculty Council decisions are final and are not subject to appeal.

Advisers

The NHS advisers are approved by the Principal and School Board, and act as intermediaries between the Faculty Council, Principal, members and potential members. They are non-voting members of the Faculty Council and serve as facilitators when the Faculty Council must meet.

Chapter Officers

The Taconic Chapter of the NHS mandates the following positions:

●President

●Vice President

●Treasurer

●Executive Secretary

●Membership Secretary

●Ambassador

●Vice Ambassador

Officer Elections

At the first meeting/induction rehearsal for new members, the chapter will request that all members interested in becoming an officer stay after the meeting. The member MUST be present at the end of the meeting to publicly indicate his/her willingness to serve as an officer.

Each candidate must complete an endorsement form to be signed by three current faculty members. The form MUST be returned to the adviser by the designated deadline. The officer candidate will also submit an officer packet by the deadline. The nominee is also expected to present a brief speech before his/her peers, typically held on the day of the election. NHS Officers will not hold concurrent office with any other Honor Society, Student Council, Senior Class Office or club/activity; this includes serving as an editor. NHS officers must realize that, while being part of a sports team is not prohibited, attendance at officer meetings and general meetings is required and absence is grounds for dismissal.

The officer candidates will undergo interviews in private meetings with the current officers as well as the adviser(s). Approved candidates will be notified and will then have the opportunity to address the general membership the day of the election, reflecting the democratic principles identified in the national NHS constitution.

Only members who are present at the elections meeting will be permitted to cast a vote. There will be no absentee ballots. Members will vote for one candidate per office. Any ballot indicating more than one casting per office will be discarded.

The results of the elections will be tallied by the current officers and overseen by the adviser(s). THe results will be posted on the NHS bulletin board, on the website and in the following day’s announcements.

In the case of unfilled positions, the current officers can recommend a candidate who was not selected for a position a possible alternative UNFILLED position. If the position remains unfilled or in the case of a candidate resigning the new officers will have the duty of appointing a person to fill the position.

The newly elected officers will begin their duties immediately as “elect” positions and work concurrently with the current officers in order to gain experience in their new role.

Officers’ Duties

It is important to understand that all officers and the adviser (the Executive Committee) must work closely together as a team. Therefore, many of the responsibilities will overlap among officers.

At times officers will be asked to perform duties not specifically assigned to that office. The following is an example of each officer’s responsibilities as agreed by the Executive committee.

President

●Assign/recruit members to carry out NHS events.

●Post AM/PM announcements

●Delegate responsibilities among officers.

●Oversee all other officers.

●Preside over general membership meetings.

●Oversee all matters regarding the completion of all activities concerning the NHS

●Finalizes the agenda for meetings and provides the same to the adviser(s) NO LATER than 48 hours prior to a scheduled meeting – NO EXCEPTIONS

●Keep adviser(s) informed of all new development or ideas concerning the NHS and its members.

●Perform all other duties delegated by the Society or the adviser(s).

●Collaborate with V.P to maintain JJ NHS website

Vice President

●Assign/recruit members to carry out NHS events.

●Oversee and monitor all committee meetings and endeavors.

●Post AM/PM announcements.

●Delegate responsibilities among officers.

●Oversee all other officers.

●Oversee all matters regarding the completion of all activities concerning the NHS.

●Keep adviser(s) informed of all new development or ideas concerning the NHS and its members.

●Work with the President to create an agenda for each meeting

●Act as President when the President is unavailable

●Perform all other duties delegated by the Society, President or the adviser(s).

●Maintain JJ NHS website

Executive Secretary

●Plan meetings with President and Vice President; type and copy agenda and submit it to the adviser(s) for review at least 2 days prior to meeting.

●Prepare minutes for each meeting and submit them to the adviser(s)

●Post minutes in Google Groups, the website, and/or e-mail minutes, agenda, and all other communiques to general membership in a timely fashion

●Maintain accurate membership contact list

●Take attendance at meetings and maintain accurate records of the same. Review regularly with adviser(s) (Monthly).

●Update NHS Bulletin board.

●Assist with organization of paperwork for application for membership and Induction

●Assist with production of Induction Program

●Other responsibilities as assigned by the Executive committee and adviser(s).

Membership Secretary

●Maintain accurate records of events and service hours for all members.

●Assist with attendance at general membership meetings.

●Review all records regularly with adviser(s) (Monthly).

●Assist with organization of paperwork for Graduation evaluation

●Other responsibilities as assigned by the Executive committee and adviser(s).

Treasurer

●Maintain accurate and precise records of all NHS Accounts Receivables/Payables in a timely manner.

●Meet regularly with advisers to review records (monthly)

●Count all outgoing and incoming inventory.

●Publicity of financial records.(Report at general membership meetings)

●Other responsibilities as assigned by the Executive committee and adviser(s).

Ambassador / Vice Ambassador

●Represent the NHS at all Student Council and additional “administrative” or club meetings

●Report to the Executive Committee, advisers, and general membership

●Other responsibilities as assigned by the Executive committee and adviser(s).

** Officers are required to attend additional Executive Committee meetings with the adviser(s) that will be held weekly prior to the general membership meetings. Officers MAY NOT miss these meetings. “Emergencies” must be just that – EMERGENCIES – and officers must provide the adviser(s) notification within 24 hours of this emergency in person, or via e-mail, phone call, or text message.

**Officers who fail to carry out their duties or to maintain a 90 quarterly average will be relieved of their office immediately, with no warning. Officers may miss no more than four meetings, with prior adviser notification. Officers who are removed from office will be replaced by appointment at the discretion of the advisers.

**Conduct unbecoming of an officer can result in immediate removal from office. Probation is at the discretion of the adviser. Removal from office can lead to dismissal as a general member of the NHS. Dismissal from general membership must follow established NHS guidelines.

Voting

For all instances of voting, a majority vote is required and only members present can cast a ballot. No minimum percentage of membership is required for a vote unless the meeting is not a general membership meeting. If that is the case then 75% of the membership must be present.

  1. At the start of the academic year, the general membership will submit suggestions for a charity that will be a recipient for all NHS fundraising activities. The NHS officers will confer and select three to five charities to recommend to the general membership. The charity will then be chosen by majority vote.
  1. The general membership of NHS will vote on all expenditures for the club. At each general membership meeting, the treasurer will give an update on expenses and revenue. A majority vote is required for disbursement of funds. The general membership may vote to award the officers the ability to vote on incidental/essential expenditures (paper products, tickets, supplies, etc.) to expedite their purchase.
  1. NHS members will have the opportunity to suggest ideas for fundraisers and activities that can be voted on by the general membership.

Dues Requirement