EHS NHS By-Laws

Earlham National Honor Society

By-Laws

Article I
The name of the organization shall be the Earlham High School Chapter of the National Honor Society, which appears on the charter granted by the National Council of the National Honor Society, by the national society.

Article II
Purpose

The purpose of the Earlham Chapter of the National Honor Society is to promote leadership, scholarship, character and service in our school and community.

Article III
Powers

Principal:

The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decision of the chapter
The principal shall appoint the faculty advisor
The principal shall appoint the faculty council, which is comprised of the five members of the high school faculty.

Faculty Council:

Shall consist of five voting high school faculty members appointed by the principal; these members may serve consecutive terms.
Shall meet at least once a year to review the procedures of the chapter, select members, consider non-selection, probation, dismissal, other disciplinary actions and warning cases.
Will develop and revise, when necessary, all chapter procedures for selection, disciplining, and dismissal of members, all of which must remain in compliance with national guidelines. (NHS Constitution and Handbook, p.8)

Faculty Advisor:

Shall be responsible for the direct, day-to-day supervision of the chapter and act as liaison between faculty, administration, students, and community.
Shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transitions and send the annual report to the national office.
Shall regularly review each member for compliance with Society standards and obligations.
Shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties.
Shall be an ex-officio, non-voting, sixth member of the Faculty Council.

Article IV
Definition of Membership

Membership in the Earlham chapter of the National Honor Society is an honor bestowed upon a student. Membership is not a right or an elective position, but rather a privilege enjoyed by those students outstanding in scholarship, character, leadership and service. Membership is not automatically conveyed simply because a student achieves a 3.25 GPA or submits a Student Activity Information Form.

An active member is one who:

maintains the standards of the society – character, leadership, scholarship and service.
Maintains a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25.
Any qualified sophomore, junior or senior.

Article V
Selection of Membership

Section 1

To be eligible for membership, a candidate must:

be a sophomore, junior, or senior;
Have been in attendance at Earlham High School the equivalent of one semester;
Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 (through the last completed semester).

Section 2
Upon completion of the 1st semester, the Faculty Advisor shall review students’ academic records to determine scholastic eligibility.

Eligible candidates shall receive an Activity Information Form which includes an essay (see Appendix A) from the chapter advisor. This form shall be completed by the candidate and returned to the chapter advisor by a specified date.

Section 3
Eligible candidates shall then be evaluated by thehigh school teaching faculty on the basis of leadership, service and character (see Appendix B).

Section 4
The Faculty Council will review the Activity Information Form and results of the faculty evaluations to determine which candidates meet the required elements for selection.

Section 5
  Candidates will be announced to the student body by the existing members in an assembly held in the auditorium. Parents of the new candidates will be present in cognito.

Section 6
  Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony to be held once a year following the end of the first semester (usually in March.)

Section 7
  Students not meeting the requirements for selection will be given the total scores of the three selection criteria by the Faculty Advisor in a private session. Questions and concerns will be answered at that time.

Article VI
Discipline and Dismissal

Section 1
  Any member who falls below the standards of scholarship, leadership, character, or service may be dismissed from the Earlham Chapter of the National Honor Society. A member of the National Honor Society is expected to maintain his/her academic standing and take an active role in service and leadership to his/her school and community.

Section 2
  If a member’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.25, he/she will be given a written warning and has one semester to improve. If the cumulative GPA remains below 3.25 at the end of that semester, the student will be dismissed by the Faculty Council of the chapter.

Section 3

Any student who falls below the standards of the National Honor Society will be notified in writing by the Faculty Advisor of the violation and time period (one semester) for improvement (probation) and warning of the possible consequences for non-improvement.
If a member fails to improve in the area where there is a deficiency, the faculty advisor must convene a meeting of the Faculty Council to consider the facts of the case. If the Faculty Council determines that the facts warrant consideration of dismissal, the member shall be notified in writing of the violation, the possibility of dismissal, and the need for a scheduled meeting with the Faculty Council.
Once a member has been placed on probation, any further violation of school rules, civil law or the chapter’s standards regarding GPA and community service will result in dismissal from the organization.
Any individual placed on probation during his/her senior year will not be allowed to wear the NHS stole at graduation.
The members are subject to dismissal if they do not maintain all the standards of the society. If any member is involved in an act of poor conduct, he/she may be brought before the Faculty council, principal, or advisor for disciplinary action. Examples of poor conduct include but are not limited to the following: lying, cheating, involvement with alcohol or drugs (supplying, possession or consumption), vandalism and any gross violation of school rules and regulation, any conduct that causes embarrassment to the Society or Earlham High School, and any violation of civil law. (It should be noted that this behavior is not restricted to the school year or school hours and includes summer vacation and weekend activities as well.)
The faculty advisor will give limited warnings.
In the case of a flagrant violation of school rules or civil laws, a warning is not required for dismissal.

A pre-dismissal hearing of the Faculty Council will be held.
If the Faculty Council determines that there is need for dismissal, a hearing will be scheduled in a timely manner and the member will be allowed to appear before the Faculty Council and explain the situation.
If a member is dismissed, written notice of the decision is sent to the member, parent/guardian, and the principal.

The member must surrender the NHS emblem, membership card and membership certificate.

An appeal of the dismissal can be made to the school principal or superintendent.
Once dismissed from the NHS the student will never again be eligible for membership in the NHS again and will not wear the NHS stole at the senior graduation and will not have the NHS seal on his/her diploma.

Article VII
Meetings

Section 1
  The chapter shall have regularly called meetings during the school year on days designated by the faculty advisor and in accordance with school policy and regulations. The chapter advisor will try to work around other school activities when scheduling meetings.

Section 2
  Attendance at NHS meetings is an expectation for NHS members. Students who are on probation are expected to attend meetings. Excessive unexcused absenteeism prevents the chapter from fulfilling its goals and makes it difficult to disseminate information.

Article VIII
Duties and Responsibilities
Section 1
  The Earlham High School chapter of the National Honor Society shall create enthusiasm for scholarship, stimulate a desire to render service, promote leadership and develop character. As an organization, it will seek to develop a culture of pride and respect within the school and establish a history of fairness and consistency.

Section 2
  The officers of the Earlham High School chapter of the National Honor Society are as follows:

President

Create the agenda for all meetings with the advice and consent of the officers and the advisor.
Preside at all meetings of the EHS NHS.
Appoint necessary committees and delegate leadership responsibilities of service projects and activities.
Serve as ex-officio member on committees and projects.
Preside at the Induction Ceremony and deliver the speech on “Leadership.”
Represent the EHS NHS at all public occurrences.
See that the names of all persons who participated in each service project and attended each meeting are submitted to the advisor with the help of the Secretary and Treasurer in order that the Advisor may fulfill the responsibility of notifying and informing those not fully participating of the responsibilities of NHS membership.
Maintain close communication with the Chapter Advisor.
Set an example of scholarship, leadership, character and service for others to follow.

Vice-President

Preside at all meetings and perform all duties in the absence of the President.
Coordinate and check on the planning activities of the various committees and keep the President informed of their progress and problems.
Perform any duties delegated by the President.
Coordinate projects and help plan the calendar for the year.
Deliver an Induction Ceremony speech on “Character.”
Set an example of scholarship, leadership, character and service for others to follow.

Secretary

Keep minutes of all meetings
Keep accurate attendance of all meetings and service projects and report to the President and the Advisor the names of any members who have become inactive.
Conduct correspondence with the President, Advisor, and the Administration and elements of the community when necessary.
With the Chapter Historian, collect all publicity, clippings, and/or photographs for the chapter.
Deliver an Induction Ceremony speech on “Scholarship.”
Set an example of scholarship, leadership, character and service for others to follow.

Treasurer

Maintain with the Advisor a financial record of all income and expenditures for the period the officer holds office.

Recommend fundraising activities.
Set an example of scholarship, leadership, character and service for others to follow.

Historian/Reporter

Collect and bind all induction ceremony speeches for posterity, and make an effort to obtain whatever speeches were delivered in the past and are, to date, lost in order to build a collection and a tradition.
Aid the secretary in press, publicity and photography tasks.
Assure that there is a collection of photographs of NHS activities.
Deliver the induction ceremony speech on “Service.”
Set an example of scholarship, leadership, character and service for others to follow.

Section 3
In addition to the duties outlined in Article III, Section 2 of these bylaws, the duties and responsibilities of the Advisor are as follows:

Set an example of scholarship, leadership, character and service for others to follow.
Attend all meetings and assure that proper procedure is followed by the officers.
Provide direction to chapter members concerning opportunities for service.
Work with the Faculty Council in selecting, disciplining, or dismissing members.
Promote chapter activities.
Stimulate positive action by members.

Section 4
Members of the Earlham High School chapter of the National Honor Society shall fulfill the following duties and responsibilities:

Maintain the standard by which they are selected.
Select a challenging academic course schedule throughout their junior and senior years which includes advanced classes, such as advanced math, honors or college prep English, and advanced science courses (physics, anatomy, advanced biology, and chemistry.)
Attend meetings on a regular basis.
Participate in a majority of the planned chapter service projects.
Document a minimum of 20 hours of individual community service each year by complete a variety of individual service projects. This community service must be documented and turned in by May 15th each year. Community service performed during the summer does not count toward the total 20 required hours. Members are also expected to participate in fund-raising activities, and in chapter service activities.
Attend and participate in the induction ceremony for new members.
Set an example of scholarship, leadership, character and service for others to follow.

Section 5
Nominations for each office will be made by current and new members in the fall. An official ballot will be distributed to each member of the chapter and will be controlled by signing off on the membership list. The candidate who receives the most votes for each office shall be notified of their selection.

Section 6
The removal of officers may be affected by a 2/3 vote of the membership. Written documentation detailing the reason(s) for removal shall be provided to the officer facing removal by the Chapter Advisor, and the officer shall have an opportunity to defend himself/herself before the membership.

Section 7
In the event an office comes open during the school year, the procedure outlined in Section 5 above will be followed in order to fill the vacancy.

Article IX
Rules of Order

Section 1
Meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order.

Article X
Ratification of Bylaws

Section 1
Chapter bylaws shall be voted on by the current membership (with the exception of Article 5), and approved by the Faculty Council and the Principal.

Article XI
Amending the Bylaws

Section 1
If changes to the bylaws become necessary, those changes shall be proposed in writing, distributed to the membership for review and discussion, and brought to a vote. A 2/3 vote of the membership is required to amend the bylaws. Changes to the selection procedures, discipline procedures, and dismissal procedures may only be made by the Faculty Council; however, membership input is encourage.

Appendix A – Student Interest Form for Perspective Members

Appendix B – Qualities of Service, Leadership & Character

From the NHS Handbook:

The student who serves:
Volunteers and provides dependable and well organized assistance, is gladly available, and is willing to sacrifice to offer assistance

Works well with others and is willing to take on difficult or inconspicuous responsibilities

Cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any requested service to the school

Is willing to represent the class or school in inter-class and inter-scholastic competition

Does committee and staff work without complaint

Participates in some activity outside the school, for example, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, church groups, volunteer

services for the elderly, poor, or disadvantaged

Mentors persons in the community or students at other schools

Shows courtesy by assisting visitors, teachers, and students

The student who exercises leadership:
Is resourceful in proposing new problems, applying principles, and making suggestions.

Demonstrates initiative in promoting school activities

Exercises positive influence on peers in upholding school ideals

Contributes ideas that improve the civic life of the school

Is able to delegate responsibilities

Exemplifies positive attitudes

Inspires positive behavior in others

Demonstrates academic initiative

Successfully holds school offices or positions of responsibility; conducts business effectively and efficiently;

demonstrates reliability and dependability

Is a leader in the classroom, at work, and in other school or community activities

Is thoroughly dependable in any responsibility accepted

Is willing to uphold scholarship and maintain a loyal school attitude.

A person of character:
Demonstrates the following six qualities: respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring,

and citizenship

Takes criticism willingly and accepts recommendations graciously

Consistently exemplifies desirable qualities of behavior (cheerfulness, friendliness, poise, stability)

Upholds principles of morality and ethics

Cooperates by complying with school regulations concerning property, programs, office, halls, etc.

Demonstrates the highest standards of honesty and reliability

Regularly shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others

Observes instructions and rules, is punctual, and faithful both inside and outside the classroom

Has powers of concentration, self-discipline, and sustained attention as shown by perseverance and

application to studies

Manifests truthfulness in acknowledging obedience to rules, avoiding cheating in written work and

showing unwillingness to profit by the mistakes of others

Actively helps rid the school of bad influences or environment.