National Honor Society Constitution

National Honor Society Constitution ARTICLE I- Name and Purpose Section 1: The name of this chapter shall be the Capital High School 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 Capital High. ARTICLE II Membership Section 1: 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: To be eligible for election to membership in this chapter, the candidate must have been in attendance for a period equivalent to one semester in this school. Section 4: Candidates eligible for election to this chapter must be members of the junior or senior class. Eligible candidates shall have a minimum scholarship average. This Scholastic level of achievement for admission shall remain fixed and shall be the required minimum scholastic level of achievement for admission to candidacy. All students who can rise in scholarship to or above such standard may be admitted to candidacy for election to membership. Their eligibility shall then be considered on their service, leadership and character. Section 5: An Honorary Membership will be offered to Foreign exchange students who meet the above-mentioned criteria, who due to their abbreviated stay at CHS will be unable to complete the chapter s service requirements by next year s Induction Ceremony. Appropriateness of an honorary membership for any student will be determined by the club advisor and the faculty council. ARTICLE III- Election of Members Section 1: The election of members to this chapter of the National Honor Society shall be by Faculty Council vote. Section 2: Any member who falls below the standards which were the basis of his/her selection shall be promptly warned. If during the next regular marking period of the school, the member fails to meet the standards used as basis for his/her election to the Society, his/her case shall be passed upon by the Faculty Council. A National Honor Society member must maintain the standards for membership in order to retain his/her membership. A member will be allowed only one warning period. Certain offenses such as suspension from school or an MIP will result in immediate recommendation for dismissal without a warning period. Quarter grades will serve as the warning for grades in danger of dropping below the required GPA. Once a member is dismissed, he/she is never again eligible for membership in the National Honor Society. Section 3: When a member is dismissed, he/she must be notified in writing and his emblem and membership card returned to the adviser or principal. Notice of his/her dismissal must be indicated on the annual report submitted to the national secretary at the end of the school year. Section 4: An active member of the National Honor Society who transfers from this school will be given a letter indicating the status of his/her membership and signed by the principal. 1

Section 5: An active member of National Honor Society who transfers to this school will be automatically accepted for membership in this chapter. This transfer member must maintain the membership requirements for this chapter in order to retain his/her membership. ARTICLE IV- Officers Section 1: The officers of this chapter shall be president, vice president, secretary-treasurer and student council representative. Section 2: A majority of votes cast shall be necessary to elect any officer of this chapter. Section 3: It shall be the duty of the president to preside at the meetings of this chapter. Section 4: The vice-president shall preside in the absence of the president Section 5: The secretary-treasurer shall keep the minutes of meetings, a record of all business, and all records on file. In addition, he/she shall receive and disburse all funds of the chapter and keep an accurate account of receipts and disbursements in accordance with school regulations. He/she shall, with the approval of the principal or advisor, certify to the national secretary of the National Council the names of all members for the current year on the annual report submitted to National headquarter. ARTICLE V- Supervision Section 1: The activities of this chapter shall be subject to the approval of the principal. ARTICLE VI- Meetings Section 1: The meetings of this chapter shall be held when deemed necessary by the principal, or advisor or the president. Section 2: Officers of this chapter shall be elected following the spring induction ceremony. Section 3: All meetings shall be open meetings and shall be held under the sponsorship of the principal or some member of the faculty selected by him/her. ARTICLE VII-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, award, or from whatever source, the emblem comes to him/her the title to the emblem rests with the chapter of which he/ she is a member. The Faculty Council can therefore, by 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 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 220901. All insignia are registered in the United States Patent office and cannot be duplicated by anyone 2

ARTICLE VIII- Dues Section 1: Chapter dues are set at $10.00 per year. A penalty will be assessed for dues that are paid late. In the event of inflationary pressures or other events dues may be increased only with consent of the principal, advisor and Faculty Council. Membership will not be denied because of a student s inability to pay. ARTICLE IX - Amendments Section 1: This constitution may be amended by a two- thirds vote of the chapter, provided that the proposed amendment has been approved by the chapter s Faculty Council, principal, officers and by the national secretary of the National Honor Society, and that notice to members has been given at least one month prior to the meeting at which it is to be voted upon. A chapter may wish to include bylaws to amplify sections of its constitution. Bylaws do not need to be approved by the National Council if they are consistent with regulations outlined in the constitution. BY-LAWS Article I: The name of this chapter shall be the Capital High School Chapter of the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools. Article II: The purpose of this chapter is to recognize students who have demonstrated the qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and service. Members will serve as positive role models for the students of Capital High School and donate time and effort to their school and community. Article III: This chapter has the right to choose officers, amend by-laws, conduct meetings and organize activities. It will choose an Inspirational Teacher, select two members to apply for the NHS Scholarship and maintain the Summa Cum Laude picture display. Members will plan the induction ceremony and select the guest speaker. Article IV: Membership shall be based upon scholarship, service, leadership and character. All four qualities are considered equal. Active membership begins at induction and continues until the following induction. A member can be dismissed by the Faculty Council if the member fails to meet the requirements of membership: regular attendance at meetings, maintaining the appropriate GPA, completing the required number of NHS service project hours, and avoiding any serious violations of the law or of major school rules. No warning period can be given for a non-correctable offense such as suspension or an MIP. Quarter grades shall serve as a warning for grades in danger of falling below 3.500 at semester. A signed contract shall serve as notification of the membership requirements to members and parents. Article V: Members will be nominated for membership during their junior year or during their senior year if they did not qualify as juniors. If a student was offered the opportunity to join as a junior and did not, the student will not be eligible for membership as a senior. The election of members to this chapter of the National Honor Society shall be by a majority vote of the Faculty Council. To be eligible for election to membership in this chapter, the candidate must: a) attend Capital High School for a period equivalent to one semester b) be a member of the junior or senior class c) have a minimum scholarship average of 3.500 d) complete an activity form and sign contract by the indicated date e) be screened by the faculty of Capital High School for the qualities of scholarship, leadership, service and character. 3

Article VI: General meetings will normally be held at lunch on the second (2 nd ) and (4 th ) Wednesdays of each month. Make-up meetings will be arranged for members who are unable to attend the regularly scheduled meetings. Officer meetings will be held in the first (1 st ) and (3 rd ) Wednesdays of each month At the discretion of the officers and advisors, regular meetings may be canceled or extra meetings scheduled. Article VII: It is the duty of the officers to plan meetings and encourage members to be active in NHS. The officers, with input from the members and the advisors, will arrange and make sure they are successfully completed. At least one officer will be in attendance at all chapter activities. The president shall preside at meetings and provide overall guidance to the organization. The vice-president shall preside at meetings in the absence of the president, be available to assist the president and oversee chapter activities. The secretary-treasurer shall keep the minutes of meetings and post them at a convenient site. In addition, he/she shall keep records of chapter activities and keep an accurate account of receipts and disbursements in accordance with school regulations. He/she shall certify to the national secretary of the National Council the names of all members of the current school year on the annual report submitted to National Headquarters. The student council representative shall present the chapter s concerns to student council and regularly report back to the chapter. The student council representative shall also serve as the attendance officer. He/ She will keep an accurate record of members attendance at meetings and the number of service hours each has earned. The advisor shall be responsible for the direct supervision of the chapter and act as a liaison between faculty, Faculty Council, administration, students and the community. He/ She shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities and financial transactions. The advisor shall send the annual report to the national office. He/ She shall regularly review each member for compliance with society standards and obligations. The chapter advisor shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties. He/ She shall be an exofficio, non-voting member of the Faculty Council. It is the duty of the members to attend all meetings, maintain the membership requirements, and complete ten hours of National Honor Society community service. a) A member will be dismissed on his/her second unexcused absence. Any excused absence must be made up by seeing an advisor and completing an additional half-hour service. b) If a member s cumulative GPA falls below 3.500 at the end of any semester, the member will be dismissed from the National Honor Society. c) Members must complete a minimum of 10 hours of service by the end of the 1 st semester of their senior year. d) Members will pay dues in the amount of $10.00 which will be used for a local scholarship. To be eligible for the scholarship, a member must have satisfied all the requirements of membership, paid the dues, not have any unexcused absences and not have more than two excused absences. The winner will be determined by a drawing at induction, and the member must be present to win. ARTICLE VIII: To become an officer of this chapter of the National Honor Society, the member must go through a nomination and election process. A majority of votes cast shall be necessary to elect any officer. a) An officer can be removed from office by the Faculty Council or by resignation. b) Vacancies shall be filled by nomination and a majority of votes cast. ARTICLE IX: Meetings of this chapter shall be conducted according to the Roberts Rules of Order. 4

ARTICLE X: The by-laws shall be accepted and ratified by the chapter with a two-thirds majority vote of the chapter members. Approval by the Faculty Council and the administration is necessary. ARTICLE XI: The by-laws, after ratification, become the law of the organization. After a change in the by-laws has been proposed and a draft has been prepared, members of the chapter and Faculty Council will be Informed and given copies of the proposed amendment. They will then be given a chance to review and discuss the issues before casting a final vote. Proposed amendments or revision require a two-thirds majority vote of the chapter, as well as approval by the Faculty Council. Sections dealing with revisions to the procedures for selection, disciplining and dismissal of members can be changed only by the Faculty Council, though input from the members is allowed and encouraged. 5