NHS 

CONSTITUTION OF THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY 

OF 

NORTH JOHNSTON HIGH SCHOOL

Revised,  June 2013

ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE 

Section 1.  The name of this chapter shall be the North Johnston Chapter of the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools, which appears on the charter granted by the National Council of the National Honor Society, duly signed by the national secretary.

Section 2.  The object of this chapter shall be to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote worthy leadership, and to encourage the development of character in all students of North Johnston High School.

Section 3.  This chapter shall be under the sponsorship and supervision of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

ARTICLE II: THE NATIONAL COUNCIL 

Section 1.  The control of this organization shall be vested in the National Council.

Section 2.  The National Council shall consist of eleven members appointed by the Board of Directors of the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Section 3.  Members shall be appointed for a term of no more than three years.

Section 4.  A simple majority of members shall constitute a quorum of the National Council.

ARTICLE III: STATE/REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Section 1. Local chapters may choose to organize state associations. The state principals' associations may form regional associations as defined by NASSP.

Section 2. Any state or regional association of National Honor Society chapters shall conform to this Constitution and shall work with the NASSP Student Activities office in furthering the purpose of this organization.

Section 3. All state and/or regional associations shall be affiliated with the National Honor Society.

Section 4. The state and/or regional affiliate shall not serve as an appeal board for local chapter nonselection or dismissal cases.

Section 5. Bylaws of the state or regional associations must be approved by the secretary of the National Honor Society  (the NASSP Director of Student Activities) and must be consistent with this Constitution.

ARTICLE IV: LOCAL CHAPTERS

 Section 1. Any secondary public school is eligible to apply for a charter for a local chapter.

Section 2. Each chapter shall pay a chartering fee determined by the National Council.

Section 3. Each school with a chapter shall pay an annual affiliation fee recommended by the National Council and approved by the NASSP Board of Directors.

Section 4. The annual individual member dues paid to the North Johnston chapter shall be fifteen dollars.

Section 5. Duly chartered local chapters shall conform to the National Constitution as set forth by the National Council. Failure to do so may result in the loss of the charter.

ARTICLE V: 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 member of the faculty as chapter adviser, who may serve consecutive terms.

Section 3. The principal shall annually appoint a Faculty Council composed of five members of the school's faculty who may serve consecutive terms.

Section 4. The principal shall receive appeals in cases of nonselection of candidates, and the disciplining or dismissal of members.

ARTICLE VI: 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.

Section 5. The chapter adviser shall be an ex-officio, non-voting, sixth member of the Faculty Council.

Section 6. The chapter adviser shall be a member of the faculty, appointed annually by the principal, and may serve consecutive terms.

ARTICLE VII: FACULTY COUNCIL

Section 1. The Faculty Council shall consist of five voting faculty members appointed annually by the principal. The chapter adviser shall be an ex-officio, non-voting, sixth member of the Faculty Council. 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 Faculty Council shall review the procedures of the chapter.

Section 4. The Faculty Council will ensure the chapter remains in compliance with the national guidelines.

ARTICLE VIII: MEMBERSHIP 

Section 1.  Selection and continued membership in this chapter shall be based upon scholarship, service, leadership, and character.

Section 2.  Membership of this chapter shall be known as active and graduate.  The graduate members have no vote.  Active members become graduate members at graduation.

Section 3. Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony.

Section 4. 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 5. An NHS member who transfers from another school and brings a letter from the principal or chapter adviser to the school’s adviser shall be accepted automatically as a member in North Johnston High School's chapter. Transfer members must meet the chapter's standards within one semester in order to retain membership.

Section 6. Members who resign or are dismissed are never again eligible for membership or its benefits.  

ARTICLE IX: SELECTION OF MEMBERS 

Section 1.  To be eligible for election to membership in the North Johnston Chapter, the candidate must have been in attendance at this school for one semester. 

Section 2.  Membership in this chapter is open to students in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades who have a cumulative weighted grade point average of at least 3.50 on the first day of the third nine weeks.  The cumulative weighted scholastic average of 3.50 shall include all courses.  Students must be taking courses that will meet the minimum requirements for a College/University Prep Diploma.  In addition to scholarship, potential candidates must demonstrate the qualities of service, leadership, and character. Students must adhere to the following in order to satisfy the character requirement:  No suspensions; No more than 3 trips to In-School Suspension per year; No more than 2 Needs Improvement on Conduct per year; No Unsatisfactory for Conduct.  In addition, students must list leadership roles in church, community, or work on their application.  Each prospective member must list at least one position to fulfill the requirement.  Furthermore, students must include occasions when he/she has served the school, church, or community to satisfy the service requirement.  Each applicant must have served in some manner.  All these qualities are of equal importance in obtaining membership.  Students may not apply for membership.

Section 3.  A description of the selection procedure shall be published on the school’s website. The selection procedure shall be consistent with the rules and regulations of NHS. 

Section 4.  The selection of members to this chapter shall be by a majority vote of the Faculty Council which consists of five faculty members appointed by the principal.  The chapter adviser shall be the sixth, non-voting, ex-officio member of the Faculty Council.

Section 5.  The selection of active members shall be held once a year during the second semester of the school year.  

Section 6.  Prior to the final selection, the following shall occur:

  a. Students’ academic records shall be reviewed to determine scholastic eligibility.

  b. Students who are eligible scholastically (i.e., candidates) shall be notified and asked to complete and submit the Student Activity Information Form (a.k.a the “Candidate’s Form”) for further consideration.

  c. The faculty shall be requested to evaluate candidates determined to be scholastically eligible using the official evaluation form provided by the chapter adviser.

  d. The Faculty Council shall review the Student Activity Information Form, faculty evaluations and other relevant information to determine those who fully meet the selection criteria for membership.

ARTICLE X: DISCIPLINE AND DISMISSAL

Section 1.  Any member who earns a grade lower than a C during the first nine weeks of a semester, or who receives one N on conduct during a year, or who has been sent to Choices for the second offense of the year, or who has been reported to the chapter advisor by a teacher for deliberate cheating, or who has been charged with a misdemeanor offense to civic law including traffic violations in excess of 20mph shall receive a letter of warning and will be placed on probation. 

Section 2.  Any member who earns a final grade lower than a C in any course, or whose cumulative weighted average (G.P.A.) falls below 3.50 (NOTE:  G.P.A.’s are calculated in January and June only), or who receives a second N on conduct during a year, or who receives one U on conduct during a year, or who fails to earn 25 service points during a school year, or who has been sent to In-School Suspension for the third offense of the year, or who has been suspended from school for the first time of the year, or who has been reported to the chapter advisor by a teacher for a second offense of deliberate cheating, or who has been convicted of a misdemeanor offense to civic law other than traffic violations, or who has been charged with a felony offense to civic law, or who has an offense which requires probation but has been placed on probation previously shall receive a letter of immediate dismissal.

Section 3.  In all cases of pending dismissal:

  a. The member will receive written notification from the adviser/Faculty Council indicating the reason for consideration of dismissal.

  b. The member will be given the opportunity to respond to the charge(s) against him/her at a hearing before the Faculty Council prior to any vote on dismissal (in accordance with due process identified in Article X of the National Constitution). The member has the opportunity to present his/her defense either in person or via a written statement presented in lieu of the face-to-face hearing. Following the hearing, the Faculty Council will then vote on whether to dismiss. A majority vote of the Faculty Council is needed to dismiss any member.

  c. The results of the Faculty Council vote will be presented to the principal for review, and then stated in a letter sent to the student and parents. Dismissed members must surrender any membership emblems to the adviser.

  d. The Faculty Council’s decision may be appealed to the building principal and afterwards according to provisions of the school district discipline policies.

  e. A member who is dismissed or resigns, may never again be considered for membership in the National Honor Society.

  f.  Notice of his dismissal must be indicated on the annual report submitted to the national secretary at the end of the school year. 

Section 4.  National Honor Society members from the Junior Class are required to serve as marshals at graduation, baccalaureate, and/or senior activity.  Members are also required to attend practices for these events.  Failure to assume these responsibilities may result in automatic dismissal from the society.

Section 5.  A description of the discipline and dismissal procedures shall be published on the school’s website. The procedures shall be consistent with the rules and regulations of NHS.

ARTICLE XI: CHAPTER OFFICERS 

Section 1.  The officers of this chapter shall be a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, reporter, and parliamentarian.

Section 2.  Student officers shall be elected at the last meeting of each school year.  All returning members in good standing with the chapter are eligible to run for a position as an officer. Any active member can nominate an eligible member as a candidate for office. 

Section 3.  Voting shall be by secret ballot. A majority vote 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 of the two candidates receiving 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 preside in the absence of the president.

Section 6.  The chapter secretary shall keep the minutes of meetings, a record of all business, and all records on file. 

Section 7.  The treasurer shall receive and disburse all funds of the chapter and keep an accurate account of receipts and disbursements in accordance with school regulations.

Section 8.  The parliamentarian shall rule on points of question concerning parliamentary procedures during Chapter meetings and keep by-laws up to date.

ARTICLE XII: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1.  The executive committee shall consist of the officers of the chapter and the chapter adviser(s). 

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 have the responsibility for ensuing that chapter activities and procedures follow school policy and regulations.

ARTICLE XIII: MEETINGS

 Section 1.  The regular meetings of the North Johnston Chapter shall be during regularly scheduled club/activity time.

Section 2.  The president may call special meetings, approved by the executive committee.

 Section 3.  All meetings shall be open meetings and shall be held under the sponsorship of the principal or some other member of the faculty selected by him.

 Section 4.  The North Johnston Chapter shall conduct its meetings according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised in all points not expressly provided for in the constitution of this chapter.

ARTICLE XIV: ACTIVITIES

Section 1. The North Johnston Chapter shall have two service projects for each year.

Section 2. All members shall regularly participate in these projects.

Section 3. These projects shall have the following characteristics: Fulfill a need within the school or community; Have the support of the administration and the faculty; Be appropriate and educationally defensible; Be well planned, organized, and executed.

Section 4. Each member shall have the responsibility for earning 25 service points through participation in the service projects and other events deemed appropriate by the chapter advisors. Failure to do so will result in immediate dismissal.

Section 5. Each chapter shall publicize its projects in a positive manner.  

ARTICLE XV: OFFICIAL INSIGNIA

Section 1.  Each member of the North Johnston 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 as a gift, a personal purchase, an award, or from whatever source, the title to the emblem shall rest with the North Johnston Chapter of which he is a member.  The Faculty Council can, therefore, by a majority vote, request that the emblem be returned by any member.  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 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, 1904 Association Drive, Reston, Virginia.  All insignia are registered in the United States Patent Office, and cannot be duplicated by anyone.

Section 5. The motto of the National Honor Society shall be Noblesse Oblige.

Section 6. The official colors of the National Honor Society shall be blue and gold.

Section 7. A graduate member may purchase a replacement for a lost emblem by verifying membership to the national office.

ARTICLE XVI: BYLAWS

Section 1. The chapter shall write bylaws to amplify sections of this Constitution and to clarify operating procedures of the chapter. Bylaws do not need the approval of the National Council but must be consistent with its Constitution. These bylaws will be approved upon receiving a majority affirmative vote of the Faculty Council, and approval by the administration.

Section 2. The chapter bylaws shall contain information concerning the election and duties of officers, the schedule of meetings, member obligations, dues, and the like. These bylaws shall be reviewed and if necessary, revised within three years from the date of approval noted on this document.  

ARTICLE XVII: AMENDMENTS

Section 1. This Constitution may be amended at any meeting of the executive committee contingent on approval by the principal. The exceptions are Articles IX and X, which are developed by the Faculty Council and approved upon receiving a majority affirmative vote of the Faculty Council, and approval by the administration.