NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

Advisor: Gulderen Deniz and Jennifer Goodrich

Description: The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to recognize those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. -NHS Website 

Meeting Days and Times: Once a month on Wednesdays throughout the school year

Officers: Jack Christopher, Aditi Ashokkumar, Dahlia Welland, Laasya Gattu, Brandon Park

Activities: Students complete three service hours monthly. Three hours are completed individually and the student can pick what they dedicate their time to each month. There is one group project in the fall: TBD, and one group project in the Spring: Coffeehouse. 

Constitution of Shrewsbury High School Chapter of NHS:

 

Article I Name and Purpose

Section 1:  The name of this organization shall be the Shrewsbury High School Chapter of the National Honor Society.

 

Section 2:  The purpose of this organization shall be to create enthusiasm for scholarship and to provide opportunities for service in order to develop leadership and character in the members of this organization.

 

Article II The Principal

Section 1:  The Principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the organization.

 

Section 2:  The Principal shall appoint the chapter advisor(s) and a Faculty Council.  The advisor(s) and faculty council members may serve consecutive one-year terms.

 

Article III The Chapter Advisor(s)

 

Section 1:  The Chapter Advisor(s) shall be responsible for the direct, day-to-day supervision of the chapter and shall act as a liaison between faculty, administration, students, and community.

 

Section 2:  The Chapter Advisor(s) shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, and financial transactions.  The Chapter Advisor(s) shall send the annual report to the national office.

 

Section 3:  The Chapter Advisor(s) in conjunction with the Faculty Council and Principal shall regularly review each member for compliance with Society standards and obligations.

 

Section 4:  The Chapter Advisor(s) shall help the Chapter officers understand and carry out their duties.

 

Article IV The Faculty Council

 

Section 1:  The faculty Council shall consist of a committee of five 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 Advisor(s) and Principal shall be ex-officio members of the Faculty Board.

 

Section 4:  The Council will regularly participate in the Chapter’s program of activities.

 

Article V Membership

Section 1:  Membership in the Shrewsbury High School Chapter of the National Honor Society is an honor bestowed upon a student.  Scholarship is determined by a student’s maintaining a 4.400 GPA (on a 5 point scale).  Selection is based on the following criteria:  scholarship, character, leadership, and service.  Once selected, members have the responsibility to continue to demonstrate these qualities of scholarship, leadership, service, and character.  The following guidelines will give further help in definition of leadership, service, and character:
Leadership
The student who exercises leadership:
1.  Is resourceful in proposing new solutions to problems, applying principles, and making suggestions.
2.  Demonstrates leadership in promoting school activities.
3.  Exercises influence on peers in upholding school rules.
4.  Contributes ideas that improve the school community.
5.  Is able to delegate responsibilities.
6.  Exemplifies a positive attitude.
7.  Inspires positive behavior in others.
8.  Demonstrates academic initiative.
9.  Successfully holds school offices or position of responsibility, conducts business efficiently and effectively, and is consistently reliable and dependable.
10.  Demonstrates leadership in the classroom, at work, and in school activities.
Service
1.  Is willing to uphold scholarship and maintain a loyal school attitude.
2.  Participates in some outside activity:  Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, church groups, volunteer services for the aged, poor, or disadvantaged, family duties.
3.  Volunteer dependable and well-organized assistance, is gladly available, and is willing to sacrifice time when necessary.
4.  Works well with others and is willing to take on difficult or inconspicuous responsibilities.
5.  Cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any requested service to the school.
6.  Does committee and staff work without complaint.
7.  Shows courtesy by assisting visitors, teachers, and students.
Character
1.  Takes criticism willingly and accepts recommendations graciously.
2.  Constantly exemplifies desirable qualities of personality (cheerfulness, friendliness, poise, stability).
3.  Upholds principles of morality and ethics.
4.  Cooperates by complying with school regulations concerning rules, property, programs office, halls, etc.
5.  Demonstrates the highest standards of honesty and reliability.
6.  Show courtesy, concern and respect for others.
7.  Observes instructions and rules, punctuality and faithfulness both inside and outside of the classroom.
8.  Manifests truthfulness in acknowledging obedience to rules and voiding cheating.
9.  Actively participates in the life of the school community.

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:  New members may be inducted at the following times: 
Qualifying junior inductees shall be inducted at a special ceremony normally held in the spring.
Qualifying senior inductees shall be installed either in the fall, winter, or spring of the senior year.

Section 4:  All members who are seniors in good standing are eligible to be nominated by the Chapter to compete in the National Honor Society Scholarship program.  Suggestions for nominees will be presented to the NHS Faculty Council by the faculty and the NHS inductees.  The NHS Faculty Council shall select the two finalists, who are chosen to represent Shrewsbury High School.

Section 5:  A junior or senior member of the National Honor Society who transfers from another school and brings a letter from the former Principal and/or chapter advisor(s) to the Principal of the Shrewsbury High School shall be accepted as a member of the Shrewsbury High School Chapter of the National Honor Society.  In all cases, transfer students must meet the standards of the Shrewsbury Chapter within one semester to retain membership.
 

Section 6:   Individual members are required to pay dues not to exceed twenty dollars inclusively.  The exact amount shall be determined by the executive committee of the chapter and shall be subject to the approval of the chapter membership.  All money(s) for dues or for any activity will be paid by the due date.

Section 7: Inductees/Members are required to attend monthly meetings.  If for some legitimate reason they are unable to do so, they must notify the Chapter Secretary/Chapter Advisors in writing.

Section 8: Inductees/Members in order to demonstrate leadership and character are required to participate in the activities of the organization.  If the student has a conflict, this should be made known in writing to the Advisor(s) and an adjustment can be agreed upon.  Written attendance records of meetings and activities will be kept by the Chapter Secretary and the Advisor(s).

Section 9: Inductees/Members demonstrate service by participating in one group project in the fall, and one group project in the spring, as well as 3 individual service hours a month. Additionally, inductees/members are responsible for 5 service hours between June 1 and September 30. 

Section 10:  Members who resign or are dismissed are never again eligible for membership or its benefits.

Article VI Selection of Members

Section 1:  Students become eligible for membership after the first semester of their junior year and continue to be eligible throughout the junior year.  Candidates must have been in attendance at Shrewsbury High School for one semester before being considered for membership.  Some candidates may be ineligible for induction because of the semester ruling.  Many students, including students of military parents, are required to move with parents or guardians that have transferred in their work.  The present school principal should seek a recommendation from the previous school principal pursuant to the candidate’s selection.  Based on the recommendation of the previous principal, the Faculty Council may waive the semester regulation.

Section 2:  Candidates must have (a) a cumulative grade point average after 3 semesters of no less than an achieved score of 4.400 on a 5 point scale and (b) maintain a minimum of five courses of 2.5 credits each semester during this period of time.  Candidates shall then be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership, and character.

Section 3:  Candidates for membership will receive an Activity Information and a form which they will complete and return to the Chapter Advisor(s) in the spring.  By the designated due date, candidates will provide evidence of completed and/or planned activities prior to induction.  Statements of leadership and character will also be presented no later than the end of the first week in March.

Section 4:  The Activity Information Packet will describe the service/leadership activities which are sponsored in the school by the Chapter and in which eligible students are expected to participate as candidate nominees.  Candidates/members are expected to participate in the majority of the activities in the Chapter’s annual calendar of events and may be excused only in unusual circumstances by the advisor(s).

Section 5:  Candidates who have met the four (4) criteria will be reviewed by the whole faculty for final approval for membership with reference only to these disqualifying criteria:  one out-of-school suspension, two Saturday detentions, verifiable academic cheating or plagiarism, legal conviction other than a routine traffic matter.

Section 6: Students are not eligible for participation in the Shrewsbury High School Chapter of NHS if they participate in the QCC Dual Enrollment program for Grade 12.

Section 7:  The final selection of each member to the Chapter shall be by a majority vote of the Faculty Council.

Section 8:  A nominee who has not been voted membership will be notified in writing.

Article VII Probation/Dismissal

Section 1:  The Faculty Council and Chapter Advisor(s) will meet regularly during the school year to review each inductee/member for compliance with the requirements for continued participation in the Shrewsbury High School Chapter of the National Honor Society.
The points which will be considered are as follows:
a.  The Member must have (1) an achieved grade point average of 4.400 on a 5 point scale and (2) maintained a course load of five classes per semester carrying 2.5 credits each.  Grades will be reviewed at the end of the semester.  Members who fall below the standards for participation will be placed on academic probation.  They will be given one semester to remedy any deficiencies; failure to do so will result in dismissal.  During the academic probation students will continue to demonstrate leadership, character, and service.
b.  Members who do not participate in leadership/service activities as specified in Article VI, Section 4 and/or whose character becomes inconsistent with the rules of behavior as stated in the Shrewsbury High School Student Handbook or the NHS constitution will be placed on probation.  Written notice will be given of probation.  The length of time is to be determined by the Faculty Council.  If there is no evidence of improvement, the inductee/member will be called to a hearing before the Faculty Council with regard to impending dismissal.
c.  If a member violates the criteria of Article VI, Section 5, he/she will be dismissed without benefit of probation from membership in the National Honor Society. With respect to “verifiable academic cheating or plagiarism,” inductees/members will be dismissed without benefit of probation in the National Honor Society.
d.  The Chapter Advisor(s) will make note of the requirements for active participation in the National Honor Society and will report this information to the Faculty Council.
e. Missing two meetings without written authorization results in written probation; a third absence calls for hearing before the Faculty Council, which could result in dismissal.
f. Deficiency in scholarship, service, leadership, or character may result in probation or dismissal by the Faculty Council.

Section 2:  In the review process all faculty members will receive a list of current National Honor Society members.  They will be requested to note any deviations from the standards established for membership in good standing in the organization as stated in Article VI Section 5:  “with reference only to these disqualifying criteria: one out-of-school suspension, two Saturday detentions, verifiable academic cheating or plagiarism, legal conviction other than a routine traffic matter.

Section 3:  Members who fall below the standards which were the basis for their selection shall be promptly warned in writing by the chapter advisor and given a reasonable amount of time to correct the deficiency, except that in the case of flagrant violation of school rules or civil laws a member does not necessarily have to be warned.

Section 4:  Probation and dismissal actions shall be determined by the Faculty Council in accordance with the NHS Constitution.  In cases of impending dismissal, an inductee/member shall have the right to a hearing before the Faculty Council.

Section 5:  A member who has been dismissed may appeal the decision of the Faculty Council under the same rules for disciplinary appeals in the school district.

Article VIII Chapter Officers
Section 1:  The officers of the organization shall be elected in the spring by those juniors scheduled for induction.  The five elective offices are president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, service coordinator. 

Revised 1/4/2024