Congratulations on meeting the minimum requirements to be considered for induction into the National Honor Society at BakerHigh School. Below you will find information regarding requirements for participating in the National Honor Society. Please review with your parent/guardian the requirements and expectations of members, which have been taken from the Baker High School NHS By-Laws. If you agree to follow the requirements, please complete the information below and return this copy to Mrs. Ivey by February 11, 2011.
Potential NHS Member Name: ______
Student’s Signature & Date: ______
Parents’ Signature & Date: ______
______
BAKERHIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
CHAPTER - BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1. The name of this chapter shall be the Baker High School Chapter of the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools (NHS).
Section 2. The object of this chapter shall be to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote worthy leadership, and to encourage the development of character in the pupils of BakerHigh School.
Section 3. This chapter shall be under the supervision of the advisor and the six-member Faculty Council.
ARTICLE II
THE PRINCIPAL
Section 1. The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter.
Section 2. The principal shall annually appoint a chapter adviser, who may serve consecutive terms.
Section 3. The principal shall be a part of the local school district appeal process for non-selection or dismissal cases.
ARTICLE III
THE CHAPTER ADVISER
Section 1. The chapter adviser shall be responsible for the direct, day-to-day supervision of the chapter and act as liaison between faculty, administration, students, and community.
Section 2. The chapter adviser shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transactions. The chapter adviser shall send the annual report to the national office.
Section 3. The chapter adviser shall regularly review each member for compliance with Society standards and obligations.
Section 4. The chapter adviser shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties.
ARTICLE IV
FACULTY COUNCIL
Section 1. The faculty council shall consist of six voting faculty members appointed annually by the principal. No principal or assistant principal may be included on the faculty council.
Section 2. The term of the faculty council shall be one year. Members may be appointed to consecutive terms.
Section 3. The chapter adviser shall be an ex-officio, non-voting, seventh member of the faculty council.
Section 4. The faculty council shall meet at least once a year to select members and to consider non-selection, dismissal, other disciplinary actions, and warning cases.
ARTICLE V
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership in local chapters is an honor bestowed upon a student. Selection for membership is by a faculty council and is based on outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, and service. Once selected, members have the responsibility to continue to demonstrate these qualities.
Section 2. Membership shall be known as active and graduate. Active members shall become graduate members at graduation. Graduate members shall have no voice or vote in chapter affairs.
Section 3. The faculty council shall reserve the right to award honorary membership to school officials, principals, teachers, NHS advisers, or adults in recognition of outstanding service rendered to the school in keeping the purpose of the National Honor Society.
Section 4. Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony.
Section 5. Members who are seniors in good standing are eligible to be nominated by their chapters to compete in the National Honor Society Scholarship Program.
Section 6. A National Honor Society member who transfers to another school and brings a letter from the former principal or chapter adviser to the new school adviser shall be accepted automatically as a member in the new school’s chapter. Transfer members must meet the new chapter’s standards within one semester in order to retain membership.
Section 7. Members who resign or are dismissed are never again eligible for membership or its benefits.
ARTICLE VI
SELECTION OF MEMBERS
Section 1. To be eligible for membership the candidate must be a member of the sophomore, junior or senior class (sophomore class is optional). Candidates must have been in attendance at BakerHigh School the equivalent of one semester. They must have entered on the first day of the semester.
Section 2. Candidates must have a cumulative scholastic average of at least a 3.5 unweighted. All candidates must meet the same scholastic requirements, regardless of grade level. Candidates shall then be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership, and character. The following criteria will be used to determine whether a candidate is selected for membership:
Scholarship: The student must have an overall 3.5 average (unweighted) at the time of consideration for induction. The average will not be a “rounded” average but a minimum of 3.5 unweighted.
Service: Candidates must provide documentation of service hours on the Student Activity Information Form, and must return three (3) completed Service Verification Forms by the given deadline. At least one of the Service Verification Forms must be completed by the sponsor/coach of a school activity. Only one sporting activity can count towards the service requirement.
Leadership: Documentation of leadership skills will be provided on the Student Activity Information Form, the Classroom Teacher Evaluation of Character and Leadership Form, and the Service Verification Forms.
Character: Candidates cannot have committed any Class B, C, or D offenses within the past calendar year (see the Student Code of Conduct for explanation of offenses). Also, candidates may have no more than 3 Class A offenses within the past calendar year. Information on character of candidates is also provided on the Classroom Teacher Evaluation of Character and Leadership Form.
Section 3. The election of members to this chapter of the National Honor Society shall be by a majority vote of the Faculty Council. In no case will there be fewer than five teachers evaluating the candidates.
Section 4. A description of the selection procedure shall be published in an official school publication that is widely available in a timely fashion to all students and parents of the school. The selection procedure shall be determined by the faculty council and shall be consistent with the rules and regulations of the NHS.
ARTICLE VII
DISMISSAL
Section 1. Any active member who commits a Class B, C, or D offense will be immediately recommended for dismissal. A member dismissed from membership is never again eligible for membership in the National Honor Society.
Section 2. A member who commits two Class A offenses during membership will be placed on probation. Any member who commits five Class A offenses will be recommended for dismissal.
Section 3. A member whose unweighted GPA falls below 3.5 will be place on probation for one term. If the GPA continues to be below standards, the student will be recommended for dismissal.
Section 4. Any active member may be placed on probation for nonpayment of dues if dues are not received by the announced deadline. A repeated failure to pay dues by the deadline may result in dismissal from active membership upon majority vote by the Faculty Council. This will be strictly enforced.
Section 5. Any active member who accumulates two un-excused absences, for National Honor Society meetings, during a year may be placed on probation. Three un-excused absences may result in possible dismissal from active membership. Three tardies count as one absence. Excused absences may consist of doctor or dentist appointments, verified school activities, scheduled athletic events, and other reasons. A member shall have the adviser excuse the absence prior to the meeting, or shall submit in writing to the adviser the reason for the absence and the reason why the absence could not be excused prior to the meeting within three days of the absence.
ARTICLE VIII
OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of this chapter shall be president, vice-president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, treasurer, historian, and chaplain/parliamentarian.
Section 2. Officers shall be elected for one school year.
Section 3. A majority of votes cast shall be necessary to elect any officer of this chapter. If the first vote does not yield a majority, a second vote shall be taken on the two candidates who received the highest number of votes.
Section 4. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at the meetings of this chapter.
Section 5. The vice-president shall fill the chair of the president in his/her absence and serve as the coordinator of chairman for all committees.
Section 6. The recording secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings, a record of business and all records on file. The secretary shall also certify to the Secretary of the National Council the number graduated in each class, and the names of those elected to membership in this chapter, and the names of any student dismissed from this chapter.
Section 7. The corresponding secretary shall receive and answer all correspondence and shall fill the chair of the recording secretary in his/her absence.
Section 8. The treasurer shall meet the approval of the faculty committee, shall receive and disburse all funds of the chapter, and shall keep an accurate account of receipts and disbursements.
Section 9. The historian shall keep a scrapbook of all events of the National Honor Society.
Section 10. The chaplain/parliamentarian shall give devotion at the beginning of each Honor Society meeting and perform the duties of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
ARTICLE IX
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The executive committee shall consist of the officers of the chapter and the chapter adviser.
Section 2. The executive committee shall have general charge of the meetings and business of the chapter, but any action on the part of the executive committee may be subject to the review of the chapter.
Section 3. The executive committee shall appoint an auditing committee that will be responsible for auditing all accounts of the treasurer on an annual basis.
ARTICLE X
MEETINGS
Section 1. The regular meetings of this chapter shall be held once a month. The NHS meetings at BakerHigh School are held the 2nd Wednesday of each month. The executive committee meets on the Monday prior to the 2nd Wednesday of the month.
Section 2. The election of officers shall be held in April.
Section 3. Special meetings, approved by the council, may be held under the call of the president.
Section 4. All meetings shall be open meetings and shall be held under the supervision of the sponsor.
Section 5. This chapter shall conduct its meetings according to “Roberts Rules of Orders”, in all points not expressly provided for in the constitution of this chapter.
ARTICLE XI
EMBLEM
Section 1. Each member of this chapter shall be entitled to wear the emblem adopted by the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools.
Section 2. Any member who withdraws or is dismissed from the chapter shall return the emblem.
Section 3. Each member agrees that whether the emblem comes to him/her as a gift, a personal purchase, an award, or from whatever source, the title to the emblem rests with the chapter of which he/she is a member. The faculty council can, therefore, by a majority vote, request that any member return the emblem. In the case where the emblem can be shown to have been a personal purchase of the member, the council shall reimburse the member the original cost of the emblem upon its surrender. Furthermore, each member agrees that his/her acceptance of the emblem shall be considered affirmation of this stipulation in regard to the title of the emblem.
Section 4. All insignia must be procured from the national secretary of the National Honor Society. All insignia are registered in the United States Patent Office and cannot be duplicated by anyone.
ARTICLE XII
DUES/FEES
Section 1. The annual chapter dues/fees for each member at BakerHigh School shall be $35.
ARTICLE XIII
BYLAWS
Section 1. Bylaws amplify sections of the constitution. Bylaws do not need to be approved by the National Council if they are consistent with regulations outlined in the constitution.