The Bylaws of the Elk River Chapter of the National Honor Society

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1 Article I Name and Purpose The Bylaws of the Elk River Chapter of the National Honor Society Section 1. Name The Elk River High School Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) Section 2. Purpose The purpose of this organization is to honor the academic achievement of students at Elk River High School and to utilize their resources to serve the school and surrounding community. Similarly the NHS attempts to demonstrate the necessity of altruistic work for a society to prosper. Section 3. This Chapter of the National Honor Society will be actively affiliated with the Minnesota Association of Honor Societies and/or the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Article II Membership Section 1. Membership in this chapter is an honor bestowed upon a student. Selection for membership is by a Faculty Council vote and is based on outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, and service. Once selected, members have a responsibility to continue to demonstrate these qualities at the level required for admittance. Section 2. Membership of this Chapter shall be known as active, honorary, and graduate. Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony. Active members become graduate members at graduation. The graduate members have no vote. Section 3. A NHS member who transfers from another school and brings a letter from the former principal or chapter advisor to the new school advisor shall be accepted automatically as a member in the new school s chapter. Similarly, an active NHS member who transfers from this school will be given a letter indicating the status of his/her membership and signed by the principal or advisor. Transfer members must meet the new chapter s standards within one grading period in order to retain membership. Section 4. In order to fulfill the service tenet, each member must complete a minimum of 30 clock hours of service during each year the member is associated with the National Honor Society. At least 15 of these hours must be from projects organized by the advisors or members of our chapter (referred to hereinafter as group hours). The remaining hours (15) can be acquired through individual service projects (referred to hereinafter as individual hours). Members must turn in an Individual Service Project form with the signature of the supervisor to receive credit for group hours and individual hours. Failure to meet the 30 hour requirement will result in the member being placed on probation until the remaining hours are acquired. Seniors who do not meet the 30 hour requirement will be ineligible to wear the NHS cords at their graduation ceremony. Members who do not attend ERHS full time may have adjustments made to their service requirements as deemed appropriate by the advisors. 1

2 Subsection I. Service will be defined as any community or school service project that a member does without credit for any group other than the NHS or without monetary compensation. Subsection II. The 30 clock hours over the year will be cumulative, not consecutive. Subsection III. The chapter advisor(s) will be responsible for enforcing this requirement. Subsection IV. The NHS advisor has the jurisdiction to require mandatory involvement in any additional activity he or she deems appropriate. Failure to participate in these additional activities will result in consideration for termination from the organization as outlined in Article XII. Section 5. This society shall consist of a general membership, chapter officers, a five member faculty council, one or two chapter advisors, and the principal. An alternate faculty council person shall also be chosen in case a member of the faculty council cannot fulfill their obligation. Section 6. The description of the selection procedure shall be published and be widely available in a timely fashion to all students and parents of the school. The selection process shall be determined by the Faculty Council, Advisors, and the Principal and shall be consistent with the rules and regulations of the NHS. Section 7. The Faculty Council shall reserve the right to award honorary membership to exchange students in recognition of outstanding NHS qualities or to an outstanding student who has a handicap that prevents the student from fully meeting the requirements for membership. Section 8. Each member shall pay annual dues, not to exceed $20. The exact amount shall be determined by the executive committee and shall be subject to the approval of the chapter membership. Annual dues are currently $10. Section 9. Members who resign or are dismissed are never again eligible for membership or its benefits. Article III Powers of the Principal Section 1. The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter. Section 2. The Elk River High School Principal shall annually appoint a member(s) of the faculty as chapter advisor(s), 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 non selection of candidates, and the disciplining or dismissal of members. Article IV Powers of the Faculty Council 2

3 Section 1. The Faculty Council shall consist of five voting faculty members appointed annually by the principal. The Chapter Advisor 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 Faculty Council shall meet at least once a year to review the procedures of the chapter, select members (by a majority vote), and to consider non selection, dismissal, other disciplinary actions, and warning cases. Section 3. The Faculty Council will develop and revise, when necessary, all chapter procedures for selection, discipline, and dismissal of members, all of which must remain in compliance with the National Constitution and NHS policies. Article V Powers of the Chapter Advisor Section 1. The Advisor shall be a full time teacher at Elk River High School, appointed annually by the principal, and may serve consecutive terms. The chapter advisor shall be an ex officio, non voting, sixth member of the Faculty Council. Section 2. The Advisor shall regularly review each member for compliance with Society standards and obligations. The advisor shall also prepare member nomination and dismissal information, schedule and supervise meetings, and help officers to finalize transactions. Section 3. The Advisor shall also make decisions and keep general records necessary and proper to the continued function of the Society. Section 4. The Advisor shall, in conjunction with the principal, choose new Faculty Council members as necessary when a position is vacant. Section 5. The Chapter Advisor shall be responsible for the direct, day to day supervision of the Chapter and act as liaison between faculty, administration, students, and community. Section 6. The Chapter Advisor shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transactions. The Chapter Advisor shall send the annual report to the national office if needed. Section 7. The Chapter Advisor shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties. Section 8. The Chapter Advisor shall make available upon request a set of written standards and procedures for the selection and dismissal of members. Article VI Duties of the Officers Section 1. The officers of the chapter, their duties, and the method of their election shall be determined by the members of the chapter, approved by the Faculty Council and the principal, and described in the chapter bylaws. 3

4 Section 2. There shall be three officers consisting of a president, vice president, secretary. The positions of president, vice president and treasurer will be elected positions and shall be held for the school year for which they were elected. The officers and chapter advisor will be referred to as the Executive Committee. Section 3. The President shall have the following duties: Attend all executive committee meetings. Run general membership meetings. Represent the chapter in affairs where representation is necessary. Plan in conference with chapter advisor. Oversee or appoint leadership for all general membership committees. Ensure that all actions of the chapter are carried out according to the constitution. Give a speech at the induction ceremony. Section 4. The Vice president shall have the following duties: Attend all executive committee meetings. Take duties of president if s/he cannot fulfill them. Notify school and local media of all National Honor Society activities. Give a speech at the induction ceremony. Serve as both vice president and secretary if secretary cannot fulfill the duties. Section 5. The Secretary shall have the following duties: Attend all executive committee meetings. Keep detailed minutes of meetings. Remind members of upcoming service projects. Serve as president if president and vice president cannot fulfill the duties. Article VII Election/Nomination of Officers Section 1. Candidacy In order to be considered a candidate for president, vice president, and treasurer, a person must meet the following criteria: Be a member in good standing for one year and have completed the NHS requirements. Run for only one office. Section 2. Officers shall be chosen in the following manner: 1. In the spring of each year the junior members shall, if they wish, designate that they want to run for one (and only one) of the elected five offices. 2. Voting shall be by secret ballot. 3. A plurality is needed for election. The winner will be selected by majority vote. 4. The Faculty Advisor and the current officers shall supervise the election. 5. The newly elected officers shall take over their positions when notified by the advisor. Section 3. Elections Elections will be held in May for President, Vice President, and Treasurer. 4

5 Elections will be by secret ballot and will begin at 7:15 am in an area designated by the advisor and will end at 3:00pm on the same day. Only National Honor Society members in good standing may cast ballots. The National Honor Society Advisor will tally results. Results will be announced within 24 hours of the conclusion of elections. Section 4. Removal of Officers Removal of officers for violations of established school regulations and/or not upholding the standards of the National Honor Society can be done by the chapter advisor. The Executive Committee shall make the appointment to the vacant office. Article VIII Executive Committee Section 1. The Executive Committee shall be the Chapter Advisor(s) and the officers of the Chapter. Any officer may invite a member to participate in the meetings of the Committee, but they shall have no vote. 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 shall be subject to the review of the entire Chapter. Section 3. The Executive Committee may recommend a member to the Faculty Council for dismissal based on their activity in the chapter. Section 4. The executive committee shall have the responsibility for ensuring that the chapter activities and procedures follow school policy and regulations. Article IX Meetings Section 1. The regular meetings of this Chapter shall be held monthly. Section 2. Special meetings, approved by the Executive Committee, may be held under the sponsorship of the Principal or the Chapter Advisor(s). Section 3. All meetings shall be open meetings, for the entire membership, and shall be held under the sponsorship of the Principal or the Chapter Advisor(s). Section 4. The Chapter Advisor(s) or a delegated member of the Executive Committee must be present at each meeting. Section 5. All members are required to attend all meetings. Attendance will be taken at each meeting. If a member is unable to attend a meeting, s/he shall have one week following the meeting to check in and obtain the missed information. Ruling on excessive absences will be the responsibility of the Advisors and/or the Faculty Council. Section 6. Chapters shall conduct meetings according to Robert s Rules of Order, Newly Revised in all points not expressly provided for in the National Constitution or these bylaws. 5

6 Article X Obligations of NHS Candidates Section 1. Candidates must have completed a minimum of two semesters of high school. Section 2. Candidates must complete the selection packet and submit it to the Advisor in a timely manner. Section 3. Candidates must be selected by a majority vote of the NHS Faculty Council based on the criteria from section 4 as interpreted by the Faculty Council. Prior to notification of any candidates, the chapter advisor shall review with the principal the results of the Faculty Council s deliberations.. Section 4. The Four Pillars of the National Honor Society as applied by the Faculty Council: Scholarship Candidate must have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Leadership Candidates must have performed a leadership role within an organization or in the classroom. A position of leadership is not limited to holding an official or elected office. Leadership shall be evaluated through the activity information form and the faculty evaluation. Character Character will be evaluated through the faculty evaluation form. Candidates shall have no prior suspensions or disciplinary action for the following: Alcohol or tobacco possession or consumption Behavior related to illegal drugs Cheating Assault Any grossly offensive conduct that is deemed actionable by the NHS Faculty Council. Service Candidates must have completed at least 10 hours of service to their community prior to nomination. This shall be documented on the activity information form. Article XI Lettering Section 1. Members must meet the basic requirements as outlined in Article II and complete an additional 20 hours of group or individual service. Members must also lead or be part of a group that leads a service project. These projects must be pre approved by an advisor and presented to the chapter members prior to the activity. Article XII Dismissal of Members Section 1. The procedure for dismissal shall be determined by the Faculty Council in compliance with the rules and regulations of the NHS. A written description of the dismissal procedure shall be available to interested parties. Section 2. Any member who falls below the standards which were the basis of election (scholarship, leadership, service, and character) shall be promptly warned in writing by the 6

7 chapter advisor or principal and given a reasonable amount of time to correct the deficiency. If the deficiency is not corrected, the dismissal process will be initiated. In the case of flagrant violation of school rules (cheating, lying, skipping classes, slander, insubordination) or civil laws, the member does not necessarily have to be warned. Grounds for probation and/or dismissal includes but is not limited to: 1. Failure to maintain a 3.3 cumulative GPA. 2. Failure to meet service obligations as specified in Article II, section Cheating or unethical classroom behavior. 4. Violations of laws and local ordinances. i. Alcohol or tobacco possession or consumption ii. Behavior related to illegal drugs 5. Excessive unexcused absences as defined by school policy. 6. Conduct unbecoming of a National Honor Society member deemed actionable by the NHS Faculty Council. 7. Failure to attend meetings as specified in Article IX, section 5. Section 3. Dismissal process for violations 1 7: 1. Student is notified in writing of the violation. 2. The NHS Advisor(s) and/or Principal meet with the member in person. 3. In all cases of pending dismissal, a member shall have a right to request a hearing before the Faculty Council. (This hearing is required and is considered due process for all members.) 4. A member who has been dismissed may appeal the decision of the Faculty Council to the principal and thereafter under the same rules for disciplinary appeals in the school district. 5. The Faculty Council may also call a hearing requesting the presence of the student. 6. Dismissal is by a majority vote of the Faculty Council. (A senior who falls below the NHS guidelines will be dealt with in an appropriate manner if there is no time to have a Faculty Council hearing.) Article XIII Method and Procedure for Ratification and Amendment of Bylaws Section 1. These bylaws and any amendments will be ratified in the following manner: 1. Ratification by a majority vote of the Faculty Council and the Chapter Advisor(s). 2. The bylaws shall be reviewed annually by the Faculty Council and/or the Chapter Advisors. Ratified: 6/8//2016 7

St. Michael-Albertville High School National Honor Society. Knights Chapter. Constitution and By-Laws

St. Michael-Albertville High School National Honor Society Knights Chapter Constitution and By-Laws Approved by the Faculty Council February 10, 2010 Approved by the general membership February 23, 2010