National Junior Honor Society Handbook · F i r s t ,let's rev i ew what NJHS is and what it is...

National JuniorHonor SocietyHandbook

The National Junior Honor Society is proudly sponsored by

2006 Edition

Reston, VA

NASSP (partial list)

David VodilaNASSP President

Joseph A. MilitelloNASSP President-Elect

Gerald N. TirozziExecutive Director

Lenor HerseyDeputy Executive Director

Sara SinghasContributing Author and General Counsel

Kathy GreenawayDirector of Membership

Crystal HuttonMembership Communications Coordinator

Howard WahlbergDirector of Sales and Marketing

Mark LamontAssociate Director, Sales

Tom HaynesMarketing Manager,Student Activities

Robert N. FarraceDirector of Publications

Lyn FiscusContributing Author and Editor,Leadership for Student Activities

Tanya Seneff BurkeAssociate Director, Graphic Services

Mark Jordan, Michelle De La Penha, &Jesse ChengGraphic Designers

NJHS NATIONAL OFFICE (partial list)

Rocco MaranoDirector and NJHS Secretary

David CordtsPrimary Author and Associate Director

Jeff SherrillContributing Author and Associate Director

Elancia FelderContributing Author and Program Specialist

Bonnie ReedProgram Assistant

*As a special note of appreciation, we commend Patricia Scanlan,retired Program Specialist for NHS & NJHS at the national office,for her many contributions to this text and, more importantly, forher many years of dedicated service to the Honor Societies andNASSP. Over the years, Pat responded to thousands of inquiriesfrom advisers, principals, students, and parents, dutifully explainingthe official positions of the national office and sensitively and pro-fessionally counseling callers regarding their concerns. Through herinput, Pat helped shape the policy positions of the Honor Societies,which will serve as lasting tributes to her hard work and commit-ment.

CREDITS

The content of this handbook supersedes all previousNJHS handbooks. Permission is granted to copy pagesfrom this manual for free distribution to members ofduly-affiliated chapters of NJHS.“NJHS”and the name “National Junior Honor Society”along with the logos, emblems, names, and abbrevia-tions of all organizations sponsored by the NationalAssociation of Secondary School Principals are regis-tered trademarks, protected by Federal regulations, andmay not be copied or used without specific written per-mission from NASSP.

© 2006 by the National Association of Secondary SchoolPrincipals. All rights reserved. Printed in the UnitedStates of America.Previous editions: 1974, 1978, 1983, 1992, 1998

ISBN: 0-88210-369-5NASSP Catalog Number: 8319808

®

Foreword to the 2006 Edition by Gerald N. Tirozzi,Executive Director, NASSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Preface by Rocco Marano,Director of Student Activities, NASSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Founders’ Acknowledgement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Introduction: Why NJHS is Appropriate for All Middle Level Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

1. History and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2. Official NJHS Constitution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

3. Chapter Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73.1 Establishing a Chapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3.1.1 Chartering and Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73.1.2 Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83.1.3 Obligations of the Chapter

to the National Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83.1.4 Chapter Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93.1.5 Member Dues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.2 Governing Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113.2.1 The National Constitution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113.2.2 Chapter Bylaws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113.2.3 Other Chapter Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3.3 Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123.3.1 National Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123.3.2 Principal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123.3.3 Chapter Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133.3.4 Faculty Council. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3.4 Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153.4.1 Active Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153.4.2 Graduate Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173.4.3 Honorary Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173.4.4 Obligations of Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3.5 Chapter Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183.5.1 Officer Elections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183.5.2 On the Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3.6 Executive Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233.7 Committees for the Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

4. Selection Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 54.1 Prerequisite Conditions for Selection. . . . . . . . . . . . 254.2 Criteria for Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

4.2.1 Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264.2.2 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

4.2.3 Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274.2.4 Citizenship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294.2.5 Character. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

4.3 The Recommended Selection Process . . . . . . . . . . . 304.4 Tools for Completing the Selection Process. . . . . . . 31

4.4.1 The Candidate Information Packet . . . . . . . 314.4.2 Faculty Evaluation Forms and

Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314.4.3 Point Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324.4.4 Essays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

4.5 Notification of Inductees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364.6 “Reapplication”for Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364.7 Nonselection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

4.7.1 Appeals in Cases of Nonselection . . . . . . . 36

5. Induction of Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 95.1 Guidelines for Planning

Induction Ceremonies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395.1.1 Considerations in Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . 405.1.2 Selecting Your Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405.1.3 Tokens of Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415.1.4 The Register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415.1.5 Logo Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

5.2 The Induction Ceremony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445.2.1 Pre-Ceremony Considerations . . . . . . . . . . 445.2.2 The Ceremony Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445.2.3 Induction Pledges, Themes,

and Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455.2.4 Ordering Supplies for Your Induction

Ceremony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465.2.5 Receptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

6. Chapter Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 16.1 Chapter Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516.2 Dues for Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516.3 Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516.4 Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

6.4.1 Chapter Service Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536.4.2 Individual Service Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

6.5 Planning for the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566.5.1 Conferences and Workshops

for NJHS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566.6 Annual Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576.7 Public Relations for the Chapter

and Its A c t i v i t i e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 76.8 Official Insignia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

6.8.1 NJHS Trademark Policy and Logo Usage Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

6.8.2 On the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596.8.3 Web Site Link Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596.8.4 Use of the Official Emblems . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

6.9 Official Colors, Motto, and Flower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596.10 Commercial Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

7. Discipline and Dismissal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 17.1 No Automatic Dismissal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617.2 Dismissal Procedures Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637.3 Appeals for Dismissal Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637.4 Resignation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

A p p e n d i c e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5A. A Survey of Your Honor Society Chapter. . . . . . 65B. A Checklist for Honor Society Chapters. . . . . . . 66C. Suggested Outline for

Honor Society Chapter Bylaw s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 7D. A Legal Memorandum, Fall 2003, " Selection,

Dismissal, and Discipline: Legal Guidelines forNational Honor Society and Other SelectiveOrganizations" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

E. Model Selection Process Description for StudentHandbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

F. Sample Student Activity Information Form . . . . 79G. Sample Faculty Evaluation Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82H. Sample Letters of Selection and Nonselection. . . . 8 3I. Camera-Ready Logos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86J. Project Report Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87K. Sample Dismissal Hearing Notification Letter

and Notification of Dismissal Letter . . . . . . . . . . 88L. Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90M . P roducts and Services for

NJHS Members and Chapters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 4N. State NJHS Associations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95O. Overview of the National Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98P. NASSP Position Statement

on Student Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100Q . What to Expect in the Mail

F rom Your National Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 1R. Public Relations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102S. Scheduling Your Selection and

Induction Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103T. Scholarships and Award Programs . . . . . . . . . . 105U. Ordering Additional Copies

of the Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107V. NJHS Handbook Evaluation Form . . . . . . . . . . 108

FOREWORD

When the National Junior Honor Society was founded in 1929,the hope of NASSP was to create an organization that wouldrecognize and encourage academic achievement among middle

level students while also developing other characteristics essential to citizens ina democracy. These ideals of scholarship, character, service, citizenship, andleadership remain as relevant today as they were in 1929.

Now, nearly 80 years later, the National Junior Honor Society has become aprestigious organization, ranking high among administrators, faculty members,students, parents, and residents of the school community. Its reputation forexcellence is the result of years of commitment on the part of everyone involved.

Through NJHS chapter service activities, members maintain and extend thequalities that won them selection. Membership is thus both an honor and acommitment.

The procedures, requirements, regulations, and suggestions outlined in thisHandbook are meant to help principals, chapter advisers, and faculty membersas they guide students in the development of desirable personal qualities. Tothe extent that principals, advisers, teachers, and student members fulfill theirrespective roles enthusiastically, the Society will continue to thrive for thebenefit of its members and our society.

Gerald N. TirozziExecutive Director, NASSP

The National Junior Honor Society is the leader among organizationsand societies that promote appropriate recognition for students whoreflect outstanding accomplishments in the areas of scholarship, char-

acter, leadership, and service. Thousands of schools are chartered and theirchapters are following the constitution.

NJHS membership is often re g a rded as a valid indicator that the student willsucceed in life and particularly in studies at the postsecondary lev e l . The NJHSmember has alre a dy exhibited academic achiev e m e n t , l e a d e r s h i p, h o n o rable anda d m i rable chara c t e r, c i t i z e n s h i p, and service that demonstrates the member is will-ing to use his or her talents and skills for the improvement of society.

This handbook is the essential and official guide for all NJHS adv i s e r s . It offersthe reader historical information about NJHS and the national constitution, a srevised in 2005.The constitution is followed by supporting and supplementaryc o m m e n t a ry that explains policy and pro c e d u re guidelines for all chapters. T h eremainder of the book is designed to provide re s o u rces and answer commonlyasked questions, including legal aspects of maintaining a chapter.Various chaptermanagement tools and appendices contain ideas that will assist the adviser withleadership of the school's chapter. The new format, first introduced in 1998, w i l lmake it easier for the national office to send updated pages (via mail or Internet)so chapters will have complete, up-to-date copies of the handbook at all times.Notices of updates will appear in Leadership for Student Activities magazine or onw w w.njhs.us for all adv i s e r s .

The National Association of Secondary School Principals believes that NJHS hasmade a positive difference in the lives of individuals and in the spirit of the commu-nity and school. NASSP also commends the principals and advisers in our memberschools for their commitment to recognize outstanding student achiev e m e n t .

PREFACE

Rocco MaranoNational Secretary, NJHSDirector of Student Activities, NASSP

FOUNDERS

Founder of NHSEdward Rynearson, 1862—1932 Principal,Fifth Avenue High School, Pittsburgh, Pa.Founder and First President of theNational Honor Society

The three men depicted on this page served on the NASSP committee set up in 1925 to exploreand then develop the structure of NJHS. The

work of these founders was completed when NJHS was established in 1929.

Co-founder of NJHSL. W. Brooks (Kansas),NASSP President, 1924–1925

Co-founder of NJHSMerle Prunty (Oklahoma), NASSP President, 1921–1922

With the growth in the number of middle schools in recentyears, and other middle level schools espousing a strongmiddle school philosophy, a key question has arisen - is itappropriate to host a chapter of the National Junior HonorSociety (NJHS) on the campus of a middle level school?

F i r s t , let's rev i ew what NJHS is and what it is not.

NJHS is: A cocurricular activity that actively supports the educa-

tional goals of the school (NA S S P, 1 9 9 6 ) A national recognition pro g ram established in 1929 by

NASSP and currently found in public and priva t eschools in ev e ry state as well as in schools in morethan 70 countries ov e r s e a s

An opportunity to involve chapter members in signifi-cant learning experiences, especially in the area of serv-ice (Carnegie Corpora t i o n , 1 9 8 9 )

Inclusive—open to all students who choose to applythemselves and consequently meet the five establishedcriteria of scholarship, l e a d e r s h i p, s e rv i c e , c i t i z e n s h i p,and chara c t e r

A chance for the faculty to bestow membership( t h rough the actions of the faculty council/selectioncommittee)—as a student privilege, not a right

A pro g ram with national guidelines linked with oppor-tunity for significant local input to reflect local educa-tional standard s

A pro g ram for all middle level schools.

NJHS is NOT: E x t racurricular in nature , as it supports the established

curriculum and is not outside of the influence of thec u r r i c u l u m

A “ j u n i o r ”p ro g ram of NHS (junior simply meansyounger and is not tied specifically to the “junior high”e x p e r i e n c e )

E l i t i s t , w h e re special privileges are gra n t e d , as mem-bership is inclusive and open to all who meet thee n t rance criteria

An honor roll (more factors are considered in the selec-tion process than just gra d e s )

I n a p p ropriately exclusive--as with the definition of anyselection pro c e s s , NJHS will exclude those who do notmeet the standard s , but a fair and consistently applied setof pro c e d u res which are well-known to the entire schoolcommunity can promote membership opportunity to all

A pro g ram structured solely from national mandates Limited to “junior highs”as only a mirror of the “ h i g h

school org a n i z a t i o n .”An honor society for a middle level school (referring to

middle schools, junior highs, intermediate schools, or themiddle gra d e s , g e n e rally grades 6 through 8, found in am i x e d - l evel school) fits smoothly into the ov e rall plan for aneffective student activities pro g ra m . Student activities hav ebeen identified in a variety of sources as providing direct sup-port to the academic curriculum, unique opportunities forg rowth and development not available in the standard class-ro o m , and re s o u rces for motivating students through re c o g n i-tion and giving students a chance to succeed.

Susan Galletti, former NASSP Director of Middle Lev e lS e rv i c e s , identifies four key components of any good studentactivities pro g ram at the middle level (Galletti, 1 9 9 6 ) . Such pro-g rams offer experiences that are age-appro p r i a t e , i n c l u s i v e , b a l-anced (by offering a variety of activities whose primary focus ison academic achiev e m e n t ) , and legitimate, i . e . , f a i r, p o s i t i v e , a n dfound wo r t hy when placed under professional scrutiny.

InclusivenessG a l l e t t i , in an internal NASSP memora n d u m , explains that,“Middle schools should provide a broad range of re c o g n i t i o nopportunities so that all students have the chance to be re c o g-nized in some fashion. Inclusion does not mean homogeneity.It does mean a diversity of recognition pro g rams re c o g n i z i n gthat adolescents have diverse strengths and weaknesses.”Middle level schools should certainly modify their activitiesp ro g rams to be inclusive and inv i t i n g , but without lowering orc o m p romising the basic principles of the activity or the org a n-i z a t i o n . These perspectives do not detract from the view thateffective middle schools should make certain that ev e ry stu-dent has a reasonable opportunity to excel at something, b u tdo not imply that ev e ry student excels at the same things( NA S S P, 1 9 8 5 ) .

Age AppropriatenessIn the publication from the National Middle SchoolsA s s o c i a t i o n , This We Believe ( 1 9 9 5 ) , the association indicates,“Educators in developmentally responsive middle lev e lschools hold and act upon high expectations for all students.”Such schools also recognize that middle level adolescentsh ave developmental needs that include:

H aving a concern for right and wro n g , and social jus-tice (which emphasizes the importance of chara c t e r

INTRODUCTION

Why NJHS Is Appropriate for All Middle Level Schools

education [an NJHS criterion] and serves as a mandatefor keeping the selection process fair and above board)

The seeking of approval of and acceptance by adults (asper recognition by the faculty for membership in NJHS)

H aving experience with frequent success H aving a desire for attention and recognition for per-

sonal efforts and achiev e m e n t Beginning to understand that they have certain limita-

tions and certain stre n g t h s .(Michigan Department of Education, December 1977 as foundin Connors and Irv i n , 1 9 8 9 )

These age-appropriate needs can all be incorporated in theactivities of an NJHS chapter. To exclude honor students fro mthese opportunities would be just as inappropriate as exclud-ing any other group from opportunities found on campus.

Standards of ExcellenceA re standards of excellence appropriate for middle lev e lschools? Certainly the Vision Statement of the NationalForum to A c c e l e rate Middle-Grades Reform supports thisc o n t e n t i o n .“High-performing schools with middle gra d e s ,”the forum states,“ a re academically excellent. T h ey challengeall students to use their minds well. . . .The curriculum insuch schools is challenging and engaging.”These high-per-forming schools also have “high expectations for all their stu-dents and a passionate commitment to helping each childp roduce work of high quality.”

F rom another perspective, Connors and Irvin (1989) foundthat 97% of the “excellent schools”in the United States hav eclubs and intra m u ral activities, w h e reas only 45% of otherschools offer them. H aving NJHS as part of a broadly basedcocurricular activities pro g ram only enhances the opportuni-ties for students to excel.

NJHS further supports middle level philosophy by beingfundamentally interd i s c i p l i n a ry in nature , as found in both therecognition of students who meet all five criteria, and the uti-lization of a cumulative grade point av e rage as the scholasticcriterion instead of merely an honor ro l l .

In addition, NJHS supports the idea of engaging stu-dents in a variety of explora t o ry activities at the middlel ev e l . A well-organized chapter, complete with meetingsand activities as part of its yearly plan, can assist studentmembers in pursuing a broad variety of explora t i o n s , p a r-ticularly those connected to the five criteria. The coopera-tive nature of the structured experiences sponsored by alocal chapter also support the desire to move away fro mmethods patterned after more traditional techniques ofinstruction and org a n i z a t i o n .

Program FlexibilityThe latter two qualities (explora t o ry and cooperative) of anNJHS pro g ram come, in great part, f rom the flexibility thatexists in the structure of the org a n i z a t i o n . Though the nationalconstitution does mandate some specific components for eachlocal chapter, a great deal of flexibility exists to allow each localchapter to reflect their local school and community va l u e s ,m e t h o d s , and philosophy in the criteria for selection and therole the chapter takes on campus.This flexibility was re c o g n i z e das one of the key strengths of the organization when rev i ew e dby the Middle Level Student Activities Summit in 1996.

Developmental NeedsFurther evidence supporting NJHS as an appropriate middlel evel activity comes from the publication Turning Po i n t s . T h i sreport identifies five characteristics associated with being aneffective human being. As a result of a successful experience inthe middle gra d e s , each student should be an intellectuallyreflective person, a person en route to a lifetime of meaningfulwo r k , a good citizen, a caring and ethical individual, and ah e a l t hy person. These guidelines are directly re i n f o rced byparticipation in the cocurricular functions found in NJHS.

In the work Growing Up Fo rg o t t e n ( L i p s i t z , 1 9 8 0 ) , at leastfour additional developmental needs of early adolescents arei d e n t i f i e d . Such students have the need for self-explora t i o nand self-definition, which can be pursued through NJHS andother cocurricular activities; to gain a sense of competenceand achiev e m e n t , which recognition pro g rams can provide; toexperience positive social interaction and meaningful partici-pation in school and community, accomplished most dire c t l yby participation in service pro j e c t s , d eveloped and led bymembers of the NJHS chapter.

As with all cocurricular activities, NJHS also allows studentsto learn and to express themselves; teaches and prov i d e sopportunities for using good communication skills; andengages students in problem solving and project planning, p a r-ticularly through the service projects re q u i red of all chapters. B yi nvolving students in meaningful serv i c e , NJHS also encoura g e sthem to make a difference in the world around them.The re g u-lar rev i ew of members' performance as related to the standard sof the chapter assists in the continuous and appropriate assess-ment of each member's pro g ress in academic achievement byplacing the chapter adviser in an evaluative position for each ofthe chapter members. F u r t h e r m o re , the identification of stu-dents for recognition strengthens their self-esteem.

Non-Selection IssuesS o , what should be done about students who aren't selected?

INTRODUCTION

Won't this condition of non-selection damage their self-esteem? Dealing with nonselection can send a message tosome students that they have failed. It is important to buildinto the school curriculum lessons that speak to preparing forf a i l u re (and disappointment) and how to handle it emotional-l y. Staff members should be equally as well pre p a red to assiststudents in developing an understanding of their shortcom-ings as they are at recognizing their accomplishments. T h i sre a l - world lesson is extremely important and should be part ofthe total school philosophy, not just in dealing with NJHS.Counseling should also focus on directing the student to otheropportunities on campus in which the student can excel.Utilizing multiple intelligence theory, the effective counseloror adviser can assist the student in identifying appro p r i a t en ew avenues to pursue. To accomplish this, the school mustcontinue to support a broad-based cocurricular activities pro-g ram for all students. A student's positive self-esteem will notbe destroyed by setbacks if professional educators are ava i l a b l eto counsel and provide appropriate explanations and alterna-t i v e s . This type of response mechanism is a very importantcomponent for all NJHS chapters (Sherrill, 1 9 9 8 ) .

Student MotivationAll students need motiva t i o n , rewa rds for effective perform-a n c e , and goals to reach the next level of excellence. N J H Soffers such opportunities. Williamson and Johnston (1991)speak of the need for rewa rds being both specific and clearlylinked to desirable behav i o r. Membership in the chapter andspecific criteria defined in terms of their behav i o ral implica-tions fulfill these re q u i re m e n t s . Berliner and Casanova (1993)add that,“ T h ey [students] need to see that, re g a rdless of theirc o l o r, economic situation, or national origin, academic successis not only possible, but also is rewa rded--not only in school,but also in the world that awaits them after school”( p. 1 1 4 ) .As a national recognition pro g ram with a broad-based re p u t a-t i o n , NJHS meets this need.

W hy not have all the students in the middle school look atmembership in NJHS as a goal? Such a goal focuses on all-round excellence and the message that all areas of knowledgea re important, not just individual gra d e s . Such a goal speaksof establishing positive role models on campus. Such a goalcan be ego involving in the sense that positive peer pre s s u reexists to encourage students to want to belong to the org a n i-zation and to demonstrate their abilities in comparison tothose who have been selected.

InvolvementF i n a l l y, NJHS involves many persons besides students in its

p ro c e s s e s . During selection, the entire faculty is allowed top rovide input as they seek out the positive behavior of mem-bers of the student body. At induction, p a rents and communi-ty members are encouraged to attend the cere m o ny demon-s t rating their unified support for the good efforts of the stu-dents being re c o g n i z e d . This involvement allows the school'sextended family to share the joy of accomplishment. ( S e eTurning Po i n t s , recommendations 7 and 8.) Now is a time toc e l e b rate the abilities of young people. Induction of studentsinto NJHS is a very effective public acknowledgment of stu-dent success and achiev e m e n t , and helps re i n f o rce the goodworks of the entire school staff in the pro c e s s .

If NJHS is to succeed at the middle lev e l , it most certainlycannot mirror precisely the process put in place by chapters ofNHS in the high school. An appropriate middle level structuremust be established and the flexibility inherent in the nationalguidelines allows NJHS to set standards appropriate for allmiddle level students. On the basis of the re s e a rch rev i ew e dfor this article, s ev e ral suggestions emerge to guide middlel evel educators in developing a successful NJHS pro g ram fortheir school:

The nature of NJHS in the middle level school must bed i f f e rent from the role of NHS in the high school env i-ro n m e n t . Small chapters, d eveloped by raising thescholarship level for candidates (see SelectionP ro c e d u re s ) , m ay be more appropriate to enhance stu-d e n t - a dviser intera c t i o n .

Middle level schools should not limit their re c o g n i t i o np ro g rams to NJHS--it is advisable to move well beyo n dthis and offer a variety of rewa rds for the student body,but not to leave these dynamic students out of thep ro c e s s . Chapters can be used to develop pro g rams forrecognizing other students through peer- t o - p e e rrecognition pro g ra m s , e t c .

T h e re is value in putting greater emphasis on serv i c eand less on the elite status of the chapter members.

It is appropriate to place more emphasis on peer men-toring and sharing one's skills with others.

T h e re is a need to make the induction cere m o ny morep r i vate than the big, h i g h - p re s s u red “ t a p p i n g s ”t h a th ave characterized NHS, while still making theseevents open to pare n t s , f a c u l t y, and the community tos h a re the honor.

Communication with the middle level school commu-nity takes on greater significance in the early middleg ra d e s . N ew student orientation can be used toe n c o u rage new students to reach high levels ofa c h i evement in NJHS. This also re q u i res that all stu-

INTRODUCTION

dents have a clear understanding of how to become amember of NJHS--a challenge for the adviser (Irv i n ,1 9 9 2 ) , particularly in describing the five criteria andhow they will be judged by the Faculty Council.

NJHS members can be used to bring new offerings( s e rvice pro j e c t s , a c t i v i t i e s , etc.) to other students in thes c h o o l , thus broadening the ov e rall variety of opportu-nities for all students.

A dvisers and faculty should generally guide the dev e l-opment of and support projects that are chosen by stu-d e n t s , planned and implemented by them, thus prov i d-ing them with experiences that challenge both theirp roblem-solving and leadership skills.

It is crucial to have clearly defined pro c e d u res that aref a i r, c o n s i s t e n t , u n d e r s t a n d a b l e , and undertaken in themost professional manner.

Don't ignore the importance of counseling the nonse-lected student, helping them learn to deal with short-c o m i n g s / f a i l u re . Make it a teachable moment. This isthe opportunity to help them realize other avenues forsuccess and recognition that exist in both the schooland community.

It is hoped that by carefully rev i ewing this handbook andimplementing many of the ideas found here i n , that all NJHSchapters will become part of a well-thought-out middle lev e lstudent activities pro g ram that is inclusive, b a l a n c e d , m e a n-i n g f u l , and age appro p r i a t e , and perhaps most importantly,one that values excellence.

NJHS began as an effort to extend school-based re c o g n i-tion to younger students. The appearance of new philosophiesfor middle level schools has helped us better understand theroles we all need to play in the development of early adoles-c e n t s . The need for recognition remains stro n g . Using the newmiddle school philosophy to guide the formation and opera-tion of the chapter, schools can add to the validity and makeeven more dynamic the role of NJHS in the middle years ofe d u c a t i o n .

References:

■ B e r l i n e r, D. C. and Casanova , U. ( 1 9 9 3 ) . Putting re s e a rch towork in your school. N ew York: Scholastic.

■ C l a r k , S. N . and Clark, D. ( 1 9 9 4 ) . Restructuring the middlelevel school. N ew York: SUNY Pre s s .

■ Carnegie Corpora t i o n . ( 1 9 9 6 ) . G reat tra n s i t i o n s . N ew Yo r k :A u t h o r.

■ Carnegie Corporation on Adolescent Dev e l o p m e n t . ( 1 9 8 9 ) .Turning points: Preparing America's youth for the 21st century.Wa s h i n g t o n , DC: A u t h o r.

■ D o d a , N . , et al. ( M ay, 1 9 8 7 ) . “ Ten Current Truths A b o u tEffective Schools.”Middle school journal.

■ D o r m a n , G . , et al. ( M a rc h , 1 9 8 5 ) . “ I m p roving Schools forYoung A d o l e s c e n t s . ”<I>Educational leadership. < P >

■ E l k i n d , D. ( 1 9 8 4 ) . All grown up and no place to go: Teenagers inc r i s i s . R e a d i n g , MA: A d d i s o n - We s l ey.

■ G a l l e t t i , S. ( S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 9 6 ) . “Middle Level andCocurricular Pro g rams: What Makes a Match?” L e a d e r s h i pfor student activities.

■ G e o rg e , P. S. , et al. ( 1 9 9 2 ) . The middle school--and beyond.A l e x a n d r i a ,VA: A S C D.

■ I rv i n , J. ( E d . ) . ( 1 9 9 2 ) . Transforming middle level education:Perspectives and possibilities. Needham Heights, MA: A l l y nand Bacon.

■ K i n d re d , L . W. , et al. ( 1 9 8 1 ) . The middle school curriculum: Ap ractitioner's handbook. second ed. Needham Heights, M A :Allyn and Bacon.

■ L a k e , S. ( 1 9 8 9 ) . Cocurricular activities for middle level schools.I rv i n e , CA: California League of Middle Schools.

■ L i p s i t z , J. ( 1 9 8 0 ) . Growing up forg o t t e n . N ew Brunswick, N J :Transaction Books.

■ M ay n a rd , G . ( 1 9 9 3 ) . “The Reality of Diversity at the MiddleL ev e l .” In Developing successful middle schools. B l o o m i n g t o n ,IN: Phi Delta Kappa.

■ M c E w i n , C. K . , et al. ( 1 9 9 6 ) . America's middle schools:P ractices and progress—A 25 year perspective. C o l u m b u s , O H :N M S A .

■ NA S S P. ( 1 9 8 5 ) . An Agenda for Excellence at the Middle Level.R e s t o n ,VA: A u t h o r.

■ NA S S P. ( 1 9 9 6 ) . B reaking ranks: Changing an American institu-t i o n . R e s t o n ,VA: A u t h o r.

■ National Forum to A c c e l e rate Middle-Grades Reform.( 1 9 9 8 ) .Vision Statement. Available at www. m g f o r u m . o rg .

■ N M S A . ( 1 9 9 5 ) . This We Believe. C o l u m b u s , OH: NMSA.■ S h e r r i l l , Je f f . ( S p r i n g , 1 9 9 8 ) .“Dealing with Fa i l u re .”A I M

n ew s l e t t e r.■ Wi l l i a m s o n , R . and Jo h n s t o n , J. H . ( 1 9 9 1 ) . Planning for suc-

cess—Successful implementation of middle level re o rg a n i z a t i o n .R e s t o n ,VA: NA S S P.

■ Wya t t , J. ( F e b r u a ry, 1 9 9 7 ) .“ R e c o g n i t i o n , L e a d e r s h i p, a n dS e rv i c e .”Schools in the Middle.

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

1. HISTORY

1 1

T he emergence of NJHS was a natural outgrowth ofthe National Honor Society (NHS), established bythe National Association of Secondary School

Principals (NASSP) in 1921. Through the years, NJHS hasdeveloped into a unique organization which recognizes out-standing middle level students, all the while borrowingmany concepts from its sister organization, NHS.

Origins of NHSTo understand the formation of NJHS, it is important to firstlook at the development of NHS.

If a society with many chapters commends itself to the schools of a

certain district because each is helped by the other, a nationwide soci-

ety ought to be a stronger organization and receive the support of all

of the schools that believe in such a society. Will not one common

badge for the entire country be more valuable than many different

local badges? In other words, if the fundamental principle of the honor

society is sound, it should be national in its application; a national

honor society of secondary schools is a logical outgrowth of the wis-

dom and experience of the past fifteen or twenty years.

E dwa rd Rynearson, often considered the founder of NHS,made the above remarks in support of the proposal by J. G .M a s t e r s , principal of Central High School in Omaha, N E , t oform a national honor society. At the time, Rynearson wa sprincipal of Fifth Avenue High School in Pittsburg h , PA , w h i c hwas awa rded charter number one of NHS.

Masters made his proposal in 1919 at the annual conv e n-tion of the National Association of Secondary SchoolP r i n c i p a l s . He and many others attending this conv e n t i o nw e re concerned about the growing movement to emphasizeathletic and strictly academic activities. This emphasis wa soften re g a rded as detrimental to pro g rams designed to stimu-late leadership and chara c t e r.

To be sure , members of some local and regional org a n i z a-tions were re q u i red to meet predetermined standards of citi-z e n s h i p, l e a d e r s h i p, and scholarship. Others included serv i c eas a criterion for membership. But until 1921, when theNational Association of Secondary School Principals passedthe resolution to form NHS, t h e re was no national org a n i z a-tion whose objectives were to create an enthusiasm for schol-a r s h i p, to stimulate a desire to render serv i c e , to promote wo r-t hy leadership, and to encourage the development of chara c t e rin the nation's secondary school students.

The determination of standards for NHS was no easy task,

a c c o rding to Rynearson, who presented the report of theCommittee on Constitution and Org a n i z a t i o n , which had beenappointed at the 1920 NASSP conv e n t i o n .This group pre s e n t-ed its findings in 1921, when NASSP met in Atlantic City, N . J. :

In drawing up the constitution, the committee was faced with the neces-

sity of providing an organization broad enough to meet all the vary i n g

needs of these numerous societies. Scholarship alone seemed too nar-

r ow : where tried, the society had, in the words of Dr. Pow e l l , “got the

stigma of being high brow i s h . ” On the other hand, there was great dan-

ger of according too little recognition to scholarship. After considerable

d i s c u s s i o n , the committee fixed upon character, l e a d e r s h i p , s c h o l a r s h i p ,

and service as the fundamental virtues most worthy of encourag e m e n t .

The resolution to form the National Honor Society wa spassed in the hope that unification of effort might lead toi m p roved national standard s :

The organization of the National Honor Society in high schools, as recom-

mended by the committee on that subject, would have a strong tendency

to improve scholarship and to place the regular and faithful performance of

academic work in its proper place in the estimation of the student body.

The resolution also mentioned the need to "counteract ap revalent tendency among secondary schools to place undueemphasis upon individual performance in the various athleticevents by giving excessive and expensive awa rd s . "

The formation of secret societies was also to be condemned,even made illegal in all the states, a c c o rding to the re s o l u t i o n ."The chief business of high schools is to make the gre a t e s tpossible contribution to the realization of the American idealof democra cy," the resolution stated. " W h a t ever interferes withthis function is an obstruction to education and inimical to thepublic welfare." All organizations should not only satisfy asocial need but also "be devoted to the purposes of worth tothe individual and of profit to the school."

T h u s , the National Honor Society was re g a rded from itsinception as a concrete way to promote high school academics t a n d a rd s , a means of ensuring the continuation of democra-cy, and an instrument for the betterment of the individual andthe school.

NJHS Is BornIn his forewo rd to the 1945 edition of the NJHS Handbook,Charles A l l e n , principal and president of the NHS & NJHSNational Council, w ro t e :

1

If education fails to develop a good citizen, then all has been lost. If

the student does not discover through his studies and experiences

that unless he can give more to society than he has taken from socie-

ty, then his schooling has failed and it were better that the proverbial

millstone were hung about his neck to retard the probable burden he

will be on society.

Those who best know youth believe in youth, in the ideals of youth, and in

the honor of youth. M agnificent buildings and splendid equipment at t e s t

the taxpayer's confidence in the secondary-school students, and the mil-

lions spent for education give proof of the need for student guidance.

S u r e l y, t h e n , with an av owed purpose of promoting better Citizenship,

C h a r a c t e r, L e a d e r s h i p , S c h o l a r s h i p , and Serv i c e , the National Junior Honor

Society is amply justified, if these qualities can be fostered with no

e x p e n s e , or loss, to other desired purposes of secondary educat i o n .

So long as the Society [NJHS] holds to its five major principles, the

public will acclaim it good.

The need for an organization for middle level students wa srecognized early in the history of NA S S P. Just a few years afterthe 1921 formation of NHS, members of the National Councilbegan to formulate the constitution and guidelines for an org a n i-zation that would eventually become NJHS. In 1925 the firstcommittees were assigned to undertake this re s e a rc h . By 1929,formal approval from NASSP (then known as the Department ofS e c o n d a ry School Principals within the National EducationAssociation) was granted on February 24 at the NASSP A n n u a lC o nvention in St. L o u i s , M O.The first chapter to organize underthe new NJHS Constitution was in the lower grades of the highschool in Webster Grov e s , M O, that received charter number oneon December 6, 1 9 2 9 .The first charter to a junior high school wa sg ranted in March 1930 to Clarinda (IA) Junior High School.

Merle Prunty, principal and National Council member fro mTu l s a , O K , p rovided the following comments re g a rding theestablishment of junior honor societies:

The National Junior Honor Society fills the long-felt need of the junior

high school [and all middle level schools] for recognition of second-

ary-school service, leadership, and citizenship. The standards which

the Society has set are desirable but they do not “just grow” with the

formation of an honor society. Like any lesson on goals and ideals,

learning takes place by doing. First a student is made aware of a

standard, then opportunity to practice its application under satisfacto-

ry conditions is essential. The Society is not just a glorified honor roll.

It makes a contribution that will elevate school spirit to the status

where students are willing not only to lead but also to follow the right

kind of leadership in service to other pupils and where students grow

in character and citizenship. (NASSP Bulletin, May 1926)

Today in the Honor SocietyThe Societies have flourished. To d ay, after more than 75 ye a r s ,m o re than 6,000 NJHS and 15,000 NHS chapters are char-t e re d . Chapters are found in all parts of the United States andin schools in many territories and countries ov e r s e a s . B a s e don av e rage chapter size, it is estimated that more than 200,000students become members of NJHS annually.

Variety characterizes the activities of the many chapters.The original committees set up the honor societies to permita high degree of freedom for local chapters. Each chapter isre q u i red to adopt the national constitution and the guidelinesfound there i n , but in addition is encouraged to provide forlocal needs and to reflect local values through the dev e l o p-ment of chapter by l aw s , designed in conformance with thenational constitution. Chapters have always been urged toe x e rcise initiative, re s o u rc e f u l n e s s , and ingenuity in pro m o t-ing Society standard s .

The Board of Directors of the National Association ofS e c o n d a ry School Principals serves as the governing board ofthe NJHS. The National Council and its secre t a ry are re s p o n s i-ble for the operational control of the Society. The NA S S PD i rector of Student Activities serves as NJHS secre t a ry.

The NJHS national office is part of the headquarters ofNA S S P, based in Chicago until 1943, when it relocated toWa s h i n g t o n , D C. In 1973, the Association moved to its newbuilding at 1904 Association Drive, R e s t o n ,VA . The staff ofthe NASSP Student Activities office, to which all NJHS corre-spondence should be addre s s e d , is responsible for the dailyo p e ration of NJHS. This staff handles chartering of NJHS andNHS chapters as well as inquiries re g a rding the constitutionsof the societies. The national office also works closely withthe National Council of NJHS re g a rding the rules and re g u l a-tions governing the society, the planning and implementationof the national conference (begun in 1993), and the selectionof the recipients of the National Honor Society ScholarshipAwa rd s .

The national office also sponsors the National A s s o c i a t i o nof Student Councils (NA S C ) , n u m e rous scholarship andawa rds pro g ra m s , and a variety of other serv i c e s . The primaryvehicle for communication between the national office and itsaffiliated schools is the awa rd-winning publication, L e a d e r s h i pfor Student Activities, published monthly during the school ye a rand sent to all affiliated chapter adv i s e r s . Additional publica-tions on topics of interest to student activities leaders anda dvisers are produced and disseminated to member schoolst h roughout the ye a r.

Since 1921, NHS and NJHS have been, and continue to bethe leading organizations for recognizing and involving out-standing students in secondary schools around the nation.

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

2

2. OFFICIAL NJHS CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE Section 1. The name of this organization shall bethe National Junior Honor Society of SecondarySchools (NJHS).Section 2. The purpose of this organization shall beto create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire torender serv i c e , to promote leadership, to develop chara c t e r, a n dto encourage good citizenship in the students of secondarys c h o o l s .Section 3. NJHS shall be under the sponsorship and superv i-sion of the National Association of Secondary SchoolPrincipals (NA S S P ) , 1904 Association Drive, R e s t o n ,VA2 0 1 9 1 - 1 5 3 7 .

ARTICLE II: THE NATIONAL COUNCILSection 1. The control of this organization shall be vested inthe National Council.Section 2. The National Council shall consist of eleven mem-bers appointed by the NASSP Board of Directors of, one re p-resentative chosen from each of the NASSP administra t i v ere g i o n s , t wo at-large principals or assistant principals (fro ma ny re g i o n ) , and the NJHS Repre s e n t a t i v e , f rom a middle lev e ls c h o o l . Regional re p resentatives shall alternate terms betweenprincipals and advisers according to the schedule dev e l o p e dby the national office. The executive director of NASSP shallbe an ex-officio member of the National Council and shall

s e rve as tre a s u rer of NJHS. The director of theNASSP Student Activities office shall be an ex-offi-cio member and shall serve as secre t a ry of theNational Council.Section 3. Members shall be appointed for a term

of no more than three ye a r s .Section 4. A simple majority of members shall constitute aquorum of the National Council.[S t r u c t u re amended December 2001.]

ARTICLE III: STATE/REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Section 1. Local chapters may choose to organize state asso-c i a t i o n s . The state principals' associations may form re g i o n a lassociations as defined by NA S S P.Section 2. A ny state or regional association of NJHS chaptersshall conform to this constitution and shall work with theNASSP Student Activities office in furthering the purpose ofthis org a n i z a t i o n .Section 3. All state and/or regional associations shall be affil-iated with NJHS.Section 4. The state and/or regional affiliate shall NOT serv eas an appeal board for local chapter nonselection or dismissalc a s e s .Section 5. B y l aws of the state or regional associations must bea p p roved by the secre t a ry of NJHS (Director of Student A c t i v i t i e s ,NASSP) and must be consistent with this constitution.

33

ARTICLE IV: LOCAL CHAPTERS Section 1. A ny secondary public school is eligible to apply fora charter for a local chapter. Nonpublic secondary schoolsa c c redited or approved by state departments of education orby accrediting agencies approved by the National Council areeligible to apply for a charter for a local chapter. Each schoolshall have its own chapter except in cases where a school'ssize precludes the formation of a full Faculty Council. In suchc a s e s , a chapter can be shared as long as all other constitu-tional re q u i rements can be met.Section 2. Each chapter shall pay a chartering fee determinedby the National Council.Section 3. Each school with a chapter shall pay an annualaffiliation fee recommended by the National Council anda p p roved by the NASSP Board of Dire c t o r s .Section 4. The annual individual member dues paid to achapter or state affiliate, if any, shall not exceed ten dollarsi n c l u s i v e l y. The exact amount shall be determined by the exec-utive committee of the chapter and shall be subject to thea p p roval of the chapter membership.Section 5. Duly chartered local chapters shall conform to thisconstitution as set forth by the National Council. Fa i l u re to doso may result in the loss of the charter.

ARTICLE V: THE PRINCIPALSection 1. The principal shall re s e rve the right to approve allactivities and decisions of the chapter.Section 2. The principal shall annually appoint a member ofthe faculty as chapter adv i s e r, who may serve consecutive terms.Section 3. The principal shall annually appoint a Fa c u l t yCouncil composed of five members of the school's facultywho may serve consecutive terms.Section 4. The principal shall receive appeals in cases of non-selection of candidates, and the disciplining or dismissal ofm e m b e r s .

ARTICLE VI: THE CHAPTER ADVISER Section 1. The chapter adviser shall be responsible for thed i re c t , d ay - t o - d ay supervision of the chapter and act as liaisonbetween faculty, a d m i n i s t ra t i o n , s t u d e n t s , and community.Section 2. The chapter adviser shall maintain files on mem-b e r s h i p, chapter history, a c t i v i t i e s , and financial tra n s a c t i o n s .The chapter adviser shall send the annual report to thenational office.Section 3. The chapter adviser shall regularly rev i ew eachmember for compliance with NJHS standards and obligations.Section 4. The chapter adviser shall help the chapter officersunderstand and carry out their duties.

Section 5. The chapter adviser shall be an ex-officio, n o nv o t-i n g , sixth member of the Faculty Council.Section 6. The chapter adviser shall be a member of the fac-u l t y, appointed annually by the principal, and may serve con-secutive terms.

ARTICLE VII: THE FACULTY COUNCILSection 1. The Faculty Council shall consist of five voting fac-ulty members appointed annually by the principal. The chap-ter adviser shall be an ex-officio, n o nv o t i n g , sixth member ofthe Faculty Council. No principal or assistant principal may beincluded on the Faculty Council. (See commentary in the nation-al handbook re g a rding the functions of the Faculty Council.)Section 2. The term of the Faculty Council shall be one ye a r.Members may be appointed to consecutive terms.Section 3. The Faculty Council shall meet at least once a ye a rto rev i ew the pro c e d u res of the chapter, select members, a n dto consider nonselection, d i s m i s s a l , other disciplinary actions,and warning cases.Section 4. The Faculty Council will develop and rev i s e , w h e nn e c e s s a ry, all chapter pro c e d u res for selection, d i s c i p l i n e , a n ddismissal of members, all of which must remain in compliancewith the national guidelines.

ARTICLE VIII: MEMBERSHIP Section 1. Membership in local chapters is an honorbestowed upon a student. Selection for membership is by aFaculty Council and is based on outstanding scholarship, l e a d-e r s h i p, s e rv i c e , c h a ra c t e r, and citizenship. Once selected,members have the responsibility to continue to demonstra t ethese qualities.Section 2. The Faculty Council shall re s e rve the right toawa rd honora ry membership to school officials, p r i n c i p a l s ,t e a c h e r s , NJHS adv i s e r s , a d u l t s , students with disabilities, o rf o reign exchange students in recognition of achiev e m e n tand/or outstanding service re n d e red to the school in keepingwith the purposes of NJHS. H o n o ra ry members shall have novoice or vote in chapter affairs.Section 3. Candidates become members when inducted at aspecial cere m o ny.Section 4. An NJHS member who transfers to anotherschool and brings a letter from the principal or chapter adv i s e rto the new school adviser shall be accepted automatically as amember in the new school's chapter. Transfer members mustmeet the new chapter's standards within one semester ino rder to retain membership.Section 5. Members who resign or are dismissed are nev e ragain eligible for membership or its benefits.

OFFICIAL NJHS CONSTITUTION

44

ARTICLE IX: SELECTION OF MEMBERS Section 1. To be eligible for membership the candidate mustbe a member of those classes (second semester sixth gra d e , s ev-enth gra d e , eighth gra d e , or ninth grade) designated as eligiblein the chapter by l aw s . (Ninth graders in a 9–12 school may notbe inducted into either NJHS or NHS, nor can that schoolo p e rate a chapter of NJHS as per these guidelines and those ofthe National Honor Society.) Candidates must have been inattendance at the school the equivalent of one semester. ( N o t e :Some candidates may be ineligible for induction because of thesemester ruling. Many students, including students of military par-e n t s , a re re q u i red to move with parents or guardians that have tra n s-f e r red in their work.The present school principal should seek a re c-ommendation from the previous school principal pursuant to the can-didate's selection. On the basis of the recommendation of the pre v i o u sp r i n c i p a l , the Faculty Council may waive the semester re g u l a t i o n . )Section 2. The national minimum standard for scholarshipshall be a cumulative scholastic av e rage of at least 85 perc e n t ,B, or 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or the equivalent standard of excel-l e n c e . Candidates shall then be evaluated on the basis of serv-i c e , l e a d e r s h i p, c h a ra c t e r, and citizenship. (Note: Local chaptersmay raise the cumulative GPA standard above the national mini-m u m , apply it fairly and consistently, and include this standard intheir locally published selection procedure s . )Section 3. The selection of each member to the chapter shallbe by a majority vote of the Faculty Council.Section 4. A description of the selection pro c e d u re shall bepublished in an official school publication that is widely ava i l a b l ein a timely fashion to all students and parents of the school.T h eselection pro c e d u re shall be determined by the Faculty Counciland shall be consistent with the rules and regulations of NJHS.Section 5. The National Council and NASSP shall not rev i ewthe judgment of the Faculty Council re g a rding selection ofindividual members to local chapters.

ARTICLE X: DISCIPLINE AND DISMISSALSection 1. The Faculty Council in compliance with the rulesand regulations of NJHS shall determine the pro c e d u re ford i s m i s s a l . A written description of the dismissal pro c e d u reshall be available to interested parties. (Note: Faculty Councilscan consider disciplinary actions that are less severe than dismissalif circumstances warra n t . )Section 2. Members who fall below the standards that werethe basis for their selection shall be promptly warned in writ-ing by the chapter adviser and given a reasonable amount oftime to correct the deficiency, except that in the case of fla-g rant violation of school rules or the law, a member does notnecessarily have to be wa r n e d .

Section 3. The Faculty Council shall determine when anindividual has exceeded a reasonable number of wa r n i n g s .Section 4. In all cases of pending dismissal, a member shallh ave a right to a hearing before the Faculty Council. (Note: Th i shearing is re q u i red and is considered due process for all members.)Section 5. For purposes of dismissal, a majority vote of theFaculty Council is re q u i re d .Section 6. A member who has been dismissed may appealthe decision of the Faculty Council to the principal and there-after under the same rules for disciplinary appeals in theschool district. (Amended May 2004)Section 7. The National Council and NASSP shall hear noappeals in dismissal cases.(Note: Please refer to Article V I I I , Section 7 re g a rding the perma-nent consequences for members when dismissed.)

ARTICLE XI: CHAPTER OFFICERS Section 1. The officers of the chapter, their duties, and themethod of their election shall be determined by the membersof the chapter, a p p roved by the Faculty Council and the prin-c i p a l , and described in the chapter by l aw s .Section 2. N ew officers shall be installed at a special cere m o ny.

ARTICLE XII: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Section 1. The executive committee shall consist of the offi-cers of the chapter and the chapter adv i s e r.Section 2. The executive committee shall have general superv i-sion of the affairs of the chapter between its business meetings,make recommendations to the chapter, and determine and per-form such other duties as are specified in the chapter by l aw s .All actions and recommendations of the executive committeeshall be subject to the rev i ew of the chapter membership.Section 3. The executive committee shall have the re s p o n s i-bility for ensuring that chapter activities and pro c e d u res followschool policy and re g u l a t i o n s . (Note: This section is genera l l yviewed to include chapter activities except those with re g a rds to thes e l e c t i o n , d i s c i p l i n e , and dismissal of members which are the soledomain of the chapter's Faculty Council per the provisions ofArticle V I I , Section 4.)

ARTICLE XIII: MEETINGS Section 1. Each chapter shall have regular meetings duringthe school year on days designated by the executive commit-tee and in accordance with school policy and re g u l a t i o n s .Section 2. The regularity of the meetings (i.e., w e e k l y,m o n t h l y, bimonthly) shall be designated in the chapterby l aw s .Section 3. The chapter president or other designated student


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leader may call special meetings approved by the executivec o m m i t t e e .Section 4. Chapters shall conduct meetings according toR o b e r t ’s Rules of Ord e r, Newly Revised in all points not expre s s l yp rovided for in this constitution or the chapter by l aw s .

ARTICLE XIV: ACTIVITIES Section 1. Each chapter shall determine one or more serv i c ep rojects for each ye a r.Section 2. All members shall regularly participate in thesep ro j e c t s .Section 3. These projects shall have the following chara c t e r-istics: Fulfill a need within the school or community; have thesupport of the administration and the faculty; be appro p r i a t eand educationally defensible; be well planned, o rg a n i z e d , a n de x e c u t e d .Section 4. Each member shall have the responsibility forchoosing and participating in an individual service project thatreflects his or her particular talents and intere s t s . This is inaddition to the chapter projects to which all members con-t r i b u t e .Section 5. Each chapter shall publicize its projects in a posi-tive manner.

ARTICLE XV: OFFICIAL INSIGNIASection 1. This organization shall have an official emblemselected by the National Council. The emblem shall be uni-f o r m .Section 2. The distribution of the emblem and the rules forits use shall be under the exclusive control of the NationalC o u n c i l .

Section 3. Each active or honora ry member in good standingwith the chapter shall be entitled to wear this emblem.Section 4. A ny member who resigns or is dismissed shallreturn the emblem to the chapter adv i s e r.Section 5. All insignia must be pro c u red from the NJHSnational secre t a ry. All insignia are re g i s t e red with the U. S.Patent and Trademark Office and may not be copied by anyo n e .Section 6. The NJHS motto shall be Light Is the Symbol ofTr u t h .Section 7. The official NJHS colors shall be blue and white.Section 8. The official NJHS flower shall be the white ro s e .

ARTICLE XVI: BYLAWS Section 1. Each chapter shall write by l aws to amplify sectionsof this Constitution and to clarify operating pro c e d u res of thec h a p t e r. B y l aws do not need the approval of the NationalCouncil but must be consistent with this Constitution.Section 2. The chapter by l aws shall contain information con-cerning the election and duties of officers, the schedule ofm e e t i n g s , member obligations, d u e s , and the like. (Note: Seethe national handbook and the “Adviser Zone” at www.njhs.us foradditional information re g a rding the appropriate content of chapterbylaws.)

ARTICLE XVII: AMENDMENTS This Constitution may be amended at any meeting of theNational Council or by mail by an affirmative vote of a majori-ty of the members of the National Council.

© 2005 NA S S P. R evised 2005 (based on approved amend-ments adopted 1992–2005).


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3. CHAPTER ORGANIZATION

3.1 Establishing a Chapter3.1.1 Chartering a Chapter and Fees

Schools wishing to set up a chapter of the NJHS will bere q u i red to pay a chartering fee determined by the NationalC o u n c i l . For this fee a school is entitled to begin operations ofits chapter and receive a paper charter suitable for fra m i n galong with a handbook and orientation materials for thechapter adv i s e r. The chartering fee also includes payment ofthe school’s affiliation with the national office for the re m a i n-der of the current membership year (July 1–June 30).

Upon completion of the chartering pro c e s s , schools arere q u i red to maintain the annual affiliation. A special schoolaffiliation/ID number is assigned to all duly affiliated chap-t e r s . This number is designed for use with all official corre-spondence with the national office and is re q u i red whenplacing any orders for insignia. Annual re n ewal notices aresent automatically to the school as reminders of this affilia-tion re q u i re m e n t .

If, during the history of the chapter, the membershipinformation regarding the school’s affiliation is changed (i.e.,change of address or zip code, change of principal or advis-er), the school is asked to notify the NASSP membershipoffice in writing, using school stationery, regarding thesechanges. It is vital that the records found at the nationaloffice be kept up-to-date in order to ensure that all membersreceive the full benefit of their affiliation with the nationalorganization.

Chapters wishing to obtain a replacement for the papercharter originally provided during the chartering processshould contact the NASSP sales office. For this and all otherorders, advisers must include the school affiliation/ID num-ber provided to all chapters and advisers with their affiliation(as found on the adviser membership card sent to all advis-ers, on the mailing label of Leadership for Student Activitiesmagazine, and all other mailings from the national office,including the annual affiliation renewal notice).

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3.1.2 Getting Started

T h e re are three essential contacts that each adviser shouldconsider establishing when undertaking the formation of orassuming responsibility for an Honor Society chapter onc a m p u s :3.1.2.1 Principal

Responsible for payment of national chartering fee orannual affiliation fee.

Appoints the chapter adviser and the Faculty Council(five members).

Receives national handbook (and other re s o u rces asn e e d e d ) .

Consulted for general schedule considera t i o n s . Wi l lthe induction cere m o ny take place in the spring, f a l l ,or both? (From here , the schedule for the selectionp rocess can be derived working backwa rds from theinduction cere m o ny date on the school calendar. )

Sets priorities for your style of re c o g n i t i o n . What typeof recognition will the chapter provide to membersboth at induction and at graduation (e.g., p i n s , c e r t i f i-c a t e s , honor cord s , e t c . ) ?

C o o rdinates funding for the chapter. How will chaptera c t i v i t i e s , including re c o g n i t i o n , be financed? Schoolbudget allocation? Chapter dues (maximum allowed is$10 per member per year)? Fundraising activities? A ret h e re any policies or limitations that exist in re g a rds tof u n d raising?

R ev i ews the principal’s authority re g a rding HonorSociety activities per the guidelines found in thenational constitution (Article V, Section 1); the hand-book; and all school, school district, or state guidelinesor policies that effect the running of the Honor Society.

3.1.2.2 Faculty Council: Information needed Contact information/phone tre e / room assignment, e t c . Schedule of meetings (minimum of one per ye a r ) D u t i e s , including some or all of the following:

Selection pro c e d u res for membership Discipline and dismissal of members B y l aws development approva l Other duties/activities

P rofessionalism: Maintaining a strong reputation foryour chapter and its pro c e d u re s .

3.1.2.3 Chapter Members and Officers: Governance,activities, and other considerations

Who are your chapter officers and what are theirduties (identified in the chapter by l aw s ) ?

What are the member obligations and what types offulfillment re c o rds are kept for those obligations?

What is the committee structure for your chapter andtheir annual re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s ?

What are the chapter goals for the year (which alsomust be evaluated at some point)?

What are the major chapter activities for the year? Ist h e re a master calendar?

3.1.3 Obligations of the Chapter to the National Off i c e

Three main obligations can be identified for each HonorSociety chapter each year.

3.1.3.1 Annual Affiliation A re n ewal notice (invoice) will be mailed in the spring (usu-ally in early April) to the school principal seeking re n ewal ofthe chapter’s affiliation. Notices of this mailing will appear

CHAPTER ORGANIZATION

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New Adviser Checklist

■ Do you know your school affiliation number? (Hint: It is found on the mailing label of ev e ry issue of Leadership for

Student Activities m a g a z i n e . )■ Can you and your principal find your copies of the national handbook? (Ask yourself this in a month after yo u ’ve put

the handbook back on the shelf or in the file cabinet!)■ Do you have a written set of by l aws for your chapter?■ Do you have your selection process in writing?■ Do you have your chapter’s discipline and dismissal pro c e d u res in writing?■ Do you know the names and room numbers of the members of your five-person Faculty Council?■ Do you have the names and contact information for all of your chapter officers?■ Do you know when your induction cere m o ny(-ies) will be? Is there a written cere m o ny that you should follow?■ A re you a member of your statewide NHS and NJHS org a n i z a t i o n ?■ Do you have the toll-free phone number and e-mail address of the NHS and NJHS national office available?

in Leadership for Student Activities magazine in the monthsp receding arrival of the re n ewal notice. The notice willrequest three things:

Verification of the correct school name and address. Verification of the name of the designated chapter

a dv i s e r, with e-mail contact information. Principals willbe able to change the official adviser name if necessaryon this form. While many chapters operate with morethan one adv i s e r, the national affiliation re q u i res thesubmission of a single adviser name as the officialcontact for all chapter mailings during the ye a r.

Payment of the annual affiliation fee. This fee is sub-ject to change from one year to the next.

All chapters are requested to submit their completedrenewal form and payment by June 30 each year. Submissionby this time will ensure that the chapter’s status is updatedand the adviser name entered in time for the back-to-schoolmailings that include a new s l e t t e r, the annual catalog ofinsignia and publications, and the first issue of Leadership forStudent Activities m a g a z i n e .

Note: The national office has been informed of other org a n-izations sending out notices requesting payment of “ h o n o rsociety membership”f e e s . These notices appear to be inv o i c e srequesting pay m e n t . To protect your chapter funds, please notethat all official invoices for your chapter’s annual affiliationwith NJHS, including reminder notices, will bear the officiallogo of the organization and include a Reston,VA , re t u r na d d re s s . S i m i l a r l y, other “ h o n o r s ”o rganizations market dire c t l yto students, p a re n t s , and gra n d p a re n t s . All official membershipin NJHS is bestowed by the local chapter and not by thenational office which does not solicit membership for studentsby phone, m a i l , or e-mail. Please see that your principal andschool bookkeeper are informed of these details. If you ev e rquestion the authenticity of an invoice you or your schoolre c e i v e s , please do not hesitate to contact the national office forc o n f i r m a t i o n .

3.1.3.2 Annual Report Form SubmissionEach spring, in the April issue of Leadership for StudentA c t i v i t i e s, the annual report form is printed for all chapters tou s e . The form is also posted in the A dviser Zone on thenational Web site. Chapters are requested to complete andsubmit this form by June 30 each ye a r.

The form requests the names of the new inductees fro mthe school year just ending, and often asks a couple of briefs u rv ey-type questions about the chapter. In addition, c h a p t e r sa re asked to identify their major projects and activities for theyear on this form.

3.1.3.3 Stay Up-to-DateTo see that your chapter stays informed about dev e l o p m e n t sin the Honor Societies, we encourage you to: Read the NHS and NJHS news and question & answer

pages of each month’s issue of Leadership for StudentA c t i v i t i e s m a g a z i n e .

Check the national Web site monthly (a duty that can beassigned to a chapter officer) for any late-breaking new s .

Annually rev i ew and evaluate your chapter activities andpolicies and pro c e d u res to ensure full compliance with alln a t i o n a l , s t a t e , and local guidelines. Include the principalin these sessions in order to incorporate any new schoolsystem policies.

Maintain strong and effective communication links withall chapter members, o f f i c e r s , Faculty Council members,and other re l evant parties.

D evelop and implement effective annual goals for thechapter that support the purposes of the Honor Society ase x p ressed in Article I of the national constitution.

3.1.4 Chapter Name

M a ny chapters create a special name for their chapter to beused in lieu of the school name when referring to theirc h a p t e r. Chapter names are often established in honor of afamous chapter member, a dv i s e r, or principal who has influ-enced the development of the chapter in some importantm a n n e r. If a special name is selected, it is further re c o m-mended that the reasons behind the selection of this specialname be incorporated into the annual induction cere m o ny.This is a way to establish and pre s e rve an important segmentof chapter history.

To avoid creating an impression that NJHS is an org a n i z a-tion like a social fraternity or sorority commonly found on col-lege campuses, the use of Greek names is discoura g e d . T h i sp rohibition dates back to the early days of the Honor Societywhen such social organizations were more common on sec-o n d a ry school campuses.

Chapters wishing to have their chapter name placed ontheir charter must order a replacement charter, complete withthe chapter name information, f rom the NASSP Sales office.

3.1.5 Dues for Members

In their by l aw s , chapters determine and specify the amount oflocal chapter dues, if any, for their members. Dues are not toexceed $10 per year per member. Membership should not bedenied because of a student’s inability to pay.

In recent ye a r s , some schools and school systems hav eimposed “ p ay - t o - p a r t i c i p a t e ”fees for students becoming


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Ten Basic Necessities for All Honor Society Chapters1 . A ff i l i a t i o n . E v e ry chapter must affiliate with the national office on a yearly basis. Article IV, Sections 2 and 3, of the

constitution refer to this connection to the national office. Once the chapter is chartere d , the yearly affiliation fee entitlesthe chapter to all of the benefits of membership including a subscription to Leadership for Student Activities magazine andreceipt of yearly monographs and scholarship information, among other adva n t a g e s .

2 . Selection process. Once org a n i z e d , each chapter must develop a selection process (Article IX). This process includesusing a five-member Faculty Council, appointed by the principal, which selects all new members and monitors anddisciplines existing chapter members.

3 . P u b l i s h . It is important for all members of the school community to understand the nature of the honor of being select-e d . To accomplish this, all chapters should publish their pro c e d u res (both selection and dismissal) in school publicationsdistributed to students, faculty members, and parents (Article IX, Section 4). The open description of these pro c e d u re shelps to maintain a healthy view of the chapter and counters any perceptions of it being a secretive or elitist org a n i z a t i o n .

4 . R e v i e w. It is recommended that all chapters, under the direction of the adv i s e r, regularly rev i ew their guidelines to seethat they conform to the national constitution (Article IV, Section 5). It would be beneficial to include the principal in thisrev i ew as well as the Faculty Council to see that there is a common understanding of all guidelines and the criteria form e m b e r s h i p. It is recommended that this rev i ew be carried out ye a r l y, but definitely any time a new principal, n ew adv i s-e r, or new members of the Faculty Council are appointed.

5 . I n d u c t i o n . Once the selection of new members has been completed, ev e ry chapter should have an induction cere m o ny(Article V I I I , Section 4). Though these ceremonies may include the national insignia, m o t t o , and colors, t h e re is nore q u i red pro c e d u re . Local traditions and history play an important part in any school cere m o ny and can be included inyour own special induction cere m o ny. (Please refer to the chapter on induction ceremonies for more detailed informa-tion.)

6 . M e e t i n g s . In order to conduct business of the chapter and to plan a variety of activities, regular meetings of the chapter areto be held. Article XIII provides a good outline of the basics: hold the meetings re g u l a r l y, describe the meeting times in yo u rby l aw s , be pre p a red for special meetings when needed, and run your meetings in an orderly fashion. As you train chaptermembers and officers during the ye a r, focus on good meeting skills as one of the leadership qualities you wish to add toyour members’c h a ra c t e r i s t i c s .

7. Bylaws. Chapter bylaws, according to Article XVI, are designed to “amplify sections of this constitution and to clarifyoperating procedures of the chapter.”Many chapters draw on models that already exist in their school student councilsor other organizations when formulating their local guidelines. It is not necessary to rewrite the national constitutioninto your local bylaws, but it is appropriate to make reference to it as the general guideline for all chapter functions.

8. Chapter service. Service projects have evolved as a chapter requirement directly from one of the purposes of thenational organization,“to stimulate a desire to render service.”In recent years, many chapters have opened up theirprojects to participants from the student body, using chapter members as organizers and supervisors of the project. Inthis way, the desire to render service is built into the lives of all students in the school.

9 . Individual service. In addition to the chapter service pro j e c t , Article XIV, Section 4, outlines each member’s re s p o n s i-bility to engage in a service project developed from his or her own particular talents and intere s t s . The adviser can pro-vide direction to chapter members re g a rding the variety of projects available in the community and follow up with care-ful monitoring of student participation to see that sufficient hours of service are being prov i d e d .

1 0 . Annual report. The national office asks each adviser to complete an annual report on the chapter and its activities(Article V I , Section 2). This report should be submitted by no later than early summer to the national office. As NHS andNJHS continue to grow and more opportunities for development are offered from the national office, the statisticsgathered from the annual reports become increasingly significant.

It is important that every chapter begin with these fundamental requirements for having a chapter of NHS or NJHS intheir school. As an active part of the overall student activities program found at your school, your chapter can do much tomake a positive, significant difference in your entire community. Look to future publications from the national office andmonthly issues of Leadership for Student Activities magazine to provide guidance and new ideas for helping to make yourlocal chapter the best it can be.

members of NJHS. The national office recognizes that suchfees are being imposed to offset ongoing expenses associatedwith maintaining a chapter or activity pro g rams on campus. I tis essential that candidates and their parents be informed ofthe distinction between official chapter dues (establishedwithin the parameters noted previously) and other feesimposed upon the chapter.

No student should be denied membership due to an inabili-ty to pay these extra fees. C o n s e q u e n t l y, we encourage localchapters to either seek exemptions for Honor Society member-s h i p, or at a minimum, exemption for students who have legiti-mate inability to pay (e.g., those who appear on the school’sofficial list for free or reduced-price meals). A dvisers or princi-pals needing assistance in such matters can contact the policystaff of the national office for additional information.

3.2 Governing Documents All chapters must adopt and follow the national constitution.This obligation is outlined in the chartering agreement signedby ev e ry school with a chapter. The following discussion isdesigned to assist chapters in implementing the provisions ofthe constitution when operating a chapter of the NationalJunior Honor Society.

3.2.1 The National Constitution

The national constitution is the primary source for policy infor-mation for all chapters. It has been approved by and can beamended only by motion from the National Council with finala p p roval by the NASSP Board of Dire c t o r s .The constitution haschanged over the ye a r s .Though the basic tenets of the org a n i-zation have remained constant, the Society has evolved toreflect new thinking since 1929.The version appearing in thisedition of the handbook contains a variety of amendments thath ave been approved since the last edition in 1992. (The com-plete text of the national constitution is found in chapter 2.)

3.2.2 Chapter Bylaws

All NJHS chapters function under a single national constitu-tion and local chapters must adopt by l aws to the constitutionto establish local pro c e d u re s , as noted in Article XVI, S e c t i o n s1 and 2. They are a written set of rules for a group, definingthe limits of authority for the organization and giving asense of order and purpose. The by l aws should specify guide-lines on such topics as the schedule of meetings; memberobligations re g a rding meeting attendance, participation inp ro j e c t s , etc.; information on chapter officers (which ones arere q u i re d , what their duties are , how they are to be elected);dues re q u i rements; a description of projects for the year; and

scholarship nomination pro c e d u re s . Chapters may add anyother information and pro c e d u res pertinent to the chapter. Inaddition, chapter bylaws should be stated in simple, direct,and easy-to-understand terms and should include onlyessential items. (See sample bylaws in Appendix C.)

The chapter should regularly rev i ew the by l aws and changethem to meet the local needs of a particular ye a r. Though theby l aws are not approved by the National Council, t h ey mustbe consistent with the constitution and the policies estab-lished by the National Council.

3.2.2.1 Changing the BylawsOnce the by l aws have been accepted by a vote of thechapter and approved by the Faculty Council and thea d m i n i s t ra t i o n , t h ey become the law of the org a n i z a t i o n .If this principle is adhered to, it will only occasionally ben e c e s s a ry to change the by l aw s , due in large part to theirspecificity and detail.

E v e ry set of by l aws should include a description of thep ro c e d u res for amending the articles. It is good practice toh ave the entire chapter and the Faculty Council rev i ewp roposed changes before they are put to a vote or adopted.

O c c a s i o n a l l y, the by l aws may have to be revised or com-pletely rew r i t t e n . U n f o r t u n a t e l y, some chapters are criticizedfor spending too much time on amending their by l aw sinstead of dealing with chapter concerns. H o w ev e r, t h e rea re times when an outdated set of by l aws is a hindrance tothe chapter. To this end, a by l aws revision committee maybe specifically appointed to complete the detailed wo r ki nvolved with this task. The work of the committee isreported to the membership when the rev i ew is complete.

After a change has been proposed and a written draft hasbeen pre p a re d , the members of the chapter should beinformed and given copies so that they can rev i ew and discussthe issues before they come to a final vote. P roposed amend-ments or revisions usually re q u i re a two - t h i rds vote of thechapter for adoption. [Note: Sections dealing with revisions tothe pro c e d u res for selection, d i s c i p l i n e , and dismissal of mem-bers can be changed only by the Faculty Council, t h o u g hinput from the chapter members is allowed and encoura g e d . ]

Some good reasons for amending by l aws are : Statements no longer suit the chapter or school situation B y l aws are arranged so poorly that essential information

is hard to find B y l aws contain elements that have caused long-standing

d i s a g re e m e n t B y l aws violate individual rights B y l aws prevent the chapter from adapting to change.


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3.2.3 Other Chapter Records

Each chapter should have the following on file and ava i l a b l efor rev i ew : National handbook that includes the national constitution Local selection pro c e d u re description, including all forms

used in the selection process and lists of member obligationsonce selected

Policies and pro c e d u res related to discipline and dismissalof members

Chapter by l aw s Chapter membership lists (both present and past).

In addition, it is recommended that chapter files also con-tain the following: C o py of the chapter’s charter H i s t o ry of the chapter (founding date, explanation of the chap-

ter name, names of advisers and the years they serv e d , e t c . ) Induction cere m o ny scripts S e rvice project re c o rds detailing projects undertaken for

school or community by the chapter in past ye a r s C o py of The Leadership Store , the official catalog for all

insignia items Copies of Leadership for Student Activities magazine for

re f e re n c e .

3.3 Personnel3.3.1 National Council

The National Council and the NASSP Board of Directors areresponsible for the operational control of the NJHS at thenational level. The council is made up of representatives ofeach of the administrative regions currently used by NASSP(see Appendix O). A special NJHS representative and severalat-large principal representatives have been added since1997. The National Council and NASSP cannot review thejudgment of the Faculty Council regarding selection or d i s-missal of individual members to local chapters.

The National Council meets annually at the NA S S Pnational headquarters at 1904 Association Drive, R e s t o n , VA2 0 1 9 1 , to which correspondence should be addre s s e d .

3.3.2 Principal

At the local lev e l , the principal has the right to approve allactivities and decisions of the chapter. This authority extendsto selection and dismissal of members. The principal cannots e rve as chapter adviser and is not a member of the votingFaculty Council. The principal receives appeals in cases ofnonselection of candidates and the discipline or dismissal ofm e m b e r s .


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Chapter Management Tool: The Chapter Files

To facilitate the development of the chapter filing s y s t e m , please consider using the following list oftopics for your files: A dviser job description and duties Affiliation with the national office Attendance policies and charts C a l e n d a r Chapter by l aws and goals C h a r t e r Discipline policies Dismissal pro c e d u re s Faculty Council job description and duties F u n d raising pro j e c t s Induction ceremonies and scripts Leadership for Student Activities m a g a z i n e

Meeting agendas Member responsibilities and obligations Mentoring guidelines NASSP Student Activities offices National confere n c e National constitution National office, c o n t a c t s , i n f o r m a t i o n , and mailings NJHS network and other chapters nearby Officer job descriptions P rojects (character dev e l o p m e n t , citizenship dev e l-

o p m e n t , leadership pro m o t i o n , scholarship pro m o-t i o n , and chapter and individual serv i c e )

Selection pro c e d u re s State NHS and NJHS association.

The principal appoints and works closely with the chap-ter adviser and the Faculty Council to develop and followfair selection and dismissal pro c e d u res consistent with thec o n s t i t u t i o n . The principal cooperates with the adviser toa c h i eve a smooth-running, p roductive chapter. In short,the principal must recognize the importance of NJHS bet h o roughly familiar with the handbook, and remain awa reof the activities and pro c e d u res of the school’s chapter.

3.3.3 Chapter Adviser

The chapter adviser shall be a member of the faculty ofthe school where the chapter is located. It is re c o m m e n d-ed that the chapter adviser should be a faculty memberwho has faith in the abilities of young people and who iswilling to spend time with them to develop their poten-t i a l . The adviser is expected to be familiar with the hand-book and has a working knowledge of Honor Societypolicies as well as those of the school and the school dis-t r i c t . In carrying out the duties outlined in the nationalc o n s t i t u t i o n , the adviser promotes chapter activities, s t i m-ulates positive actions by members, and provides informa-tion on local and national policies regulating chaptera c t i v i t i e s . A checklist for new advisers is provided at thebeginning of this chapter.

In addition, the adviser approves chapter activities, m a i n-tains chapter re c o rd s , and attends all meetings and functions.The chapter adviser is an ex officio, n o nv o t i n g , sixth memberof the Faculty Council. Neither principals nor assistant princi-pals may serve as chapter adv i s e r s .

N ew advisers should always contact the MembershipDepartment of the national office to ensure that all mailingsa re directed to and membership re f e rences are listed underthe correct adv i s e r ’s name.

3.3.4 Faculty Council

The Faculty Council consists of five voting faculty members,appointed annually by the principal. If the principal delegatesthe power to make this appointment to the adv i s e r, the list ofFaculty Council members should be approved by the principalprior to the first meeting of the council.

The adviser works with the Faculty Council in selecting,d i s c i p l i n i n g , or dismissing members. No principal or assistantprincipal may be on the Faculty Council. Members of theFaculty Council should be from the professional staff on cam-pus (generally those with professional education degrees orcertification) and not from among the support staff on campus( c u s t o d i a n s , s e c re t a r i e s , e t c . ) . Pa rents and students cannots e rve as members of the Faculty Council for the chapter.


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Chapter Management Tools: Adviser and Member Notebooks

To help you keep track of essential information and keep itreadily ava i l a b l e , and to help teach your student membersthe value of org a n i z a t i o n , h e re are two suggested outlinesfor an adviser notebook and a member notebook to helpo rganize your chapter.

In the adviser notebook, you should include the followingt o p i c s : B u d g e t B y l aw s Calendar of chapter activities Catalog and order form Committees and their duties Community contacts and re s o u rc e s Faculty and staff ro s t e r Faculty Council members and re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s Forms (SAIF, F E F, e t c . ) Induction cere m o ny Leadership for Student Activities magazine Local disciplinary pro c e d u res and re c o rd s Local school policies

Local selection pro c e d u res Meeting agendas and minutes Member obligations Membership ro s t e r National handbook and national constitution Officers and their duties P ro j e c t s .

In the member notebook, you should include the follow-ing topics: B y l aw s Calendar of chapter activities Forms (service hour submission forms,

p roject report forms, e t c . ) K ey school and community contacts Local student handbook Meeting agendas and minutes Member obligations Membership ro s t e r Officers and committees and their duties Policies re g a rding selection, d i s c i p l i n e , and dismissal.

The adviser and the Faculty Council cooperate in dev e l o p-ing and periodically rev i ewing all local selection and dismissalp ro c e d u res and guidelines. Chapter members can be given theopportunity to comment on these pro c e d u res and the mem-b e r s ’ recommendations should be considered in pro c e d u reformulation and rev i ew.

It is important that all members of the Faculty Council re c-ognize that they are working on behalf of the total faculty ofthe school. All judgments reached by members of the Fa c u l t yCouncil should, t h e re f o re , be both sound and professional inn a t u re . It is important for Faculty Council members to be fullyknowledgeable of the guidelines for their chapter and to fol-low carefully all stated guidelines and pro c e d u res in all aspectsof the chapter’s activity.

3.3.4.1 Role of the Principal Regarding Meetings of theFaculty CouncilThe school principal has the right to approve all activities anddecisions of the local chapter as stated in Article V, Section 1,of the national constitution. F u r t h e r m o re , the principalappoints the faculty adviser (Article V, Section 2) and membersof the Faculty Council (Article V I I , Section 1), although thislatter responsibility can be delegated to an assistant principalor adviser as needed.

It is clearly expressed in Article V I I , Section 1, that “no prin-cipal or assistant principal may be included on the Fa c u l t yC o u n c i l ,”indicating that the administrator does not serve as amember of the group that selects, d i s c i p l i n e s , or dismissesm e m b e r s . This prohibition extends to the principal sitting inon the meetings of the Faculty Council because: N o w h e re in the description of the duties of the principal

or in the explanation of the membership of the Fa c u l t yCouncil is there re f e rence to having the principal as amember of that body.

Because the principal serves as the primary authority forappeals of nonselection or dismissal (as per Article V,Section 3), a conflict of interest could arise if the principalwas also part of the initial decision in these cases. By sit-ting in on the decision-making pro c e s s , the principalc o m p romises his or her objectivity in hearing an appeal,the result of which would necessitate passing the appealon to the next higher level of the school system for con-s i d e ration (superv i s o r s , s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s , school board s ,e t c . ) . This delay would be both time-consuming and frus-t rating for the appealee.

The principal has entrusted the adviser and members ofthe Faculty Council with the authority over selection andd i s m i s s a l . To impose direct supervision of their function


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This concern usually arises when parents of nonselectedstudents wish to inquire from each of the Faculty Councilmembers why the student was not selected.The nationaloffice does not encourage such inquisitions and supports localchapter efforts to maintain the confidentiality of the Fa c u l t yC o u n c i l , l e aving the chapter adviser and the principal as theindividuals chiefly responsible for responding to parental con-c e r n s .

Some schools may wish to retain the names of theFaculty Council in complete secre cy. The motivation forthis is understandable—no one wishes the candidates toattempt to influence Faculty Council members in order toa c h i eve membership. H o w ev e r, complete secre cy does cre-ate a significant problem for chapters when it comes tod i s m i s s a l . A c c o rding to the national constitution (and pre-sumed by the national office to be due process for allm e m b e r s ) , a ny student being considered for dismissal hasa right to a pre-dismissal hearing with the Fa c u l t yC o u n c i l . The purpose of this meeting is to allow the stu-dent to present his or her case to the council prior to their

decision regarding dismissal. It is expected that suchmeetings would take place face-to-face and traditionalprotocol would request introductions be made, and if not,most students would recognize the members of the facul-ty anyway. Unless a chapter consciously decides never todismiss a student (a questionable position if assumed tobe policy), eventually the names of the Faculty Councilmembers will be revealed. Of course, in the situationwhere a court or officials of the school system haverequested the names of the Faculty Council, the principalmay, at his or her discretion, provide the names.

The national office will support any principal or adv i s e rwho retains the confidentiality of the Faculty Council ino rder to avoid unnecessary questioning of their judgment.Efforts should be taken, h o w ev e r, to fully explain theselection process and respond to inquiries in a pro f e s s i o n-al manner. Requests or demands that members of theFaculty Council should be presented for interrogation onhow each member evaluated the nonselected student,should be firmly but politely re f u s e d .

Can our chapter and school enforce the anonymity of the Faculty Council?

could be perceived internally as a lack of trust in theirp rofessional capabilities and externally as undue influencein the pro c e s s . Either of these perceptions could be dam-aging to the ov e rall position of the chapter in the schooland community.In this case, how can a principal provide direction and

instruction to the Faculty Council if he or she cannot attendthe meetings? It is suggested that the principal provide suchguidance at least once a year in a private meeting with thea dviser and members of the Faculty Council. T h rough suchm e e t i n g s , possibly involving a rev i ew of the previous ye a r ’sev e n t s , the professional standards of the local chapter can bere i n f o rced in a manner that supports the integrity of themembers of the Faculty Council.

3.3.4.2 Role of the Chapter Adviser in the Meetings of the Faculty CouncilBecause the principal cannot serve as a member or even ano b s e rver of the Faculty Council’s delibera t i o n s , the chaptera dviser takes on the responsibility of re p resenting the admin-i s t rative offices of the school. In this ro l e , the adviser serves int wo capacities: the supervisor who ensures that proper pro c e-d u res are being followed and the advocate who protects thei n t e rests of the student(s).

As superv i s o r, the adviser first makes sure that both thenational and local guidelines for pro c e d u re are being followed.A total familiarity of the local pro c e d u res and the nationalhandbook are re q u i re d , or at least having written versions ofboth available for quick re f e re n c e . In addition, a vital role ofthe chapter adviser is to see that the Faculty Council av o i d sg o s s i p, h e a r s ay, and rumors when considering the case of as t u d e n t . To do this, the adviser serves as a facilitator of the dis-c u s s i o n s , keeping the council focused on objective data usedto rev i ew each case.

This latter quality is also the first step in serving as adv o c a t efor each student whose name or case is brought before theFaculty Council. U s u a l l y, the first implication of this role is inthe collection of data or facts to be considere d . A thoro u g haccounting of all information being used is one of the primaryresponsibilities of the adv i s e r. Whether for selection or disci-p l i n a ry considera t i o n , the chapter adviser serves to guara n t e ethat each student receives a fair rev i ew. Though a member ofthe school’s faculty, the adviser must assume the role of thes t u d e n t ’s defender to guarantee that the Faculty Council onlyconsiders re l evant and valid information about the case. T h echapter adviser plays a diplomatic role in the meetings of theFaculty Council. For this re a s o n , principals must care f u l l yselect those individuals who are to be chapter adv i s e r s .

3.3.4.3 Substitutes for Faculty Council MembersThe national constitution stipulates voting by five members ofthe Faculty Council. Because individuals on the council may beout when a meeting is called (e.g., sick or undertaking otherp rofessional re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s ) , the national office suggests thatchapters consider identifying one or more official substitutesfor the Faculty Council. With approval by the principal, t h e s eindividuals could receive the same orientation to chapterguidelines as the official five members, but would be ava i l a b l efor service in the event one of the five is not pre s e n t . It isimportant to clarify the role of these individuals for the meet-ing in question, noting that after the meeting, t h ey will rev e r tto substitute status. H o w ev e r, if any appeals emerge based onthe decisions reached when the substitute was voting, then thesubstitute should be brought back in for any re c o n s i d e ra t i o n sof the case.

3.4 MembershipMembership in the National Junior Honor Society is both anhonor and a re s p o n s i b i l i t y. Students selected for membershipa re expected to continue to demonstrate the qualities of schol-a r s h i p, s e rv i c e , l e a d e r s h i p, and chara c t e r. Membership is divid-ed into three categories: active, g ra d u a t e , and honora ry.

3.4.1 Active Membership

A candidate for membership must first be selected by theFaculty Council and then inducted in a special ceremony tobecome an active member of the chapter. Active membershave a voice and vote in chapter affairs. Active members areexpected to maintain the standards of the Honor Society bywhich they were selected. They also assume certain obliga-tions, as detailed in the information provided by the chapter,which must be fulfilled according to the chapter guidelines.

3.4.1.1 Transferring an Active Membership Article V I I I , Section 6, clearly indicates that a student’smembership transfers automatically when a member mov e sf rom one school to the next. Differing standards and pro c e-d u res among chapters sometimes cause difficulty for studentswho tra n s f e r. Although the constitution states that tra n s f e rmembers must be automatically accepted into the NJHSchapter of the new school, the tra n s f e ree may be unable tomeet the new chapter’s standards within one semester. Fo re x a m p l e , if a seventh grader tra n s f e r red to a school that accept-ed only eithth graders into the National Honor Society, the sev-enth gra d e r s , of course, could not meet the re q u i rements of then ew chapter within one semester. In such or similar cases, t h et ransfer student may have his NJHS membership declare d


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t e m p o rarily inactive, until he or she is able to meet the newc h a p t e r ’s standard s . In other cases where the cumulative GPAs t a n d a rd of the new school is higher than that of the olds c h o o l , then the tra n s f e ree is granted membership and givena reasonable amount of time (e.g., a semester) to raise theG PA to the new standard . In all transfer cases, the localFaculty Council is charged with making a sound, p ro f e s s i o n a ljudgment re g a rding the membership status of the individual.

It is the obligation of the student member, when tra n f e r r i n gto a new school, to notify, in a timely fashion, the adviser ofthe new school’s chapter of his or her membership. C h a p t e ra dvisers can re q u i re proof of membership in the formerchapter. Such proof can be in the form of a membershipcard, certificate, official designation on the school transcript,or independent verification sent from the former adviser tothe adviser at the new school.

3.4.1.2 NHS Membership considerationMembership in NJHS does not automatically confer status ofNHS membership upon a student arriving in high school, n o rdoes it automatically make a student a candidate for considera-t i o n . While NJHS membership may serve to introduce middlel evel students to the general concepts of the criteria, s t re n g t h e ntheir talents, and familiarize them with the selection pro c e s s ,t h e re is no formal connection between membership in the twoHonor Societies.

W h e re an NJHS chapter does exist in a middle level schoolthat feeds the high school, it is suggested that the two chaptera dvisers establish professional communications, to the pointof sharing selection pro c e d u res and chapter guidelines witheach other. F u r t h e r m o re , the NHS chapter can consider meet-ing with the members of the NJHS chapter prior to the end ofthe middle level experience (e.g., at the last NJHS chaptermeeting in the spring) to orient those members to highs c h o o l , and how and when students are considered for mem-bership in the high school chapter of NHS. Not only wo u l d

such collaboration help smooth the transition for NJHS mem-bers into their high school experience, but it will help themestablish academic and activities goals for eventually obtainingmembership in the NHS chapter.

3.4.1.3 Homeschooled StudentsAs a rule, students who are homeschooled full time and there-f o re not enrolled at a school where an NJHS chapter is pre s e n ta re not eligible for consideration as members. H o m e s c h o o l e dstudents who are enrolled part time at a member school, b a s e don local and state policies, m ay be eligible for considera t i o n .A dvisers should consult with their building principal in all suchc a s e s . If selection of part time homeschooled students takesp l a c e , it is important for chapter advisers to indicate the natureof all chapter obligations to assure continued membership bythis and all chapter members.

3.4.1.4 Students with Special NeedsStudents who have received accommodations for their disabil-i t y, based on their having been identified with one or morep hy s i c a l , e m o t i o n a l , l e a r n i n g , or other disabling conditions,raise some unique questions where selection to NHS or NJHSis concerned. For these cases, s ev e ral re l evant points should bec o n s i d e re d .

First and fore m o s t , a ny student who is judged by theFaculty Council to meet the selection criteria (scholarship,l e a d e r s h i p, s e rv i c e , and character) for membership should bes e l e c t e d . If the local selection process is written to exclude stu-dents in an accommodated curriculum or if extra guidelinesa re included (e.g.,“In addition to the re q u i red cumulativeG PA , students must take at least two years of a foreign lan-guage to be considered as candidates”; “students must bee n rolled in the pre-college curriculum,”e t c . ) , local schoolsshould first rev i ew these policies with local, s t a t e , and federa lguidelines to assure that such selection policies are legal andacceptable and supportable as being nondiscriminatory.


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For your adviser notebook, c reate a new form each ye a rthat helps you keep track of the current members on theFaculty Council. Include the following fields of information: Date (current school ye a r, e . g . , 2 0 0 5 – 0 6 ) Faculty Council member name Subject taught Room assignment Home phone number.

As the adv i s e r, you should add your name and contacti n f o r m a t i o n , a space for a substitute or alternate’s informa-t i o n , and emerg e n cy contact information for the principal( work and cell phone numbers). Make copies of this formfor all council members.

Additional re s o u rces re g a rding the Faculty Council canbe found in the A dviser Zone on the NJHS Web site,w w w. n j h s . u s .

Chapter Management Tools: Faculty Council Contacts Form

A dvisers should confer first with the building principal, a n d , i fn e c e s s a ry, with the school system legal counsel to authorizethese elements of their selection pro c e s s .

The Faculty Council may also specify a pre requisite numberof academic courses or weight grades in recognition of the va ry-ing degrees of difficulty of courses of study. As per the guide-lines for schools with “ i n n ovative grading pra c t i c e s ,”these eligi-bility re q u i rements should appear in the written description ofthe selection process along with a statement from the Fa c u l t yCouncil providing a professional rationale for their inclusion.

Should it be fairly and appropriately judged that the poten-tial member does not meet all of the selection criteria, t h eFaculty Council may consider bestowing honora ry member-ship upon a student with a re g i s t e red disability. H o n o ra rymembership can be bestowed upon students with disabilitiesor foreign exchange students in recognition of achievement oroutstanding service re n d e red to the school in keeping withthe purposes of the Honor Society. Other students at theschool who are outside of these two categories are not eligiblefor honora ry membership.

Put simply, h o n o ra ry membership grants to the recipient allof the privileges of membership without the obligations asso-ciated with active member status. To summarize, when localschools are asked to consider students from special, s c h o o l -based populations for membership, the Faculty Councilshould consider one of three options: selection as an activem e m b e r, nonselection based on failure to meet the selectionc r i t e r i a , or selection as an honora ry member of the chapter.

3.4.2 Graduate Membership

Active members become graduate members upon gra d u a t i o n .(Note: The term g ra d u a t i o n designates the completion of themiddle level grades of the chapter's school, e . g . , completion ofg rade 8 in a 6–8 school.) Graduate members have no voice orvote in chapter activities. S i m i l a r l y, because graduate membersa re no longer within the jurisdiction of the chapter’s Fa c u l t yC o u n c i l , t h ey cannot be dismissed once gra d u a t e d .

3.4.3 Honorary Membership

As identified in the constitution, honorary membership maybe granted to individuals who have extended outstandingservice to the school or community in keeping with the pur-poses of the Honor Society. Faculty Councils are urged touse discretion in conferring honorary memberships.

The Faculty Council may also honor an outstanding stu-dent who has a disabling condition that prevents the studentf rom fully meeting the re q u i rements for membership. O t h e rstudents (those without disabling conditions) who attend the

school are not eligible for honora ry membership, with theexception of foreign exchange students who are unable tomeet the re q u i rements in full (particularly those of atten-d a n c e ) , but who, in the opinion of the Faculty Council,d e s e rve the honor.

The usual membership card or certificate may be given tohonorary members with the word“honorary”typed on it.Honorary members are permitted to wear the officialinsignia. Simply put, honorary membership bestows upon anindividual all of the privileges of membership withoutimposing any of the obligations of membership.

The names of honorary and transfer members shouldappear on the chapter’s official membership list, which iskept on file by the school or school district.

3.4.4 Obligations of Membership

The national constitution defines sev e ral obligations for mem-b e r s . F i r s t , all members are to maintain the standards bywhich the member was selected (i.e., continued performanceat or above the re q u i red GPA , i nvolvement in service andleadership pro j e c t s , e t c . ) . In addition, the constitution expectsmembers to attend meetings and to perform both individualand chapter service projects during the ye a r.

Chapters can choose to add to these obligations as long asthe obligations are generally identified for candidates prior toselection and that appropriate notification is given to all mem-b e r s , once inducted, about their obligations. To avoid conflicts,it is advisable to have significant student input in the cre a t i o nof these obligations, to carefully consult the school calendar toavoid conflicts, and to be sensitive to personal needs based onp reexisting familial or cultura l / religious obligations.

The primary question that should be asked concerning theseadditional obligations is, Do they support the purposes of theo rganization as outlined in the constitution? If they do, a n dsupport for the events can be demonstrated among a majorityof the chapter members, these extra obligations are support-a b l e . As ev e ry adviser knows, NJHS members are alre a dy veryi nvolved in many school activities or they would not have beenchosen in the first place. Alternatives to mandatory obligationscould be offering students a choice, for example, to attend anyt wo out of five events; to make such activities voluntary; or togive members extra “ p o i n t s ”or “ c re d i t ” for participating thatcould be used towa rd fulfilling other membership obligations.

Local chapters are encouraged to surv ey the membershipand also find out what other schools in the area are doingb e f o re developing a final plan.

Publication of member obligations is a responsibility of thec h a p t e r. It is recommended that in addition to the publ i s h i n g


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of the chapter by l aws for each member, that chaptersinclude a list of member obligations in the general chapterdescription that appears in the student handbook, f a c u l t yh a n d b o o k , p a rent new s l e t t e r s , or any other official publica-tion of the school or school system. Helping potential can-didates and their parents understand what will be expectedof them if they are selected may assist an individual candi-date in determining if he or she has sufficient time to putinto this honor.

It is also beneficial for parents to understand the commit-ment of time and energy that is necessary once their studentbecomes a member of the chapter. M a ny chapters will outlineall member obligations and include such a list either in the can-d i d a t e ’s packet of information or in a new member packet, a n dthen request (or re q u i re) that the student and the parent org u a rdian sign the form affirming their understanding of then a t u re of all member obligations. H aving such a document onfile will assist in supporting the school’s position should a stu-dent be called up for disciplinary action when it is apparent thathe or she is not meeting some or all of the member obligations.

3.5 Chapter OfficersEach chapter has the responsibility to designate, t h rough theby l aw s , which officer positions are appropriate for the smoothfunctioning of the chapter. Chapters often designate the follow-ing positions: pre s i d e n t , vice pre s i d e n t , s e c re t a ry, t re a s u re r, p a r-l i a m e n t a r i a n , h i s t o r i a n , and reporter or public relations officer.

Election pro c e d u res for chapter officers are to be deter-mined by the membership and approved by the Fa c u l t yC o u n c i l . For all officer election systems, d e m o c ratic principlesof operation should be used, with an emphasis on fairness inconducting all pro c e d u re s . If re s o u rces are needed for assis-tance in completing chapter officer elections, a dvisers shouldconsult with the school’s student council or other org a n i z a-tions on campus for examples of effective pro c e d u re s .

N ew officers should be installed in a special cere m o ny at achapter meeting, at a special dinner meeting, or at an annualb a n q u e t . The installation cere m o ny can help re i n f o rce the ideathat good officers are crucial to a strong chapter. (See sidebarfor sample officer installation cere m o ny. )

3.5.1 Officer Elections

The term “ e l e c t i o n ”is not the term of choice where the selec-tion of new members to an Honor Society chapter is con-c e r n e d . H o w ev e r, election is used with chapters when explor-ing the process for identifying new chapter officers. T h ro u g hthe ye a r s , chapter advisers have raised a variety of important

questions re g a rding how to organize and carry out their chap-ter officer elections. O f f e red below are some of the essentialtopics and suggestions. Answers are based on existing guide-lines in the Honor Society constitutions and handbooks aswell as the ongoing re s e a rch of the staff at the national office.[Note: This subsection first appeared in Leadership for StudentA c t i v i t i e s m a g a z i n e , N ovember 2004.]

3.5.1.1 Publication, Bylaws, and DutiesBecause Article XVI of the national constitution mandatesev e ry chapter to have by l aws to amplify the provisions of thec o n s t i t u t i o n , ev e ry chapter should have by l aws and include inthem the various provisions re g a rding chapter elections thatm ay exist. A separate set of by l aws or guidelines can bed eveloped for chapter election purposes and should similarlybe published. R e g a rdless of where the election guidelines arep u b l i s h e d , the adage,“Write what you do and do what yo uw r i t e ,”a p p l i e s . In other wo rd s , follow the established pro c e-d u ral guidelines.

An outline for your chapter bylaws, containing a sectionfor the election and duties of officers can be found inAppendix C. Similarly, a sample set of bylaws can be foundin the Adviser Zone on the national Web site. What will notbe found in either of these sections is a list of duties for yourofficers. These should be developed locally. It is worthwhile,at the end of each year, to have your officers look back overthe set of published duties to determine whether or notthose descriptions are accurate, and if not, make amend-ments to bring them up-to-date.

3.5.1.2 Voting ProceduresWith your processes and duties clearly expressed in local doc-u m e n t a t i o n , it is time to carry out the election of your offi-c e r s . Prior to the nomination of candidates, it is always help-ful to present a fresh copy of the election guidelines to allchapter members with an indication of the planned timelinefor the entire election pro c e s s . See that ev e ry member,including those who are absent, receives a copy and thatsome time is given for answering questions raised by them e m b e r s .

A few topics should be addressed in this election orienta-t i o n . F i r s t , who is eligible to run for office and who is eligibleto vote? If you limit candidates to a certain grade level (e.g.,rising seniors), be sure this is clearly stated. S i m i l a r l y, s o m echapters wish to limit who can vote for the coming ye a r ’s offi-cers to those members who are re t u r n i n g . Because such ap ractice excludes some current members from voting, it isessential that a rationale exists to clarify for those who


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1. Dues (Article IV, Section 3)—Members may be asked to pay annual chapter dues. The constitutionlimits this amount to $10 per student per year. For this amount and any other obligatory expensesbestowed upon members, the school should be able to provide alternative sources of funding forthose students who may be incapable of paying. The authentic inability of a member or his or herfamily to pay such financial obligations should not be the reason for discipline or dismissal of anymember. Chapters are not required to charge dues, but once established, members can be requiredto meet this obligation in a timely manner.

2. Maintaining standards (Article VIII, Section 1)—Once selected, all members are expected to main-tain the standards by which they were selected. The implication here is that members are wellinformed concerning what those selection standards were as published in the description of thelocal selection process.

3. Meetings (Article XIII, Section 1)—Chapters hold meetings and may require members to attend.The schedule of these meetings should be well publicized. In addition, chapter officers shouldwork closely with the adviser to see that the agenda for all meetings is well thought out andplanned for.

4. Chapter service projects (Article XIV, Sections 1 and 2)—All chapters are required to sponsor achapter service project and all members are required to participate, assuming that the projectmeets the criteria as outlined in the constitution.

5. Individual service projects (Article XIV, Section 4)—In addition to the chapter service project,members are to engage in additional service according to their own talents and interests. Thequantity of this service and the degree to which the chapter monitors this activity should bedefined in the chapter bylaws.

Additional obligations (Article XVI, Section 2)—If additional obligations exist for members of thechapter, such obligations should be spelled out in the chapter bylaws for all members to see. It is rec-ommended that a set of these bylaws be presented to each member yearly as a reminder of these andall member obligations.

The Five Constitutional Obligations of a Duly Inducted Member


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Chapter Management Tool: Creating a Member HandbookC reating a handbook for individual members of the chapter is an excellent method for keeping membersi n f o r m e d , o rg a n i z e d , and attuned to chapter activities and their responsibilities there i n . Too many times, m e m-bers respond to questions about their participation in chapter activities with,“ N o b o dy told me, ”or “I didn’tk n o w.”Although it is the member’s responsibility to know and understand the obligations of his or her member-ship in the chapter, taking the time to pre p a re a re l evant and effective handbook for members is a good idea.

In considering a member handbook for the first time, use a variety of sources for its content. B e c a u s ethis will be a handbook for members, the current members (or the officers who re p resent them) would bep r i m a ry sources for ideas. The national office often refers to the adage that,“ People tend to support whatt h ey cre a t e ,” and using students at this stage of the pro c e s s supports that concept.

In addition to student input, the Faculty Council members and the principal of the school would be twoo bvious choices for ideas. Consider also having a re p resentative of the parent community (PTA pre s i d e n t ,booster club member, etc.) take a look at the handbook prior to printing. Getting input from a variety ofs o u rces should enhance the ov e rall quality and usefulness of your new handbook. Of course, even with lots ofi n p u t , the stated purpose of your handbook and the budget you have for developing such would dictate howmuch of the input you can use. Input is helpful for creating an initial draft for considera t i o n , finalizing a dra f t ,and for rev i ewing the handbook after a ye a r ’s implementation. One important reason for including a re p re s e n-tative of the school’s administration at some stage in the handbook’s development is to make certain that all ofthe information found within the handbook conforms to existing school policy.

S o , what should be included? Here ’s a brief list of topics to consider: C o n g ra t u l a t o ry letters from the chapter pre s i d e n t , the adv i s e r, and the principal. This helps personalize yo u r

handbook to each administration and helps build a strong working relationship between the chapter andschool leadership and the membership.

Master calendar for the chapter and its planned activities and major school events Obligations of membership that lists the responsibilities and obligations re q u i red of all members of the

chapter per your local by l aw s . Some chapters include a statement of ethics for all members and re l eva n tportions of the school’s code of student conduct in this section.

Contact information including the adv i s e r, chapter officers, and the principal. This information can mere l ybe a listing of the individuals by name or it can include their phone numbers and duties of office. A n o t h e rname to consider including on this list is the current head of the parent organization for your school.

Roster of members that includes the current members of the chapter and what grades are they in.O bv i o u s l y, this would need updating annually to reflect the new i n d u c t e e s . With permission of the indi-vidual members—and where appropriate—their parents a membership roster can contain contact informa-tion as well (phone numbers, e - m a i l s , e t c . ) .

Meeting schedule that identifies the day and dates of your regularly scheduled chapter meetings. It is agood idea to remind students on this page what the chapter’s meeting attendance policy is and what theconsequences are for not adhering to that policy.

Generic agenda and re l evant excerpts from R o b e r t ’s Rules of Ord e r (or other guides for meeting manage-m e n t ) .

P roject-planning guide to help all members understand what to do if presented with a new pro j e c t - p l a n-ning re s p o n s i b i l i t y.

C o m m i t t e e s , if your chapter uses them. If the chapter operates with standing committees, each with its ownset of duties or re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , include a rev i ew of these and a list of the committee chairpersons, which isparticularly helpful for new members.


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M o t i vational material to be used as inspirational reminders of the four criteria that were used for members e l e c t i o n . You’ll be surprised how often students will claim that they ’ve used this to help them and how will-ing they are to suggest new information to include in such a section.

Chapter by l aw s , sometimes re f e r red to as the local constitution, help members understand those policiesthat govern their chapter.

S t a n d a rds and the process for selection—especially when members are allowed to assist in communicat-ing the nature of the criteria and the process for selecting members—help members understand how sig-nificant their selection actually is.T h e re are some additional pieces of information that can be considered for inclusion. A copy of the national

constitution helps maintain the link with the national org a n i z a t i o n . (Chapters are granted permission to makesuch copies from the national handbook or from the Web sites for use in their chapter activities. Use the ver-sion found on w w w. n h s . u s or w w w. n j h s . u s, which is the most recent edition.) A l s o , if your school belongs tothe state association of NHS and NJHS, including some re l evant information about that membership would bein ord e r. Major projects can be explained in a separate entry of the handbook to make certain all membersunderstand the purpose and process for the ev e n t . F i n a l l y, m a ny schools have local policies re g a rding partici-pation in cocurricular activities that are often augmented with a great array of forms. Though your memberhandbook does not have to repeat information that may be found in your school’s student handbook, s o m ere f e rence to re l evant school policies could be appro p r i a t e .

Once yo u ’ve organized and disseminated your handbook, h e re are four more suggestions for helping to sys-tematize the process for your chapter:1 . Plan to rev i ew the content each year with your chapter officers. What works? What doesn’t work? What else

needs to be added? You may find your handbook assuming greater volume than your copy machine canh a n d l e , so from time to time, implement the KISS principle: Keep it short and simple.

2 . Maintain a file of all master documents, either in your paper files so that replacement pages can be re a d i l ya c c e s s e d , or in your electronic files for easy editing.

3 . Assign the handbook’s maintenance and updating as a duty of office for one of your chapter officers. I fyour chapter gets a new transfer member in the middle of the ye a r, make certain that this officer knows top rovide a copy of your member handbook to this person.

4 . S h a re the information with others. Give a copy to your counselors and a member of the administra t i o n( t h ey will have provided some input at an earlier point). Counselors value up-to-date informationabout activities on campus. A d m i n i s t rators like to see that members are being kept informed aboutschool policies. Your completed handbook will also serve as a model to other activity groups on cam-p u s , an important role for any Honor Society chapter to take.


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Chapter Management Tool: Officer Installation CeremonyThe following text describes a sample installation cere m o ny for chapter officers.

Installing officer: “The installation of any group of officers is an important and serious occasion.You have indicated yo u rfaith and trust in these, your elected officers, to serve for the coming ye a r. Their service and accomplishments dependl a rgely on your coopera t i o n . Following is as important as leading. In any org a n i z a t i o n , t h e re comes a time when somemust lead for a while and others must follow.

“The National Junior Honor Society is founded upon the principles of scholarship, l e a d e r s h i p, s e rv i c e , c i t i z e n s h i p, a n dc h a ra c t e r. In all your undertakings, m ay you always keep in mind these guiding principles:

A candle’s but a simple thing;It starts with just a bit of string.Yet dipped and dipped with patient hand,It gathers wax upon the strandUntil, complete and snowy white,It gives at last a lovely light.[Installing officer lights candle on table.]Life seems so like that bit of string;Each deed we do a simple thing,Yet day by day if on life’s strandWe work with patient heart and hand.It gathers joy, makes dark days bright,And gives at last a lovely light.”

“ Will each retiring officer step forwa rd as your name is called and receive a lighted candle, symbol of the flaming torch off reedom and knowledge, and reminding us to bear forwa rd the searching light of truth and to lead others to follow the light.

[Lights a candle for each retiring officer and gives it to him or her as the officer’s name is called.]“Outgoing officers, you have made the candles which you will pass on to your successors.You have worked with

patient care , made dark ways bright. We thank you for all your efforts. T h ey have added to the history of this org a n i z a t i o n .We now ask you to pass your lighted candle to your successor.

[Old officers retire.]“ N ew officers, in accepting these offices you have indicated your willingness to give the best in time and effort to

c a r ry out the principles of the National Junior Honor Society. Yours is a grave responsibility as well as a privilege. T h eworld today, as never before , needs faithful and efficient leaders, and your school is looking to you to lead its stu-d e n t s . With this in view, do you pledge your best efforts to these offices you now accept? If so, n ew officers pleasere s p o n d , ‘ We do.’

Hold high the torc h ,You did not light its glow.‘ Twas given you from other hands you know.‘ Tis only yours to keep it burning bright,For there are other feet that you must guideAnd other forms go marching by your side.Some day in turn they’ll lift it high and say,‘I watched another carry it this way.’

“ M ay your light blaze forth for a successful year and, at the expiration of your term of office, m ay it be passed on withthe satisfaction that much was accomplished for the welfare of our school and our org a n i z a t i o n . C o n g ra t u l a t i o n s ! ”

question the pra c t i c e . Although this is a local decision, t h enational office discourages the use of such exclusionary rulesin chapter elections because it does not parallel standardvoting practices in which all citizens at the time of the electiona re allowed to vote.

Chapter presidents and advisers should be awa re of thequorum rule, which indicates that no official business of thechapter—including voting—can take place unless a minimumof one more than 50% of the members are pre s e n t . L o c a lchapters can set a quorum at a higher or lower perc e n t a g e ,but it is important to take an accurate count of membersattending and voting during the election pro c e s s . Some chap-ters do not announce results until all members have submit-ted ballots, allowing those who missed the meeting to votet h rough the chapter adviser following the planned meeting.

When confronting tie votes in any election, look to yo u restablished pro c e d u res for adv i c e , and if no such statementexists explaining how to handle a tie vote, consider dev e l o p i n gone prior to the next election. Recounting and revoting are oftenthe first steps in such circ u m s t a n c e s , even allowing the tied can-didates to make additional comments to the membership.

Whether your chapter allows campaigning in the form of signs, p o s t e r s , speeches or other methods should bea d d ressed in your chapter by l aw s . A p p roval of or limits to thecontent of all campaign activities is suggested. One problem thatm a ny chapters have had to address in recent years is whether ornot Web site campaigning is appro p r i a t e , whether at school orvia home computers. In all such guidelines, it is re c o m m e n d e dthat the adviser compare the chapter guidelines with those inthe school’s student council or other student org a n i z a t i o n s .When in doubt, request input from the principal. S i m i l a r l y, t h e rem ay be school system guidelines on elections for student gro u p sthat would need to be adhered to by your chapter.

3.5.1.3 Scheduling Alternative One suggestion that has emerged in recent years is in re f e r-ence to the timing of your chapter elections. Chapters oftenfind that in the second semester of an officer’s last year at thes c h o o l , officers have a tendency to slack off on their re s p o n s i-b i l i t i e s . To counter this effect, a chapter can institute electionsin December or Ja n u a ry ev e ry ye a r, w h e re by the new officerswould serve a term that includes the second semester of oneyear through the first semester of the next. Although therem ay be many chapter activities affected by such a plan, t h i sallows officers to maintain their efforts over the summer,avoids the problems of reduced effectiveness at the end of theschool ye a r, and re m oves an activity from the end of theschool ye a r, which is alre a dy packed with ev e n t s .

3.5.2 On the Job

Once elected, new officers should be publicly installed.Chapters are encouraged to create a respectful ceremony forthe installation that serves as a reminder to all of the dutiesthese individuals have assumed and the responsibility of themembership to support their new leadership.

The chapter should also consider providing a press re l e a s eto local media re g a rding the newly elected officers. N o t h i n ghelps keep an officer mindful of his or her responsibilities morethan public awa reness of the position.

Patty Hendrickson, a well-known consultant and leadershipt ra i n e r, offers four essential points that advisers should usewhen working with their new officers: 1 . E n c o u rage self-assessment and reflection 2 . Help each officer create a keeper notebook 3 . P rovide blank business cards for use by the officers 4 . Focus on a few key goals for the gro u p.

Visit w w w. Pa t t y H e n d r i c k s o n . c o m for more suggestions.

3.5.2.1 Dealing With ProblemsF rom time to time, officers do not perform their duties as assigned. It is important that, in the chapter officerg u i d e l i n e s , consequences are laid out for such situations.Officers can be wa r n e d , re m oved from office, or ine x t reme cases dismissed from the chapter. Though thelatter function is re s e rved for the Faculty Council, a nyand all disciplinary processes should be spelled out in thechapter by l aws for all members. In the case of re m oval ord i s m i s s a l , a policy should similarly be developed for fill-ing vacancies whether by special election, a p p o i n t m e n tby the executive committee, the adviser or Fa c u l t yC o u n c i l , or by simple succession. This replacement policyshould also be carefully outlined and applied fairly andconsistently in all circ u m s t a n c e s .

3.6 Executive CommitteeThe executive committee is composed of the chapter officersand the chapter adv i s e r.The committee helps direct the busi-ness affairs of the chapter. This committee determines the duess t r u c t u re , makes recommendations concerning the by l aw s ,time and place of meetings, meeting agendas, special pro j e c t s ,member obligations, and the like. All actions andrecommendations by the executive committee are subject torev i ew by the membership.

The executive committee should be especially awa re of thec h a p t e r ’s relationship to other school org a n i z a t i o n s , t h ea d m i n i s t ra t i o n , the faculty, and the community. C a re should betaken that activities of the chapter do not duplicate or interfere


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with those of other school org a n i z a t i o n s . I d e a l l y, a ny project oractivity developed by the chapter will compliment and serv ethe best interests of the total school pro g ra m .

3.7 Committees for the ChapterM a ny chapters use the committee system to develop andmaintain their chapter throughout the ye a r. Local chaptersestablish committees to further the purpose and organize thefunctions of their chapter. Tra d i t i o n a l l y, the chapter pre s i d e n tappoints all committee chairpersons with prior approval of thechapter adviser or executive committee.

T h e re is a traditional structure that identifies two types ofcommittees: standing committees and special committees.Standing committees are those that the chapter can expect touse ev e ry ye a r. An example of this might be the InductionC e re m o ny Committee charged with designing and imple-menting your annual new member function. A special com-m i t t e e , also known as an ad hoc committee, can be appointedto handle events that are unique to a year such as the 50thA n n i v e r s a ry Committee to handle the celebration of yo u rc h a p t e r ’s milestones.

An alternative structure for committees can be derived fro mthe purposes of the Honor Society. This would incorpora t efour or five committees described as follows:

S c h o l a r s h i p, to provide mentoring and tutoring pro j e c ts u p e rv i s i o n , honor roll postings, f reshman motiva t i o np ro g ra m s , e t c .

L e a d e r s h i p, to supervise officer tra i n i n g , c reation of am e m b e r ’s handbook, by l aws rev i ew and rev i s i o n , e t c .

S e rv i c e , to fulfill the chapter’s obligations to both schooland community, o rganizing and implementing pro j e c t s ,and assisting in keeping track of service hours of members

C h a ra c t e r, to develop and monitor a code of ethics andp rovide inspirational quotations for each meeting

C i t i z e n s h i p, to promote voter re g i s t ra t i o n , political issuesaffecting students and education, and supporting commu-nity activities.W h a t ever structure you choose, committees are helpful

tools to organize your chapter and to ensure inv o l v e m e n tof all members in some aspect of the life of your chapter.You can allow your officers to chair these groups or chooseto involve other leaders within the chapter to assume addi-tional positions of re s p o n s i b i l i t y. R e c o rds and files of com-mittee project plans and evaluations and reports given ateach chapter meeting will assist the ongoing success ofyour committees.

By building and using a strong committee structure foryour chapter, you can achieve even more success.


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Resources on Chapter Officers

Chapter officer elections are just one process that helps create the student leadership necessary to carry out the wo r kof the chapter. Once by l aws and guidlelines have been established and published, a dvisers should be able to conductsuch processes efficiently ev e ry ye a r.

Additional resources on this topic have been published in past issues of Leadership for Student Activities magazinein the Q&A section for advisers: February 1997—When one of our chapter officers consistently fails to fulfill the duties of office, how do

we remove the member from that office in a fair and appropriate manner? February 1998—What process should be used for removing chapter officers from their positions? April 1998—The national handbook only gives general information about the duties of office for my chapter

officers (executive committee). What can I do to develop a more complete list of officer duties for our chapter? February 2001—How should our chapter fill a vacancy when the officer moves, resigns, or is dismissed? February 2002—I’m preparing to hold my spring elections for officers of our chapter. What are some

suggestions or guidelines I should be considering in preparation for these elections?

4. SELECTION PROCEDURES

For many students, selection as an NJHS memberis the pinnacle of their achievements in school.This honor, recognized throughout the nation, i s

both the public recognition of accomplishment and thep r i vate commitment to continued excellence on the partof the new member. Because of the importance placedupon this aspect of secondary school life, local chaptersa re charged with creating a selection process that con-forms to the national guidelines, is applied fairly andconsistently to all candidates, and provides a meaningfulrecognition of deserving students.

Much care and attention has been given to the for-mulation of the guidelines that follow, all of which are basedon existing provisions of the national constitution. T h rough theye a r s , the recommended pro c e d u res from this handbook hav eu n d e rgone administrative and judicial scrutiny at ev e ry lev e l .N ev e r, to the best of the knowledge of the staff at the nationalo f f i c e , has a court of re c o rd deemed any of these official pro c e-d u res as being either unfair or illegal—two very important testsfor any policy undergoing rev i ew. It is based on this fact thatthe National Council strongly encourages all chapters to close-ly adhere to the recommendations that follow.

Selection to NJHS is a privilege, not a right. (See the L e g a lM e m o ra n d u m, Fall 2003, located in Appendix D for a legal dis-cussion of this statement.) Students do not apply for mem-bership in the National Honor Society. I n s t e a d , t h ey prov i d einformation to be used by the local selection committee tosupport their candidacy for membership. Membership isg ranted only to those students selected by the Faculty Councilin each school on the condition of their having met the stan-d a rds for selection established at the local level and based onthe provisions of the national constitution. This is not an elec-t i o n , nor is membership automatically conv eyed simplybecause a student has achieved a specified level of academic

p e r f o r m a n c e . NJHS is more than just an honor roll andthe extent to which the local chapter emphasizes theother components of the selection process (leadership,s e rv i c e , and character) should be carefully included inthe local selection process guidelines.

The selection process must be public information,available to pare n t s , s t u d e n t s , and faculty uponre q u e s t , as noted in Article IX, Section 4. It shouldalso be published appropriately in such publicationsas the student handbook, the school new s p a p e r, p a r-ent new s l e t t e r s , or some other publication that iswidely available to students and parents and, in addi-

t i o n , is shared at orientation pro g rams for new students.(See Appendix E.) Many chapters also include this informa-tion on their chapter or school Web sites. P roper dissemina-tion of information about the chapter, particularly detailsconcerning the selection process used at the school, w i l lhelp prevent problems with students or parents who maywish to question the pro c e s s . To ensure that your descriptionof the selection process is fully understandable, it is re c o m-mended that the chapter form a committee of students,t e a c h e r s , and parents to rev i ew the description for clarity.

All decisions concerning selection have a certain subjectivee l e m e n t , but problems can be avoided if the Faculty Councild evelops and follows some objective criteria. The NationalCouncil urges chapters to follow the recommended pro c e-d u res that follow. H o w ev e r, w h a t ever pro c e d u re is followed, i tmust be fair, n o n d i s c r i m i n a t o ry, consistently applied, and writ-ten for public dissemination.

4.1 Pre requisite Conditions for SelectionA c c o rding to the constitution, only those students who hav eattended the school the equivalent of one semester may bec o n s i d e red for membership. This period is necess a ry for

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students to establish themselves academically and inv o l v ethemselves in various service and leadership activities,and for the faculty to get to know them and the quality oftheir chara c t e r. Even after a semester, h o w ev e r, it may ben e c e s s a ry to contact a transfer student’s former school foradditional information. The National Council does notsupport local eligibility re q u i rements that exceed this onesemester provision of the constitution.

Some candidates may be ineligible for inductionbecause of the semester ruling. M a ny students, i n c l u d i n gstudents of military pare n t s , a re re q u i red to move withtheir family when parents or guardians have been tra n s-f e r red to new locations. The present school principal ora dviser should seek a recommendation from the prev i o u sschool principal pursuant to the candidate’s selection.Based on the recommendation of the previous principal,c o u n s e l o r, or chapter adv i s e r, the Faculty Council maywaive the semester re g u l a t i o n .

Membership may be open to qualified second-semestersixth graders and students in grades 7 through 9. The Fa c u l t yCouncil may decide to choose only one or a combination ofthese classes, a c c o rding to local needs, c o n d i t i o n s , or tra d i t i o n s .

W h a t ever classes are eligible in a given school, a c a d e m i cre q u i rements must be the same for all candidates in all classes.For example, you may not have a different GPA re q u i re m e n tfor seventh graders than you have for eighth graders and sen-i o r s .The National Council considers different academicre q u i rements for the various classes to be inappro p r i a t e .

Similarly, there can be no specific quota or percentage ofmembers per class. All students who meet the criteria forselection should be inducted regardless of the number. If itis necessary to limit chapter size, the academic requirementfor all candidates can be raised.

Regarding those classes that are eligible for membership,schools that include grade 6 may not include first-semestersixth graders as members of the NJHS chapter. However,when considering candidates for selection, it is appropriateto use grades earned and activities undertaken during theentire sixth-grade year. Also, schools with a 9–12 structuremay not have a separate ninth grade–only chapter of NJHSon their high school campus (a restriction that has been inexistence since 1983). However, schools with a 6–12 or simi-lar multilevel structure may have two chapters (one NJHS forgrades 6–9, and an NHS chapter for grades 10–12) but mustapply for and maintain separate charters for each

Please refer to the section on membership in chapter 3 fora discussion of special classifications of students and how theycan or should be incorporated into your local selection pro c e s s .

4.2 Criteria for MembershipThe Faculty Council of the chapter selects students whod e m o n s t rate outstanding performance in all five criteria ofN J H S — s c h o l a r s h i p, l e a d e r s h i p, s e rv i c e , c i t i z e n s h i p, and chara c-t e r. A c c o rding to the principles outlined in Article IX, Section 2,the Faculty Council should first identify students with the pre-requisite GPA and then evaluate the candidates’performance inthe areas of leadership, s e rv i c e , c i t i z e n s h i p, and chara c t e r.

Although the academic criterion is important and should bec o n s i d e red first, membership should never be considered onthe basis of grades alone, even though a Faculty Council mayconsider scholarship as the most important of the five criteria.Schools that select members solely on the basis of scholarshipa re violating the constitution and placing their charters in jeop-a rdy. The Faculty Council may wish to surv ey academically eli-gible students to determine interest in membership and toobtain information re g a rding service and leadership activities(see the sample “Student Activity Information Fo r m ” i nAppendix F). Students so surv eyed should understand thatsuch surv eys are not applications for membership, and that therev i ew of information gathered does not guarantee selection.

In evaluating potential members for leadership, s e rv i c e , a n dc h a ra c t e r, the Faculty Council often begins with a rev i ew ofthe definitions of these criteria. These definitions should alsoappear in the public description of the selection pro c e s s . Acommon understanding of the criteria for selection helps alli nvolved to accept and understand the professional decisionsmade by the Faculty Council.

4.2.1 Scholarship

The scholarship re q u i rement set by the National Council isbased on a student’s cumulative GPA . Cumulative GPA re f e r sto the total academic performance as demonstrated by theg rades received by the student while in attendance at theschool where the chapter is found. For example, in a middleschool containing grades 6–8, even when students are selecte dduring their sev e n t h - g rade ye a r, g rades from the sixth gra d eon should be used to compute the scholastic av e ra g e .Obtaining grades from a student’s elementary school wo u l dbe inappropriate and only complicate the selection process aswell as present a problem of verification for the Fa c u l t yC o u n c i l . W h e rever possible, chapters are encouraged to usethe same standard for computing GPA that is currently usedwithin the school because that is the system most easily re c-ognized and understood by the students and their pare n t s .Using a nontraditional cumulative GPA calculation or scholar-ship av e rage re q u i res both additional time for the adviser orFaculty Council to complete the calculations, and additional

SELECTION PROCEDURES

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explanation to be added to the written description of theselection pro c e s s . The minimum GPA allowable is 85%, B, 3.0 (on a 4.0

s c a l e ) , or the equivalent standard of excellence. [ N o t e :These three values are not necessarily equiva l e n t s , but arep resented here to reflect the three standard grading sys-tems in use.] The Faculty Council may raise the re q u i re dcumulative GPA . The Faculty Council may also specify ap re requisite number of academic courses or weight gra d e sin recognition of the va rying degrees of difficulty of cours-es of study. In such cases, the Faculty Council should firstconfer with the administration or school system re p re s e n-tatives to be assured that such additional guidelines donot conflict with existing local, s t a t e , or federal policies,and then must provide to the administra t i o n , s t u d e n t s ,and parents of the school the professional rationale forthese additional guidelines or pro c e d u re s .

If a Faculty Council decides to weight grades in re c o g n i-tion of the va rying degrees of difficulty of courses of study,this weighting should be accomplished prior to the deter-mination of the cumulative GPA in order to identify allstudents who have met the scholastic criterion prior toc o n s i d e ration of their leadership, s e rv i c e , and chara c t e r.

Rules such as “no grade below B”a re not acceptable. A failing grade is not an acceptable reason to automatical-

ly eliminate a student’s candidacy (unless such markingsh ave caused the cumulative GPA to fall below the estab-lished standard ) .Schools with innovative grading practices (individualized,

n o n g ra d e d , or pass–fail) share in the re q u i rement to select thetop students for membership. The Faculty Council in theseschools have the responsibility to determine ways to identifythose students who meet the scholarship re q u i re m e n t . I na d d i t i o n , school systems that allow middle level students toearn high school credit for courses taken at the middle lev e lshould address whether or not such courses are included inthe high school GPA . This information should be re l ayed to themiddle level students and their pare n t s , as well as the highschool guidance office of this policy when signing up for suchcourses or calculating cumulative av e ra g e s . The Faculty Councilmust provide a rationale for these determinations and includesuch in the written description of the selection pro c e s s .

In all cases, only those students who have a cumulative GPAof 85%, B, 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or equivalent standard of excel-l e n c e , or a higher cumulative av e rage set by the Faculty Councilmeet the scholarship re q u i rement for NJHS membership.T h e s estudents are then eligible for consideration on the basis of serv-i c e , l e a d e r s h i p, c i t i z e n s h i p, and chara c t e r.

4.2.2 Leadership

The leadership criterion is considered highly important for membership selection. A Faculty Council may wish tointerp ret leadership in terms of the number of offices a stu-dent has held in school or community organizations; howev e r,it is important to recognize that leadership also exists outsideelected positions including effective participation in positionsof responsibility in other activities offered on campus such asathletic team captains, section leaders in band and chorus,committee chairs in student gro u p s , e t c . A Faculty Councilm ay also define leadership in less objective terms. L e a d e r s h i proles in both the school and community may be considere d ,p rovided they can be verified.

Chapters can consider the following descriptors as theyd evelop their local definition and standard for leadership. T h i slist is for consideration purposes only and should not bethought of as a checklist for this criterion. The student whoe x e rcises leadership: Is re s o u rceful in proposing new pro b l e m s , applying prin-

c i p l e s , and making suggestions D e m o n s t rates initiative in promoting school activities E x e rcises positive influence on peers in upholding school

ideals and spirit Contributes ideas that improve the civic life of the school Is able to delegate re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s Exemplifies positive attitudes I n s p i res positive behavior in others D e m o n s t rates academic initiative Successfully holds school offices or positions of re s p o n s i-

b i l i t y Conducts business effectively and efficiently D e m o n s t rates reliability and dependability Is a leader in the classro o m , at wo r k , or in other school or

community activities Is dependable in any responsibility accepted.

4.2.3 Service

S e rvice is generally considered to be those actions under-taken by the student which are done with or on behalf ofothers without any direct financial or material compensa-t i o n . In considering serv i c e , the contributions a candidatehas made to school, c l a s s m a t e s , and community as well asthe student’s attitude towa rd service can be rev i ew e d .Chapters can consider the following descriptors as theyd evelop their local definition and standard for serv i c e . T h i slist is for consideration pruposes only and should not bethought of as a checklist for this criterion. The student who serv e s :


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Some Additional Considerations for Scholarship“Revisiting” scholarship. Once it has been determined that a student has met the scholarship criterion, that issuecan be put aside and the remainder of the Faculty Council’s attention directed to the remaining three criteria. For theFaculty Council to bring up the “ q u a l i t y ”of a student’s grades or evaluate the degree of difficulty of the courses afterthe GPA has been determined is inappropriate in that this would be considered “ rev i s i t i n g ”the scholarship criterion.S i m i l a r l y, teacher re c o m m e n d a t i o n / evaluation forms (an optional concern for local chapters) that include a space forrating the student’s scholarship are inappropriate for the same re a s o n s .

Schools that rate the level of the students’ G PAs for their point system (see subsection on point systems for fur-ther explanation of this process) in the selection process are similarly revisiting scholarship (e.g. 97–100 = 4 points;94–96 = 3 points, e t c . ) . In the case of a school using a point system, points should only be applied to those candi-dates who have alre a dy met the scholastic criteria and now need to be rated on the remaining three criteria. T h epossible consequence of this inappropriate use of points when revisiting scholarship is that the school may find itselffirst informing the student that he or she has the necessary GPA to be a member, and then, because the student’sG PA was not in the highest possible category (i.e., the student only got 3 points instead of 4) informing the studentthat he or she was not selected because “the GPA was not high enough to earn the re q u i red points for selection.”This contradiction would be both inappropriate and confusing to candidates and their parents and thus should beav o i d e d .

Using state or standardized tests. The inclusion of a restriction that all candidates must have passing scores ors c o res of a defined level on state-based tests for competency or skill or standardized tests such as the SAT or AC Thas been considered by some chapters. The National Council believes it more appropriate to have the cumulativeG PA that is an indicator of ongoing assessment of student performance as the indicator of scholarship rather thanperformance judged from an instrument administered on a single day. Although such state-administered or priva t etests may offer some valuable assessment of student learning, it is recommended that low standardized or state testperformance be a signal to the adviser that a member is facing some difficulties and not be viewed as a factor lead-ing to nonselection.

Changing the GPA r e q u i r e m e n t . In cases where a school wishes to change the GPA re q u i rement by raising orlowering the GPA (not beneath the 3.0 national minimum), t h e re are a few key points to keep in mind:

Changes in the selection pro c e d u re should be made by the Faculty Council. The origin of the changes maybe the administra t i o n , the faculty adv i s e r, or even from the body of current chapter members. In all cases,h o w ev e r, the Faculty Council must provide formal approva l .

As with all aspects of the selection pro c e d u re , the change(s) and all information related to the changeshould be published in a timely fashion and be available for easy dissemination to the public.

When considering the timing for implementing proposed changes, it is strongly recommended that a localchapter consider announcing the change at least one year prior to formally establishing the new criteria.This timeline allows students to set new goals for their scholastic performance (the higher GPA) and suffi-cient time to achieve them. In addition, it allows the chapter to publish the new guidelines and to updatethe faculty and parents of all prospective members. H o w ev e r, the best recommendation from the nationaloffice is to implement such changes with a class entering the school, e . g . , with the new sixth graders enter-ing a 6–8 school. Although a 3-year transition will be needed to fully implement the change, this pro c e s swould appear to be the fairest for those affected by the change.

Under all circ u m s t a n c e s , a dvisers and members of the Faculty Council are reminded that continued membershipin the chapter is based upon students maintaining the standards under which they were admitted as members.C o n s e q u e n t l y, a member admitted with a 3.0 GPA would be expected to maintain that av e rage as a member, even ifa new standard of 3.25 were approved for membership selected for later induction. In cases involving new scholastics t a n d a rd s , this may mean that a given group of chapter members operate under different standards for a period ofyears while the new criteria are being installed.

Volunteers and provides dependable and well-org a n i z e da s s i s t a n c e , is gladly ava i l a b l e , and is willing to sacrifice tooffer assistance

Works well with others and is willing to take on difficultor inconspicuous re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s

Cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any re q u e s t e ds e rvice to the school

Is willing to re p resent the class or school in interclass andinterscholastic competition

Does committee and staff work without complaint Participates in some activity outside of school (e.g., G i r l

S c o u t s , B oy Scouts, religious gro u p s , volunteer services forthe elderly, p o o r, or disadva n t a g e d )

Mentors persons in the community or students at other schools Shows courtesy by assisting visitors, teachers, and stu-

dents.All chapters are strongly encouraged to develop and use

an objective standard for service based on either a specificnumber of projects or a specific quantity of hours that aredetermined, as noted by the Faculty Council after consulta-tion with staff and students, to be a fair and reasonablequantity of service to require. All such service references bycandidates should include verification by an adult supervisorof the activity under consideration. It is advantageous forboth the Faculty Council and for students considering mem-bership to have such an objective standard in place for thechapter.

4.2.4 Citizenship

The student who demonstrates citizenship: Understands the importance of civic inv o l v e m e n t Has a high re g a rd for freedom and justice; respects the

U. S. form of government (re p resentative democra cy); andrespects the laws at the local, s t a t e , and federal level thatp rotect that gov e r n m e n t

D e m o n s t rates mature participation and re s p o n s i b i l i t yt h rough involvement with such activities as scouting,community org a n i z a t i o n s , and school clubs.

4.2.5 Character

C h a racter is probably the most difficult criterion to define. T h eFaculty Council should consider the positive as well as thenegative aspects of chara c t e r. All judgments in this and otherselection criteria should be free of speculation and rumor.

NJHS is a member of the Character Counts!™ Coalition(w w w. c h a ra c t e rc o u n t s . o rg ) . T h rough this activity, the HonorSociety supports and recommends the use of a multifaceteddefinition of character known as the Six Pillars of Chara c t e r.

A person of character demonstrates the following six quali-ties: trustwo r t h i n e s s , re s p e c t , re s p o n s i b i l i t y, f a i r n e s s , c a r i n g ,and citizenship. Schools are encouraged to take this model,modify it to meet their local needs, and use it frequently inthe work of their chapter.

Chapters can consider the following descriptors as theyd evelop their local definition and standard for chara c t e r.This list is for consideration purposes only and should notbe thought of as a checklist for this criterion. The student ofc h a ra c t e r : Takes criticism willingly and accepts re c o m m e n d a t i o n s

g ra c i o u s l y Consistently exemplifies desirable qualities of behav i o r

( e . g . , c h e e r f u l n e s s , f r i e n d l i n e s s , p o i s e , s t a b i l i t y ) C o o p e rates by complying with school regulations con-

cerning pro p e r t y, p ro g ra m s , o f f i c e , h a l l s , e t c . D e m o n s t rates the highest standards of honesty and re l i a b i l i t y Regularly shows courtesy, c o n c e r n , and respect for others O b s e rves instructions and rules, is punctual, and faithful

both inside and outside the classro o m Manifests truthfulness in acknowledging obedience to

r u l e s , avoiding cheating in written wo r k , and showing anunwillingness to profit by the mistakes of others

Actively helps rid the school of bad influences or env i ro n m e n t .

The National Council has approved the followingrecommendations for use when considering the character of candidates:

A candidate will be able to demonstrate an outstanding record of

conduct and behavior with regard to school and community rules,

g u i d e l i n e s , and policies or be able to demonstrate sufficient grow t h

and improvement to compensate for previous inadequacies. T h e

Faculty Council is encouraged to document, for purposes of their ow n

decision making or if questioned by the principal, a ny substandard

performance in the area of the character criterion. Such documenta-

tion might include such sources as:

Administrative records of the school

Counseling records from the guidance office

Conduct or behavior grades or ratings (including comments) on

report cards

Professional records of individual faculty members (grade books, e t c . )

C o m m e n t s , based on professional evaluation and action, of individ-

ual faculty members on candidate evaluation forms.

It is left to the discretion of the local principal, faculty adviser, and/or

Faculty Council as to how much of this information is to be

shared with the candidate not selected for membership (or his

or her parents).


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Students who have been arrested and found guilty of civil offens-

es or who have a chronic record of breaking school rules should

not be automatically excluded from consideration for member-

s h i p . A proper regard for adolescent growth and behav i o r

improvement is essential.

It should be noted that, under provisions of federal law, p re g-n a n cy—whether within or without wedlock—cannot be thebasis for automatic denial of the right to participate in any pub-lic school activity. It may properly be considere d , h o w ev e r, l i k ea ny other circ u m s t a n c e , as a factor to be assessed in determin-ing character as it applies to the Honor Society. But pre g n a n cym ay be taken into account in determining character only if ev i-dence of paternity is similarly re g a rd e d . (See Appendix D forfurther information on the legal aspects of selection.)

4.3 The Recommended Selection Pro c e s sThe selection pro c e d u re should be developed by the localFaculty Council, a p p roved by the principal, and must be pub-lished and available for rev i ew by students, f a c u l t y, and par-e n t s . (See Appendix E for a model description for the studenthandbook; see Appendix S for scheduling information.)

As the first step in the pro c e s s , s t u d e n t s ’academic re c o rd sa re rev i ewed to determine students who are scholasticallyeligible for membership, i . e . , students who meet the re q u i re dcumulative GPA standard . The GPA used at the local lev e lcannot fall below the national minimum standard outlined inthe national constitution, a n d , once set, must be applied fair-ly and consistently to all candidates.

Students who are eligible scholastically (i.e.,“candi-dates”) should be notified and informed that for furtherconsideration for selection to the chapter, they may com-plete the Student Activity Information Form (see AppendixF for sample form). This form should not be referred to asan application. This form outlines the candidate’s accom-plishments in the areas of Service and Leadership. Manychapters offer help sessions for candidates providing assis-tance in properly filling out their forms. Care should betaken to follow the established guidelines and time sched-ule for completing and submitting the forms. It is furtherrecommended that both students and parents sign theseforms when submitting them, indicating that the content isboth complete and accurate.

If additional faculty input would be beneficial, all facultymembers can be invited to make comments on candidates,most often done on a faculty evaluation form. (SeeAppendix G for a sample form.) It is important to note thatthe actual selection of members must be made by the five

appointed members of the Faculty Council. Consequently,point totals or averages of the faculty ratings are not to beconsidered as votes or the sole determinants of member-ship, but should instead be reported to the Faculty Councilto add to their information when considering selections.Faculty members should consider this input in the mostprofessional manner and consequently be able to substanti-ate claims, in particular those low ratings provided, withprofessional actions. All input from the faculty should besigned, but may remain confidential as per commentary inthe handbook unless dictated to the contrary by local orstate policies or laws.

The Student Activity Information Form should bereviewed by the Faculty Council, along with any other veri-fiable information about the candidates relevant to theircandidacy. Some Faculty Councils may wish to interviewcandidates personally. The leadership, service, and charac-ter of all candidates should be reviewed carefully. FacultyCouncil members are encouraged to deliberate in order toguarantee that their decisions are based on accurate andcomplete understandings of all information presented forreview. With the vote on each candidate, those candidatesreceiving a majority vote of the Faculty Council should beinvited to be inducted into the chapter. All nonselectedcandidates (i.e., those who do not receive the majority voteof the Faculty Council) should be listed and have those cri-teria not met by the individual candidate next to their nameto assist the adviser and principal in handling inquiriesregarding nonselection.

Prior to notification of any candidates, the adviser shouldreport to the principal the results of the Faculty Council’sd e l i b e rations for approva l . Lists of selected and nonselectedstudents as well as reasons for nonselection may be incorpo-rated in this re s p o r t . This will ensure the support of thea d m i n i s t ration prior to any notification.

Chapters should consider formal written notification of allselected candidates and their parents to inform them aboutselection and the timing of the induction cere m o ny. S c h o o l sshould also seriously consider the method by which studentswho are not selected are informed about their nonselectionto see that this method is both timely and considerate oftheir well being.

To finalize the plans for induction, a plan should bed evised for verification of membership and acceptance of thei nvitation for membership and attendance at the inductionc e re m o ny.

The discussion that follows explores specific points re l evant tothe local chapter’s use of the recommended selection p ro c e s s .


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4.4 Tools for Completing the SelectionP ro c e s s4.4.1 The Candidate Information Packet

Each chapter undertakes its selection pro c e d u res uniquely.The following list suggests specific items to develop andinclude in your local candidate materials. Chapters aree n c o u raged to create an attractive and informative packetbecause this reflects on the quality and reputation of yo u ro rg a n i z a t i o n , and hence that of the national organization asw e l l . The official Honor Society logo may be used on allsuch materials, per the logo usage guidelines that appeare l s ew h e re in the national handbook.

4.4.1.1 Student Activity Information FormsIn order to ascertain the degree to which a candidatemeets the selection criteria, it is recommended that theFaculty Council use a Student Activity Information Fo r m .(See Appendix F.) Such forms are generally used toobtain information directly from the student re g a rd i n gleadership and service activities and to elaborate on thes t u d e n t ’s perspectives concerning the Honor Society andits va l u e s . These forms should not be considered undera ny circumstances as applications for membership.

It is recommended that local forms include a pare n t/ g u a rdian signature affirming that they have rev i ew e dthe data and verify its accura cy. Other adult signature sm ay also be requested to verify participation in leader-ship or service activities.

These forms are for use by the Faculty Council asworking documents to be used during the selectionp rocess in support of the student’s candidacy.

The national office does not support the use of the term“ a p p l y ”w h e re the process of entering into NJHS candidacyis concerned. Members are selected (and not elected) bythe faculty of the school, t h rough decisions of the Fa c u l t yC o u n c i l , to be a part of the chapter. Individuals do not applyfor membership, but rather submit information, via the stu-dent activity information forms, for use by the Fa c u l t yCouncil in determining membership. M e m b e r s h i p, t h e re-f o re , is an honor bestowed upon an individual, and thus ap r i v i l e g e . It is neither a position for which one applies norto which one is elected nor a right of any individual.4.4.1.2 Local Selection ProcessThe packet should include description of the re l evant criteriaand process for selection.

4.4.1.3 List of Member ObligationsA carefully composed list including such things as the chapter’s

annual meeting schedule, re q u i red dues (if any) and whent h ey are to be paid, s e rvice project participation re q u i re-ments (both chapter and individual), planned fundra i s i n gactivities and expectations for participation, maintaining thes t a n d a rds that are used for selection, being role models bothon and off campus, and re f e rence to the possibility of disci-pline or dismissal if the member falls below the standard sused for selection to membership. Such lists can be supple-mented with a proposed calendar of chapter events for theye a r. It is strongly recommended that chapters have the can-didate and the candidate’s parent or guardian sign a copy ofthe obligation sheet acknowledging the content and agre e-ing to abide by these obligations if selected. Although thiscan be assumed when a candidate returns his or her infor-mation sheets, it is best to ensure that an understanding ofthese obligations exists prior to participating in the selectionp ro c e s s .

4.4.1.4 Cover letterC o r respondence to the candidate or parents of the candi-date from the A dviser or principal (or even the curre n tchapter president) indicating the schedule for selectionand when and how notification will be made for thoseselected and not selected. It is always appropriate to per-sonalize these letters and print them on either chapter orschool stationery and see that they contain re l evant con-tact information.

4.4.1.5 Opt-Out FormSome students (or their parents) realize that there simplywon’t be enough time to participate in the Honor Societyeven though they may have a strong chance of beingselected. A chapter can include an “opt out”sheet in thepacket on which the student and parent acknowledge thatthey were viable candidates for this round of selection, butrespectfully decline the invitation to be considere d . A signedand dated form, containing both student and parent signa-t u re s , can then be kept for future re f e re n c e . Returning suchforms should not preclude the student from being considere din the next round of selection as long as he or she still meetsthe pre requisite qualifications established by the chapter.

4.4.2 Faculty Evaluation Forms and

Recommendations

Selection for membership to the chapter is always to be by amajority vote of the Faculty Council. H o w ev e r, the localcouncil members may wish to obtain additional informationto assist them in making their decision. Faculty eva l u a t i o n s


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may be used to supplement the student activity informationforms (a sample of which is found in Appendix F) gatheredfrom each candidate. Once the students who possess theprerequisite GPA have been identified, they can submit astudent activity information form detailing their service,leadership, and character. The faculty evaluation may be usedto support the strength of a student’s candidacy in the areasof service, leadership, citizenship, and character. In the eventof a low rating on one of the evaluations, it is always impor-tant to verify the reasons for such a rating, avoiding the“speculation and rumor”concepts described elsewhere inthis handbook.

E valuations bring to the attention of the Faculty Councilinformation that may not otherwise be re p resented on theinformation forms. Upon rev i ewing the evaluations and veri-fying their accura cy, the Faculty Council is still re q u i red toundertake a vote on each candidate, selecting each studentwho receives a majority vote. To avoid questionable entries onfaculty eva l u a t i o n s , chapters should re q u i re that all eva l u a-tions be signed and that each evaluator be pre p a red to sup-port any below-av e rage rating with substantiating data basedon sound professional judgment and action. A n o nymous fac-ulty evaluation forms may not be used. The chapter adv i s e rs e rves as the link between the Faculty Council and the eva l u-a t o r s , and may conduct informal interv i ews with those teach-ers who provide the below-av e rage ra t i n g s .

To assist in maintaining an image of a professional system,it is further recommended that an evaluation form be collect-ed from all faculty members, even if some faculty provide norating because they have never taught, c o a c h e d , or adv i s e da ny of the candidates.

In the case of written recommendations from faculty,chapters can indicate that candidates must obtain such re c-ommendations from a specific number of faculty members.A l t e r n a t i v e l y, some chapters simply seek the signature ofsupport from a pre requisite number of staff members to veri-fy the character of a candidate. In either case, please rev i ewwith the school’s faculty what is expected of them and thetimetable for submission of all materials in support of anindividual student’s candidacy. Recommendations are not anational re q u i re m e n t , but if they are being considered for thelocal selection pro c e s s , a dvisers should take into considera-tion the time needed by staff to complete and submit suchforms as well as the time needed by the Faculty Council torev i ew their c o n t e n t .

As with the student activity information forms, faculty eva l-uations and recommendations are considered by the nationaloffice as working documents to assist the Faculty Council in

making sound decisions re g a rding membership. Such eva l u a-tions are expected to be used only by the Faculty Council, t h ea dv i s e r, and the principals and should be considered confi-dential unless local or state policies dictate to the contra ry.(Refer to Legal Memora n d u m in Appendix D, and to the sam-ple faculty evaluation form in Appendix G. )

4.4.3 Point Systems

The national constitution makes no re f e rence to point systemsfor selection of members. F u r t h e r m o re , no formal approval orsanction for using such systems exists among current policiesf rom the national office. T h i s , h o w ev e r, does not preclude alocal chapter from developing an effective selection pro c e d u reusing points for serv i c e , l e a d e r s h i p, and character as long asthe result retains compliance with all national guidelines.

If a point system is used by the Faculty Council, a few pre-cautions are in ord e r :

All tabulations should be checked and rechecked fora c c u ra cy.

If points assigned originate from faculty eva l u a t i o nf o r m s , such forms should be signed by the facultymembers in order to verify their accura cy.A n o nymous evaluations cannot ensure fairness andshould be excluded from the pro c e s s .

If points are added or av e raged in order to determinea “cutoff point”for membership, t wo factors should bec o n s i d e re d :

The cutoff should be determined prior to thereading of the candidates’f o r m s .

The cutoff should not be used as an absolutedeterminant of membership, but insteadserve merely as a guide. An absolute deter-minant would, under such circumstances, beviewed as a replacement for the FacultyCouncil vote and would not enable theFaculty Council to deliberate effectively overeach candidate. In addition, all of the stu-dents above the cutoff can easily be acceptedas members; however, for those who fallbelow the cutoff, because they already havesuccessfully reached the scholastic cutoff(GPA), they deserve individual considerationand review of their credentials even thoughthey may not have enough points. Thus, forthose who fall below the cutoff, the FacultyCouncil should review their forms first inorder to make a sound professional judgmentregarding selection or nonselection.


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Point systems should not revisit the issue of scholar-ship. Once the student’s GPA is shown to be suffi-cient for candidacy, the issue of scholarship shouldbe put aside and only the remaining criteria of serv-ice, leadership, and character used for determiningmembership. A reevaluation of a student’s GPA todetermine whether the academic performance was“good enough,”would merely be questioning thejudgment of those fellow faculty members who havealready given their professional judgments by ren-dering grades for each student.

Points which give specific values to various activitieson campus should have the support from and approva lof the administration prior to implementation.

One of the worst responses an adviser can give to theq u e s t i o n , “ W hy wa s n ’t I selected for NJHS?” i s ,“ You didn’tget enough points.” The logical consequence of such a state-ment is to ask where the student came up short, so yo umight as well save time and indicate that the Faculty Councildid not approve the candidacy and, if your local policiesre q u i re disclosure of information related to the Fa c u l t yCouncil delibera t i o n s , then indicate that the individual stu-dent was weak in one or more of the criteria other thans c h o l a r s h i p.

D eveloping and implementing a fair point system can pro-vide a local Faculty Council with an effective system for select-ing members to the chapter. It is important to heed the pre-cautions listed in order to guarantee the appropriate use of thisand any other selection process devised at the local lev e l .

4.4.4 Essays

T h e re is no re f e rence to an essay re q u i rement in the re c o m-mended selection pro c e d u re found in the national handbook.H o w ev e r, this does not preclude the Faculty Council fro mincluding an essay in the local selection pro c e s s . M a ny chap-ters feel that the essay provides a student the opportunity toe x p ress the meaning of character and the value of the four cri-teria in a manner that cannot be accomplished through a sim-ple information sheet format. Since the use of essays is notspecifically re f e renced in the national guidelines, c a re shouldbe taken when incorporating them into any local chapterselection pro c e s s .

Chapters that use essays as part of their selection pro c e s sshould note the following: E s s ays re q u i re significantly more of your Faculty Council’s

time to read and evaluate effectively. “ G ra d i n g ”an essay provided by a candidate duplicates

your consideration of scholarship (see previous section on

revisiting scholarship). Students have alre a dy been gra d e don their writing skills through grades in English and otherclasses where writing is re q u i re d . Those efforts are re f l e c t-ed in the cumulative GPA . Should you not select a stu-dent because of a “low gra d e ”on the essay, you would bec o n t radicting your initial indication that the candidate’sg rades were high enough for membership.

For students already actively involved at school andoften already busy writing essays for class, creating theessay for NJHS selection adds to an already packedschedule of events.

Use of an essay portion of your process should be pre -a p p roved by your Faculty Council and, m o re importantly,by your principal.The intended use of the essay withinthe selection process should be clearly delineated in thec h a p t e r ’s selection process guidelines made available to allstudents prior to consideration for membership. If atten-tion is to be given by the Faculty Council to such compo-nents as spelling, g ra m m a r, and neatness, along with thequality of response to the assigned topic, such informa-tion should be provided to all candidates as well. A dv i s e r sa re encouraged to make themselves available to candi-dates who need clarification re g a rding the essay assign-ment for the selection pro c e s s .Some chapters that still wish to hear directly from the stu-

dents have progressed to requiring an essay of those stu-dents who are selected, excerpts of which are used in theinduction ceremony to introduce the new members in theirown words. Topics such as “What membership in NJHSmeans to me,”“The meaning of leadership (or service) tostudents at [name your school] today,”or “The value ofbeing a person of good character,”are appropriate for thistype of occasion.


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I M P O RTANT NOTE: I n i t i a t i o n , b l a c k b a l l i n g , h a z i n g , o rthe like are expressly prohibited as part of the selectionp rocess of any NJHS activity. A ny chapter found in viola-tion of this regulation risks losing its charter.This pro h i b i-tion has been included in ev e ry NJHS handbook andconstitution since 1929. For this re a s o n , and to be consis-tent with the language used in this handbook and thec o n s t i t u t i o n , it is recommended that the phrase “ i n d u c t i o nc e re m o ny ” instead of “ i n i t i a t i o n ”be used to refer to theformal presentation of new members to the school andc o m m u n i t y. S i m i l a r l y, all projects and activities undertak-en by the chapter must pre s e rve the integrity and re p u t a-tion of NJHS; consequently any use of initiation activitiesor hazing is pro h i b i t e d .


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Can deadlines be a reason for nonselection? Yes, when defined as a reflection of a student’s level of responsibility that is one aspect of character which isone of the four key elements considered in the selection process. Every classroom teacher struggles with thisissue when assigning deadlines for long-term assignments. One tires quickly of the myriad of excuses, but onealso looks for the “teachable moment”to train one’s students to avoid tardiness from becoming habitual. Someof the same logical steps used in the classroom can be applied when establishing deadlines for activities of thechapter; however, there are also a variety of important elements to consider anytime a chapter wishes toimplement a formal deadline.

It is important to demonstrate that the deadlines were: Published—Clearly identified in writing for all candidates (where deadlines in the selection process are

being considered). Other deadlines for chapter members regarding service hours submission, completionof forms, etc., must also be available in writing, preferably in the list of member obligations or in thechapter bylaws.

It would be helpful when publishing the deadlines, to indicate why the deadline is necessary. For exam-ple,“We request that the forms be submitted by this date to provide the Faculty Council sufficient time toauthenticate the information provided by candidates and to seek clarification in preparation for the selec-tion meeting. Without such time, it makes it difficult for the Faculty Council to render an appropriateprofessional judgment regarding your candidacy.Your cooperation in meeting this deadline is an indica-tion of your responsibility and your commitment to becoming an effective member of our chapter.”

Reasonable in nature and length based on school calendar considerations and student schedules (e.g.,does the deadline fall in the middle of exams or testing?)—Generally, deadlines that require 24 or 48hours turnaround time for information are not viewed as falling within the scope of “reasonable”in thatthey often do not take into account student absences or parent work schedules (when parental signa-tures or review are requested).

Conclusive—The consequence of not meeting the deadline was clearly expressed and consistentlyapplied (avoiding arbitrary enforcement of the rule).

Implemented—The adviser looks to enforce the established deadline policy, one should also considerwhat provisions have been developed for students who are absent when forms are disseminated and stu-dents who have legitimate extenuating circumstances that arise.

Ti m e l y — S a f e , and assured return of forms to the right individual. If the directions indicate return the formsto Room 207 by 3:00 p. m . , then someone needs to be in Room 207 until a little after 3:00 p. m . to collect thef o r m s . S i m i l a r l y, allow for minor variations in the official time used. Not ev e ryo n e ’s watch is tuned to theU. S. N aval Observa t o ry ’s atomic clock. It is always helpful to indicate to chapter members whom they cansee ahead of time (adv i s e r, Faculty Council member, chapter officer, etc.) if they anticipate having any pro b-lems meeting the established deadline.

Climate of the school with re g a rd to promptness and punctuality is an important conponent to consider—Is this a value that is regularly presented to students as an indicator of excellence? Is there consistente n f o rcement of late submission policies throughout the building? Or is it possible that NHS is the onlyg roup on campus that regularly enforces such provisions leading to the possibility that the student expectedto be treated less sev e rely based on experiences with other teachers or groups on campus? Even with ac a refully wo rded guideline (e.g.,“no late forms will be accepted”), in the opinion of the national office, t h i sc o n s i d e ration of the ov e rall school climate still needs to be considere d .


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If a student turns in the form late, the preferred method for handling such cases is to have the student’s informationaccepted and submitted to the Faculty Council with the annotation that it was turned in late (forms timed and dated)and let the Faculty Council determine by vote whether the reasons for late submission were excusable. An inclusiveapproach would be to admit the student (assuming that he or she meets all the criteria for selection) and then counselwith the student regarding the importance of turning things in on time (like college applications and scholarship nomi-nation forms). This process works under the policy assumption that no adviser can disqualify a previously identifiedcandidate without the vote of the Faculty Council. Advisers should avoid putting themselves in a position of automati-cally removing any candidate’s name from the list prior to consideration by the Faculty Council.

In defining character, as noted previously in this section, the national office frequently references the definition sup-plied by Character Counts! (CC). CC indicates that character can be defined with six qualities: respect, responsibility,trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Meeting deadlines is one portion of meeting the responsibility, whichis merely one-sixth of the total definition of character. To imply that a student’s total character is substandard for havingnot met less than one-sixth of the criterion can be viewed as an extreme consequence. It is true that a single incident ofproven cheating, for example, can keep a student out of the Honor Society or lead to his or her removal, it is more diffi-cult to provide the rationale for taking a single incident of late submission as the sole reason for nonselection or dis-missal.

A final factor is to look at the application of your policy of deadlines. Are you, and have you been, consistent in theapplication of these reasonable deadlines? The last thing an adviser wants to hear is “You accepted my brother Johnny’s form late last year, so why won’t you accept mine?”

To conclude, deadlines are a part of the real world as much as are standards of excellence. The Honor Societies areviewed by many as the most prestigious organizations for student recognition in the nation. As you examine your poli-cies regarding deadlines, we hope these suggestions will assist in creating a reasonable policy that can be applied fairlyand consistently in all circumstances to help maintain the reputation of the national organization.

4.5 Notification of InducteesThose students selected and their parents are generally noti-fied promptly and personally by the principal, chapter adv i s e r,Society pre s i d e n t , or by engraved or printed letters. ( S e eAppendix H.) The letter may also outline some of the duties,re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , or obligations of membership in the NationalHonor Society.

As a courtesy, the chapter adviser or principal should alsonotify the officers and chapter members of the selectionresults at an appropriate time. This information should beheld in confidence until the formal invitations to the induc-tion cere m o ny are re l e a s e d .

Chapters should consider carefully the timing and methodof notification and be sensitive to those who may have beencandidates but were not selected for membership. It is re c o m-mended that special efforts be taken in conv eying this disap-pointing news to nonselected candidates, and to arrange fora p p ropriate counseling of these students when wa r ra n t e d .

R e g a rdless of the method of notification or announcement,it is advisable to follow up the official notification with a letterof confirmation. The letter should also outline some of thed u t i e s , re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , and obligations of NJHS membership.It is always advisable to see that parents of new members arealso kept fully informed concerning selection to, induction of,and obligations of membership.

Although requiring attendance at the induction cere m o nyconforms to the provisions found in Article V I I I , Section 4, o fthe constitution, chapter advisers should enforce this rule in areasonable manner. The possibility exists that legitimateextenuating circ u m s t a n c e s , whether known ahead of time oroccurring at the last minute, m ay prevent a selected candidatef rom making an appearance at the cere m o ny. A dvisers aree n c o u raged to counsel with each student who fails to showup for the induction cere m o ny re g a rding the reason for notattending and to ascertain whether or not the individual stillwishes to become a member and arrange an alternativeinduction for them in the future , noting that officially the stu-dent is still in the “selected candidate”status and not a mem-ber of the organization until the induction is completed. T h i swould be an appropriate time to rev i ew all re s p o n s i b i l i t i e sand obligations that come with being a member of NJHS ino rder to prevent such situations from occurring again whenthe consequences could be more sev e re .

4.6 “Reapplication” for MembershipMembership in the National Junior Honor Society is a per-manent condition unless a student’s performance falls belowthe standards by which he or she was selected. To this end,

chapters may not ask students to “reapply”on a yearly basis.This circumstance does not preclude a chapter’s FacultyCouncil from requesting that students verify that they arestill meeting the criteria for selection by updating their stu-dent activity information forms or by submitting report cardsfor verifying their academic performance. However, thisprocess must not be interpreted as a formal return to theselection process with the student’s continuing membershipin doubt. An active member becomes a graduate memberupon graduation from high school. Only if a student is dis-missed or resigns is the student’s continuing membership inthe Honor Society ever to be curtailed.

4.7 NonselectionNot selecting a student who has already been identified asbeing academically eligible can present a difficult situationfor the principal, chapter adviser, and Faculty Council. Thesituation is bound to arise, however, given the necessarilysubjective nature of some of the requirements for member-ship. The national constitution requires that a description ofthe selection procedure be published in an official schoolpublication widely available to all students and their parents(Article IX, Section 4). This description should be well-writ-ten and thorough in its portrayal of the selection process inorder for the nonselected student to be assured that his casewas handled in accordance with the established procedures.In cases of nonselection, special efforts should be made toexplain the selection process to those students who areunhappy about the results of the selection process.

4.7.1 Appeals in Cases of Nonselection

Chapters are not generally obligated by the law or the nation-al constitution to share with parents and students informationconcerning specific students not selected for membership inthe Honor Society. It is, h o w ev e r, a common or tra d i t i o n a lexpectation of school personnel to be able to explain howdecisions re g a rding the growth and development of a studenton campus were made and, f u r t h e r m o re , to provide effectived i rection to such students to assist them in reaching theirgoals despite the existence of a specific setback. This tra d i t i o nm ay influence the pro c e d u res used in the local process fornotifying and counseling with nonselected candidates. S o m estates and or school districts may have policies or laws thatsupersede this statement re g a rding the giving of reasons forn o n s e l e c t i o n . Chapters in New Je r s ey and Texas fall undersuch additional guidelines. Principals and advisers of all localchapters are encouraged to rev i ew local guidelines to verifytheir compliance with such standard s .


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Local chapters can create their own appeals process forhandling cases of nonselection if they wish. If this is done, itis recommended that they incorporate a statute of limitationsregarding when they will accept such appeals, for example,“Appeals must be registered with the chapter adviser within10 school days of notification of nonselection.”Generally,such appeals procedures simply indicate that upon requestthe Faculty Council will reconsider an individual student’scase, and do not include personal appearances by the stu-dent or parents with the council members. The existence ofan appeals procedure can convey a positive image of thechapter indicating a willingness to respond to any and allquestions about their activities.

Under normal circumstances, in the absence of any formalappeals process, because the chapter adviser is closest to theselection process, it is this individual who is best prepared toprovide immediate feedback when questions arise regardingnonselection. Should students or parents still not be satis-fied, the next level of discussion should take place with theprincipal. The principal should, of course, listen to the con-cerns of students not selected, or from the parents of suchstudents. Following such discussions, if the principal believesthat some kind of technical or procedural mistake has beenmade, the principal may ask the Faculty Council to recon-vene to review the situation. Technical or procedural errorsmight include the inadvertent omission of a student’s name


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Chapter Management Tool: Setting Up an Appeals ProcessChapters are encouraged, but not required, to develop language that speaks to an appeals process for students or par-ents in the event they disagree with the decision of the Faculty Council regarding selection.

Chapters can identify limited opportunity for appeals. The procedure guidelines can indicate that appeals must beregistered with the chapter adviser or principal within a stated and reasonable amount of time. It is recommended thatthe minimum be one week and a reasonable maximum would be 30 days, or one month.

Indicate in the procedure that if no appeal has been registered within the defined period of time, all records pertain-ing to this round of selection will be destroyed as long as this action conforms to the school, school district, or statepolicies regarding records retention. In Texas, chapters must comply with the Texas education code’s guidelines regard-ing records retention. NewYork State has a similar provision. State law supersedes NJHS guidelines in these situations.

The nature of the appeals process can be defined locally. Options can include, but are not limited to: A review by the chapter adviser of the summary notes from the Faculty Council session Resubmission of the student’s information to the Faculty Council for reconsideration Submission of the relevant information to the principal who consults with the Faculty Council or advisers regard-

ing their decision-making processes.Although commentary exists regarding that there are no regulations requiring the giving of a reason (with the noted

exception of New Jersey where a chapter must identify the criterion or criteria that were the basis for nonselection, perinstructions from that state’s education commissioner), there is nothing that specifically precludes a chapter from pre-senting the appealee with specific information regarding non-selection. Indeed, it is the contention of the nationaloffice that if the recommended selection process has been followed and undertaken in all its aspects in a fully profes-sional manner, then there should be nothing to hide from the appealee regarding their nonselection.

Outcomes of an appeal can include, but are not limited to: Rejection of the appeal, sustaining of the original judgment Request from the principal for the Faculty Council to reconsider the case A change in the decision, resulting in the selection of the student in question An overturning of the Faculty Council’s decision by the administration Referring the appeal, following rejection, to the next step in the local school hierarchy (e.g., superintendent).

The national office recognizes the nature of these guidelines as being both new and possibly contrary to existingprocedures on many campuses. The national office encourages advisers, Faculty Councils, and principals to review thisinformation carefully as they address the issue of appeals at the local level.

Refer to Appendix H for sample letters that can be used in responding to candidates and their parents during theselection process.

from the list of those qualified for induction, the erroneousaveraging of grades, or the chapter’s failure to follow pre-scribed procedures.

Usually, however, nonselected students wish to questionthe judgment of the Faculty Council. It is important to try tohelp them understand that all decisions of the kind involvedin the selection process have some subjective aspects, butthat the decisions were derived in a fair manner and basedon sound professional judgment.

In some cases, w h e re complainants may choose to re q u e s ta rev i ew by a new or different Faculty Council, chapters areasked to re s p o n d . Te c h n i c a l l y, per national office interpre t a-tions of the constitution, such requests do not have to bea c c o m m o d a t e d . A d m i t t e d l y, a committee composed of a dif-f e rent group of people might well have produced a differe n tre s u l t , though it is equally as likely that they might hav ecome to the same conclusion. The admission of varied gro u pjudgments is not an effective objection to the selectionp rocess itself, but merely an indication that specific decisionsreached by the Faculty Council do not satisfy ev e ryo n e . T h eprincipal is charged initially with appointing five persons tos e rve on the Faculty Council with assistance from the chapter

a dv i s e r, in whom he or she can place a high degree of trust.These members of the council must understand the impor-tance of exercising their responsibilities in the most pro f e s-sional and objective manner possible. In the absence of spe-cific evidence to the contra ry, h o w ev e r, the principal mustassume that the members of the council are exercising theirjudgment in a legitimate and professional manner and withthe good faith expected of them and trust that their decisionsw e re made with the best interests of the students in mind.

Pa rents and students must understand that no student hasa right to be selected for membership in a chapter of theNational Junior Honor Society. R e c o n s i d e ration of a Fa c u l t yC o u n c i l ’s decision must be a ra re occurrence if the Fa c u l t yCouncil is to be expected to take its assignment seriously. It isimportant to uphold the integrity of NJHS standards and torecognize the potential danger of yielding to pre s s u re tactics.

If a nonselected student or his or her parents wish tochallenge or appeal the principal’s decision, they should fol-low the local school system complaint procedures. TheNational Council and NASSP have no authority to review oroverturn the judgment of the Faculty Council regardingselection of individual members to local chapters.


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5. INDUCTION OF MEMBERS

Induction of new members into the National Ju n i o rHonor Society is an important event for the student,the chapter, and the school. The cere m o ny, w h e t h e r

public or priva t e , p rovides an excellent opportunity tod ramatize the purposes of the chapter. Because member-ship in NJHS re p resents high levels of achiev e m e n t , t h einduction cere m o ny should also reflect high standard s .D r. E dwa rd Rynearson, founder of NHS, e l o q u e n t l ydescribed the induction cere m o ny :

These exercises [the induction ceremony] should always be public

in order that no one will confuse the society with a secret frat e r-

nity and that the school and community as a whole may catch the

i n s p i r ation of higher ideals held up by the speakers. Again the

parents of these selected pupils will be drawn closer to the school

filled with a deeper ap p r e c i ation of the work of their chil-

d r e n . Being present at the induction of their children into

the honor society will be a highly prized privilege and

reward to many parents who have watched their chil-

dren carefully and prayerfully.

The program should be dignified and impressive

t h r o u g h o u t . The school at large will judge the

society very largely by these public exercises.

Here is a great opportunity to create an enthusi-

asm for scholarship among those who have not

yet been awakened to the importance of a com-

plete development of their higher pow e r s . We

shall never know now many real personalities

h ave been lost who have all the native endow-

ments of genius and leadership but who for lack

of incentive or of proper environmental stimuli,

h ave remained undeveloped and unknow n .

5.1 Guidelines for Planning Induction CeremoniesThe induction ceremony is usually conducted by the officersand members of the local chapter or, in the case of the initialinduction, by members of a nearby school. The NationalCouncil has received suggestions that one special inductionceremony be developed and used by all chapters. However,the National Council firmly believes that schools should cre-ate their own ceremonies and procedures. As a result, therecould be as many different ceremonies as there are chapters.

S ev e ral basic themes are included in the following dis-c u s s i o n . Additional information about induction cere m o n i e sis available periodically in the NHS and NJHS section ofLeadership for Student Activities, on the NHS Web site, and inspecial mailings from the national office.

In many schools, the induction cere m o ny is held at aschool assembly that includes the entire student

b o dy, the faculty, and the parents of inductees. T h i sis encouraged by the National Council. H o w ev e r,

in schools where space i s a problem or atten-dance must be limited, an evening or afternoonc e re m o ny for pare n t s , s t u d e n t s , and friends isa p p ro p r i a t e . Other chapters invite theinductees and their parents to a re g u l a rchapter meeting for the cere m o ny. S o m echapters induct new members during a re g u-lar PTA pro g ra m , and others host a banquetfor the occasion. R e g a rdless of where thec e re m o ny is held or who attends, each chap-ter is obligated to hold an induction cere m o-ny. P rospective members are not full mem-bers until they have been properly inducted,p re f e rably soon after selection. Should circ u m-stances such as illness or personal emerg e n cy

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or other legitimate extenuating circumstance prevent a candi-date from attending the scheduled cere m o ny, an informal induc-tion should be held for the candidate at a later date.

5.1.1 Considerations in Planning

Plan carefully all of the details of the ceremony,f rom the notification of inductees to the clean up ofthe cere m o ny space. Use current chapter members inthis entire pro c e s s .

Present new inductees with a token of member-s h i p. This can be the NJHS membership card , t h eSociety pin, an emblem or patch, or any other suitablei t e m . A formal printed pro g ram can also be a keepsakefor students and parents alike.

Register your new inductees. M a ny chapters use aformal signing in of the new members in a re g i s t rybook and use a new page for each induction cere m o ny.This serves as a formal re c o rd of your chapter. ( S e eyour The Leadership Store catalog for the official re g-i s t ry offered to all chapters.)

Candle lighting. M a ny chapters use a candle lightingc e re m o ny as an opportunity to focus on the four crite-ria for membership. The national office is fre q u e n t l yasked what the official colors of the candles are , b u tt h e re is no formal standard . It is often re c o m m e n d e dto use the NJHS colors of blue and white along withyour school colors as a starting point. M a ny chapterswill use a formal candelabra with five or six candles,lighting the others from the center candle knowledgeor honor, when staging their cere m o n i e s .

H i s t o r y. A very appropriate segment of any inductionc e re m o ny is the telling of the chapter history. T h i swould include for whom the chapter was named, h o wlong the chapter has been in existence, the names offamous chapter members, e t c . C u r rent chapter mem-bers can provide a great service to a chapter without aformal history by doing re s e a rch in the school libra ry,old ye a r b o o k s , or even the historical society to findinformation to share in this portion of the pro g ra m .

S p e a k e r s . It is always appropriate to bring in anotable speaker to present remarks and challenges tothe new inductees. Local dignitaries such as mayors orschool board members can always be counted on forre m a r k s .

Rehearsal. Prior to any successful cere m o ny, it is vital-ly important to re h e a r s e . Though there is always atemptation to “wing it,”rehearsal guarantees confi-dence in the presenters and the avoidance of any

u n n e c e s s a ry glitches or time-consuming mistakes. M u s i c / P e r f o r m a n c e . E v e ry school has some talented

performers or musicians capable of adding to the qual-ity of the induction cere m o ny. When given plenty ofnotice for pre p a ra t i o n , performers can add a wo n d e r-f u l , c reative tone to any induction cere m o ny. D ra m a t i creadings by drama students, i n t e r p retive dances (spacep e r m i t t i n g ) , and solo or group musical performancesa re all appro p r i a t e . If taped music is to be used, b es u re that the quality and volume are tested duringrehearsals to verify the appropriateness of the items tobe used.

R e f r e s h m e n t s. Food is a great unifier, bringing gro u p swhich would otherwise be strangers together to sharere f re s h m e n t s . Most cultures use the sharing of food asa celebra t o ry gesture . Pa rents and students alike cancontribute and local food establishments are fre q u e n t l ywilling to donate reception foods in return for re c o g n i-tion in your pro g ra m . A reception following your cere-m o ny provides ev e ryone the chance to spread congra t-u l a t o ry remarks to all the deserving new members.

Records. Keep re c o rds of your induction cere m o n i e seach ye a r. Write out the script and maintain files.M a ny schools repeat the same cere m o ny each ye a rwhile others choose to provide a new service at eachi n d u c t i o n . S c rapbooks of the cere m o ny, c o m p l e t e deach ye a r, p rovide your chapter a textual and photo-g raphic re c o rd of the ev e n t , even when posted on thechapter Web site. A l s o , to help keep track of cere-monies from one year to the next, it is re c o m m e n d e dthat the date and location of the cere m o ny be includ-e d . This is particularly helpful when new members aresending copies of the pro g ram to re l a t i v e s . In any case,the written pro g ram may serve as a most appro p r i a t e“ g i f t ”to a new adviser at a neighboring school whodoes not know where to begin in developing the newc e re m o ny.

5.1.2 Selecting Your Location

The site selected for the event is very important. It is sug-gested that each chapter determine where to hold its cere-m o ny and reception based on the “Five S’s ”of site selec-t i o n : Size—How many can be seated? Can ev e ry student in

the school (or the number of expected participants) fitinto the site?

Sound—Can ev e ryone hear? Is a PA system needed? Sight—Can ev e ryone see the speakers and facilitators?

INDUCTION OF MEMBERS

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When materials are displayed for view, can ev e ryo n esee them?

Supplies—Do you have the necessary supplies andother presentation materials re a dy? A re audio andvisual aids available? (PA system, video scre e n , e t c . )

Schedules—What is your timeline for the day? Will theschool require schedule modifications to accommodatestudent movement to and from the event if you’re hold-ing the event on campus during the school day? Will yoube able to accomplish everything in the time allotted?

5.1.3 Tokens of Membership

N ew members of the NJHS are usually given membershipc a rd s , p i n s , or other items as proof of their membership.M a ny chapters also present certificates or charms as othervisible signs of membership. (See “Official Insignia” f o rdetails on availability and regulations governing the useand ownership of NJHS insignia as well as pro c e d u res foro rdering such items.)

5.1.4 The Register

Although not re q u i red by the national office, m a ny chap-ters maintain a register or book containing the signature s

and dates of membership of all chapter members. T h esigning of the register is usually part of the induction cere-m o ny. Although the register provides each chapter with acomplete re c o rd of local members, it in no way re p l a c e sthe official membership list, which must be kept on file inthe school.

5.1.5 Logo Usage

The official emblems of NHS and NJHS are tra d e m a r k sthat are fully protected by federal law s . Use of the marks(as they are known) at the local level is approved for allofficial and active chapters. The official guidelines for alllogo usage can be found in chapter 6 and also in theA dviser Zone on the national Web site.

Chapters are encouraged to use the official emblems ofthe Society in all official chapter functions, perhaps mostimportantly on their printed pro g rams for induction cere-m o n i e s . (See Appendix I.) All such use should retain thehonor that the Society stands for and pre s e rve the stro n greputation of the organization by always displaying themwith re s p e c t .

Specific questions about the use of the logos can bea d d ressed to the national office by e-mail at n h s @ n h s . u s .


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Some Additional Thoughts on Planning

When preparing for your induction cere m o ny, the following list of files and papers to be used for thec e re m o ny may be helpful to have on hand: P ro g rams from past inductions Memos to inductees detailing their responsibilities (to be handed out at a preinduction informa-

tion session) Details of the induction cere m o ny for all participants, including the custodians O rder of the cere m o ny or a chronology of the ev e n t Map or diagram of the room in which the induction will take place, detailing decora t i o n s ,

l e c t e r n s , sound system, e t c . P r i n c i p a l ’s speech and adv i s e r ’s comments in case the administrator runs out of time to dev e l o p

some new re m a r k s Supplies list Sign-up sheets for cere m o ny committees (e.g., re f re s h m e n t s , m a r s h a l s , p a rent volunteers, e t c . ) Master list of all of the documents needed for the occasion (a checklist for the cere m o ny org a n i z-

e r s )

Thanks to Sue Coats, NHS adviser at Keystone School, San A n t o n i o , T X , for sharing this information.


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Rehearsal Tips and Induction Ceremony SkillsRunning an induction cere m o ny re q u i res a set of skills not necessarily possessed by ev e ry adviser or Honor Societym e m b e r. H e re are some questions to ponder as you start planning for your next induction cere m o ny:

Do the induction cere m o ny participants know how to speak into and properly use a microphone? A fewmoments of instruction from your audio technician will be wo r t h w h i l e . P ractice with a “ l i v e ”mike at yo u rre h e a r s a l .

If lining up is re q u i red of your members or new inductees, has a sensible system been devised to quicklyallow members to find their proper places? Even when using a tried-and-true method of lineup such asalphabetically by last name, it always helps to have a master list on hand for quick re f e rence by staff orm e m b e r s .

Do the key participants know how to sit properly onstage? It is recommended that girls wearing skirts ord resses cross their legs at the ankle and not at the knee. Young men can also be instructed about the least-i n s t r u s i v e , but still “ m a c h o ”method of crossing their legs, although sitting with both feet on the floor wo u l dbe pre f e r re d .

If yo u ’re using the traditional candle-lighting cere m o ny, can the officers strike a match and light a candleeffectively? It never hurts to pra c t i c e , particularly to make certain that the matches being used are n ’td a m p. A l ways confirm with the fire marshals that the candles are allowable by local fire codes!

Does your emcee (the chapter president in most cases) know how to handle delays or mistakes during thec e re m o ny? Use of the phrase “excuse me” is often the best response when a verbal error is made; knowingto consult with the adviser quickly when major delays or other problems emerge is also helpful.

Can those with speaking roles in the cere m o ny enunciate clearly and project their voices to be heard ?Even the best of microphones wo n ’t ov e rcome a mumbler or the softest of voices. Selection of readers canbe by audition to facilitate choosing the best voices. A l t e r n a t i v e l y, enlist the support of your drama teacheror debate coach to provide training in maintaining a stage voice.

Do your event organizers have the ability to think ahead as they move through the cere m o ny — c h e c k i n gto see that elements of the pro g ram are aligned pro p e r l y ?

Does your emcee have the ability to both introduce and provide follow-up remarks for your speakers?Does he know how to turn over a lectern effectively and respectfully? A re they equipped with proper titles and biographies of those they are called upon to intro d u c e ?

Does your event emcee understand how to call a cere m o ny to order? A n d , perhaps more importantly, d o e sshe understand how to respond to disorderly members of the audience, such as politely asking membersof the audience to re f rain from clapping or whistling or yelling until all the names on a list are re a d , e t c . ?S i m i l a r l y, has an appropriate conclusion strategy and remarks been developed for bringing the cere m o nyto a timely and respectful close?

H ave your speakers/participants been pre p a red for engaging an audience with their presentation? Do theyknow the importance of good posture , eye contact, clear expre s s i o n , and good appearance on the outcomeof your event?

Can your presenters of certificates or pins effectively shake hands while also handing over an item to an ew member? Rehearsal is a key for the new members where this is concerned, to avoid the publice m b a r rassment that can often arise at this point in the pro g ra m .

If you use a photogra p h e r, h ave the participants been briefed on when and how to pose for their photos?If doing a group photo somew h e re on the day of the cere m o ny, do members know where to go, how too rganize themselves and what type of expression to maintain? Pick a suitable location for your localn ew s p a p e r ’s photo so as to ‘put your best foot forwa rd ’ when the chapter photo shows up in the localm e d i a .


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Name pro n u n c i a t i o n , in these days of an increasingly diverse national population, is essential to thesuccess of any induction cere m o ny. W h o ever is given the responsibility of reading new member namesshould practice the pronunciations and verify with all new members that the pronunciation is corre c t .Rehearsals are an excellent tool to accomplish this.

Does your facilitator know how to properly thank musicians, artists or other key individuals in arespectful and meaningful manner? To guarantee continued support for your pro g ra m , a sincere wo rd ofpublic thanks goes a long way.

Time management. Can the emcee monitor the passage of time to see that you will end the cere m o nyon time and is there “Plan B” in case you need to stretch segments of the cere m o ny to fill more time?This is particularly essential when conducting your cere m o ny as a portion of the school day—time is ofthe essence and no administrator likes it when the cere m o ny ends either very early or very late from thescheduled timing. Talk with your principal about possible options for either scenario, but assure him orher that based on the re h e a r s a l , it is anticipated that the cere m o ny will conclude on time!

These are but a few pointers and reminders to share . One message implied in many of these thoughts is theimportance of re h e a r s a l s . M ay the hints noted above help make your cere m o ny the best ever for your most-d e s e rving membership!

5.2 The Induction CeremonyThe only stipulation the National Council has made regard-ing induction ceremonies is that they be “appropriate andimpressive.”Although the format of each chapter’s inductionprogram will vary with local traditions and procedures, eachchapter should stress scholarship, service, leadership, andcharacter. A complete script, studied and rehearsed inadvance, is helpful to all participants. (See page 50.) Achecklist of props, supplies, and other essential arrange-ments can augment the script. (See page 48.)

As noted prev i o u s l y, i n i t i a t i o n , b l a c k b a l l i n g , h a z i n g , or simi-lar tactics are expressly prohibited as part of any NJHS activity.A ny chapter found in violation of this regulation risks losingits charter. For this re a s o n , the name “induction cere m o ny ”i srecommended instead of “ i n i t i a t i o n ”to refer to the formalp resentation of new members to the school and community.

The oldest and most common induction cere m o ny is thecandle-lighting serv i c e . M a ny variations are in use; howev e r,the basic form is very simple. On the stage or platform is onelighted candle re p resenting the Society’s torc h , the symbol ofthe eternal light of knowledge, flanked by five unlighted can-dles or lights re p resenting scholarship, l e a d e r s h i p, s e rv i c e , c i t i-z e n s h i p, and chara c t e r. Usually the principal, a dv i s e r, c h a p t e rp re s i d e n t , or some other official explains the significance ofthe candle symbolizing knowledge. Other officers or membersfollow the same pattern until each candle has been lightedand described. The new members usually recite the pledge ofmembership and receive any symbols of membershipimmediately after the lighting of the last candle.

5.2.1 Pre-Ceremony Considerations

Set up and decorations: Is the room re a dy for your cere m o ny ? Rehearsal: Have your key pro g ram participants re h e a r s e d

their roles in the cere m o ny? (See page 44.) I nvitations and pro g rams: Have all parties been notified or

i nvited and pro g rams developed for use at the cere m o ny ?

5.2.2 The Ceremony Agenda

P re - c e re m o ny entertainment: Music (live or re c o rd e d ) , f o rfive to ten minutes prior to the start of the pro g ra m

P ro c e s s i o n a l / e n t rance: Often cued from the stage or withspecial music, the audience can be asked to stand whilechapter participants and new inductees parade into the ro o m

Call to order by the presiding officer, chapter adv i s e r, o rp r i n c i p a l

I nvocation and/or welcome message by the chapter pre s i-d e n t , a dv i s e r, p r i n c i p a l , or other

National anthem and/or Pledge of Allegiance; print the

wo rds in your pro g ram to facilitate singing or re c i t a t i o n I n t roduction of guest speaker Guest speaker Thank you to guest speaker and introduction to the next

part of the cere m o ny, including a brief rev i ew of howthese students were selected

The criteria (often accompanied by the lighting of candles)– S c h o l a r s h i p– L e a d e r s h i p– S e rv i c e– C i t i z e n s h i p– C h a ra c t e r

N ew member intro d u c t i o n , candle lighting, c e r t i f i c a t eor pin pre s e n t a t i o n , s i g n a t u res in an official chapterre g i s t ry (a roll call of new members; methods of re c o g-nition will va ry )

Honor Society pledge taken by all new inductees Special awa rds or recognition: Chapters often thank the

Faculty Council, awa rd honora ry memberships, re c o g n i z eoutgoing officers, or install new officers

Closing temarks (often done by the principal or the chap-ter adv i s e r )

Adjourn to post-induction re c e p t i o n Po s t - c e re m o ny / recessional music or entertainment /reception

H e re are some additional ideas for the induction cere m o nyp ro g ram for your chapter: In the pro g ra m , describe significant chapter service pro j-

ects from the past year either orally or in print, c o n g ra t u-lating the project chairpersons for their wo r k

Awa rd scholarships to outstanding chapter members,whether senior members or students who have excelledin each of the criteria

Recognize teachers on staff who are members of theHonor Society; alternatively, identify an outstanding non-member from the faculty for honora ry membership

Compose and perform a chapter song; alternatively hav eone of the chapter members sing the school’s alma mater,fight song, or other local melody

Allow the chapter pre s i d e n t , or other student chosen fro mthe current membership of the chapter, to deliver ana d d ress on the meaning of the Honor Society

Recognize additional honors or honors groups from yo u rc a m p u s , in essence sharing your pro g ram with them( F rench Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, e t c . ) .

P re p a re and present biographies for each of the newinductees highlighting their significant accomplishment(as noted on their information sheets).


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H ave each new inductee select a “ m a r s h a l ”to escort him orher to the stage, e n c o u raging them to select pare n t s ,g ra n d p a re n t s , g u a rd i a n s , or even members of the facultyfor this honored ro l e . Plan to confirm all marshals prior tothe cere m o ny and have backup marshals for any no-shows.

I nvite chapter alumni from the community to play a partin the cere m o ny. Some chapters awa rd an OutstandingNJHS Alumni plaque to this individual.

Be certain that your cere m o ny ’s printed pro g ram containsthe date as well as the name and address of the school toassist chapter members who wish to send copies to distantre l a t i v e s . C o n s e q u e n t l y, be sure to print extra copies forthis purpose and for your chapter scrapbook and arc h i v e s .

For the Pledge of Allegiance (or national anthem) use alocal Boy or Girl Scout troop as an honor guard .V F Wchapters and local military bases can also provide thiss e rv i c e .

At some point in the pro g ra m , be sure to thank the pare n t sand teachers for their contributions to the successes of themembers of the chapter.To facilitate this, p rovide the pare n t swith a flower (corsage or boutonniere) at the cere m o ny.

For the outgoing senior members, identify the college andc a reer plans that each has identified.This is particularlyuseful for spring induction cere m o n i e s .

To facilitate the taking of the Honor Society pledge, h av eit printed in the pro g ram for both new members and theaudience to see.

Include in the printed pro g ram a note of thanks to anycommunity partners (businesses, s e rvice org a n i z a t i o n s ,etc.) who have contributed either to this cere m o ny or tothe chapter during the past ye a r.

If you have a dress code for participants (whether onstage or in the audience), see that it is clearly communi-cated in writing in time for them to purchase new attire ifn e e d e d . A l s o , because many chapters use robes and stolesas part of the cere m o ny, see that these items fit wellb e f o re the day of your cere m o ny, especially as a safetyconcern for those involved in lighting candles.

5.2.3 Induction Pledges, Theme, and Music

5.2.3.1 PledgesThe National Council prescribes no definite pledge for useby the chapters. Use of a pledge is a decision left to thelocal chapter. The national office has received calls fro mstudents and parents questioning the inclusion of apledge in the induction cere m o ny or the signing of apledge sheet as a pre requisite for membership. T h o u g hg e n e rally acceptable, it should be noted that sev e ra l

p rominent religious groups prohibit their members fro mtaking any such pledges.

Local chapters should always take into consideration thereligious convictions and cultural traditions of the schoolpopulation when considering the use of a pledge. E f f o r t sshould be made to clearly identify that the taking of thepledge is not a re q u i re m e n t . Statements explaining thatpledges are optional can be included in both the studenthandbook and in the general information re g a rding thechapter on your campus so as to prevent students fro mp e rceiving that this is a pre requisite of membership. T h i sconcern falls into the category of protecting a student’sconstitutional rights and thus is a responsibility of thechapter as part of its efforts to pre s e rve and protect ourd e m o c ratic society. (See samples on page 49.)

5.2.3.2 Common Induction ThemesPast, present, and future. The importance of pastaccomplishments and a focus on the role of today ’s yo u t hin tomorro w ’s world is stressed with remarks about schol-a r s h i p, l e a d e r s h i p, s e rv i c e , and chara c t e r. The Je f f e r s o n i a n/Baconian model promoting memory to pre s e rve the past,reason to guide the pre s e n t , and imagination to form thef u t u re is an effective model to use with this theme.Patriotism. T h e re are many va r i a t i o n s , but the most com-mon idea is that today ’s students are the nation’s gre a t e s tre s o u rc e . Skits and speeches are suitable.I n s p i r a t i o n . This cere m o ny usually focuses on the life of aleader or scholar who is held in high esteem by the mem-b e r s . The cere m o ny is most effective when the personselected can participate in the pro g ram as a guest speakeror as the recipient of an awa rd . P ro g rams can also centera round the life of a graduate member of the chapter.H i s t o r y. The history of education or the history of leader-s h i p, s e rv i c e , or character can be imparted in this cere m o ny.Other common themes. A focus on the school or commu-nity or a relation to the mission, annual theme, or philoso-p hy of the school also make good themes.

5.2.3.3 MusicSchools frequently request information on possible musicalpieces to play during the induction ceremonies on campus.The following list was compiled by Mr. Robert Gurley, N J H Sa dviser at A . L e a l , J r. Middle School in San A n t o n i o , Te x a s . “ Fa n f a re for the Common Man,”A a ron Copland “ Pomp and Circ u m s t a n c e , N o . 1 – 4 ,”E dwa rd Elgar “Olympic Fa n f a re and T h e m e ,”John Wi l l i a m s M a rch from “ M i dway,”John Wi l l i a m s


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M a rch from “ S u p e r m a n ,”John Wi l l i a m s “Liberty Fa n f a re ,”John Wi l l i a m s M a rch from “Raiders of the Lost A r k ,”John Wi l l i a m s M a rch from “ 1 9 4 1 ,”John Wi l l i a m s Main theme from “Star Wa r s ,”John Wi l l i a m s Hornpipe from “ Water Music,”G . F. H a n d e l O v e r t u re from “Music of the Royal Firewo r k s ,”G . F. H a n d e l G reat Gate of Kiev from “ P i c t u res at an Exhibition,”M . I .

M u s s o rg s ky “ Je s u , Joy of Man’s Desiring,”J. S. B a c h L a rgo from “ X e r x e s ,”G . F. H a n d e l Rondeau from “ Fa n f a re for the King’s Supper,”J. J. M o u re t “ Trumpet Tune and A i r,”H e n ry Purc e l l “The Prince of Denmark’s Marc h ,”Je remiah Clarke G rand March from “A i d a ,”Giuseppe Ve rd i O v e r t u re to “Die Meistersinger,”R i c h a rd Wa g n e r M a rch from “ Ta n n h a u s e r,”R i c h a rd Wa g n e r “Ride of the Va l ky r i e s ,”R i c h a rd Wa g n e r

Other selections include music from movies such as: “The Ten Commandments”

“The Last Starfighter” “ S u p e r m a n ” “Star Wa r s ” “Ben Hur” “2001: A Space Ody s s ey ” “The Lion in Wi n t e r ”

A good exercise to undertake with chapter officers orthe entire membership is to inquire about what songs ormusic they would like to include. Chapter advisers shoulde x e rcise caution when accepting contempora ry music sug-gestions to be certain the lyrics are fully appropriate forthe cere m o ny. A CD of music options is available in T h eLeadership Store c a t a l o g .

5.2.4 Ordering Supplies for Your Induction Ceremony

E v e ry ye a r, the sales office receives calls from despera t ea dvisers who have waited until the last minute to placetheir Honor Society ord e r s . Although the staff are morethan happy to handle such calls, the following sugges-tions are offered as you plan your supply orders for thecoming ye a r. O rder early. Allow between three and four weeks for

d e l i v e ry. S e rvices are available to handle rush ord e r s(for an additional fee), but it is best to plan in adva n c efor the placing of all orders from the national saleso f f i c e . O rders can be placed by phone, f a x , or e-mail.Sales staff are available from 8:30 to 4:30 Eastern time,M o n d ay through Friday, with limited extended hoursduring the peak sales season, M a rch through May, t ohandle orders from Western chapters. Overseas chap-ters are encouraged to use e-mail by writing tos a l e s @ p r i n c i p a l s . o rg for conv e n i e n c e .

Always use the official and current catalog and orderform. When in doubt, contact the sales office to makecertain you have the correct form and current pricing forall items. Printable versions of the current catalog andorder form are always available at www.njhs.us, just clickthe Catalog tab. New catalogs are available bySeptember each fall. Once the new edition arrives,archive or throw away old catalogs to avoid costly mis-takes regarding availability or pricing of individual items.

Please carefully follow the ordering instructions found inthe catalog. These instructions are designed to facilitatethe fastest possible handling of the 30,000+ orders wereceive each year.

It is always helpful if you have on hand your adviser IDnumber and school ID number (found on the mailinglabels of all mailings from the national office) anytime


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Supplies for InductionsAll items listed below can be found in the national salesc a t a l o g , The Leadership Store , sent to all chapters in the falland also viewable online at w w w. n h s . u s .

For New Members

Membership card s Membership certificates Certificate folders Membership pins

For the Ceremony

G avel for president or presiding officer Stoles for key pro g ram participants Banner for the chapter R e g i s t ry for all new members to sign (with pen) Candles and matches (not currently available from the

catalog; confer with local fire marshals prior to usingopen flames at your cere m o ny )

Banquet kit for the post-cere m o ny re c e p t i o n

For Parents

Bumper sticker Auto decals B ro c h u re about the Honor Society (available in English

and Spanish)

you place an order with the national sales office. Keep i th a n dy or with your catalog in your files.

Allow a minimum of three weeks (longer in the spring)f rom time of order to delivery.

A toll-free phone direct to the sales office has been cre a t-ed for our members: 8 6 6 - 6 4 7 - 7 2 5 3 .

If you get the voice mail system, please leave your name,school name, city and state and a phone number (completewith area code) where you can be reached at school. O u rgoal is to respond to the inquiry within 24 hours, p e n d i n gyour availability at school.

P roblems with your order? Please follow the guidancefound in the ordering instructions of the catalog to assist yo uin handling a problem with your order or processing thereturn of any goods. When in doubt, consult with a memberof our trained and competent sales staff.

5.2.5 Receptions

Many chapters follow their induction ceremony with areception for the new members and their parents along withspecial guests. Often, a separate reception committee isestablished within the chapter to work alongside the induc-tion ceremony committee in making the whole event a spec-tacular success. Here are some suggestions for planning theultimate reception for your chapter: Schedule and timing matters: Be sure all participants are

informed of the timing of the re c e p t i o n , along with thefacility manager who may dictate when the re c e p t i o nneeds to conclude.

Budget: Consider the total number of expected partici-pants and formulate a reasonable budget. This numberm ay va ry significantly from one year to the next based onthe number of new inductees.


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Sample Pledges

I pledge myself to upholdThe high purposes of the National Junior Honor SocietyTo which I have been selected.Striving in every wayBy word and deedTo make its idealsThe ideals of my schoolAnd of my life.

* * * * *I pledge myself to upholdThe high purposes of the National Junior Honor Societyto which I have been selected.I will be true to the principles for which it stands;I will be loyal to my school;And will maintain and encoura g eHigh standards of scholarship, s e r v i c e , l e a d e r s h i p, c i t i ze n s h i p,and chara c t e r.

* * * * *I , ( repeat name), being aware of the honor which is being bestowed upon meBy my selection for membership in the National Junior Honor Society,Do hereby pledge loyalty to this org a n i z a t i o n .It shall be my earnest purposeTo give unsparingly of my time and energy toward the promotion of all school activities.

I will strive to be at all times a model student,And will never knowinglyBring reproach upon my school.I pledge myselfTo uphold the high purpose of this SocietyFor which I have been selected,Striving in every wayBy word and deedTo make its idealsThe ideals of my school and of my life.

* * * * *I pledge to maintain high scholastic standing,To hold as fundamental and worthyAn untarnished chara c t e r,To endeavor intelligently and coura g e o u s l yTo be a leader,And to give of myself freely in service to others.In so doing, I shall prove myself worthyOf a place in the National Junior Honor Society.

I pledge myselfAlways to seek the light of truth,To hold scholarly habits,To engage in worthy service,And to lead forward in all thingsThat shall advance the welfare of the school.


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The oldest and most common induction cere m o ny is thecandle-lighting serv i c e . M a ny variations are in use; how-ev e r, the basic form is very simple. On the stage or plat-form is one lighted candle re p resenting the Society’st o rc h , the symbol of the eternal light of knowledge,flanked by four unlighted candles or lights re p re s e n t i n gs c h o l a r s h i p, l e a d e r s h i p, s e rv i c e , and chara c t e r. U s u a l l ythe principal, a dv i s e r, chapter pre s i d e n t , or some otherofficial explains the significance of the candle symboliz-ing knowledge. Other officers or members follow thesame pattern until each candle has been lighted andd e s c r i b e d . The new members usually recite the pledge ofmembership and receive any symbols of membershipimmediately after the lighting of the last candle.

N ew members are inducted by the chapter pre s i d e n t ,the principal, a dv i s e r, and four other members who re p-resent scholarship, l e a d e r s h i p, s e rv i c e , and chara c t e r.

A table on the stage is set with four lighted candles.While music is playe d , “ S c h o l a r s h i p ”enters with an unlitc a n d l e , lights the candle from one at the table, and takesa place on the stage. “ L e a d e r s h i p,”“ S e rv i c e ,”“ C i t i z e n s h i p,”and “ C h a ra c t e r ”e n t e r, light their re s p e c t i v ecandles from Scholarship, and take their stations. T h echapter president and principal enter through an arch onthe stage, followed by the inductees, who stop at theirc h a i r s .

P r e s i d e n t :“Please be seated.” The president thenextends greetings to the guests, explains the purposeof the cere m o ny, and briefly rev i ews chapter history.The pre s i d e n t ’s final comments are: “The membershipof the (school’s chapter name) Chapter of theNational Honor Society has been earned by the effec-tive demonstration of the four qualities held in highesteem by the Society. Four of our members willrev i ew these qualities for the candidates.” ( p a u s e )“ S c h o l a r s h i p.”Scholarship: (steps forwa rd) “Scholarship means acommitment to learning. A student is willing to spendhours in reading and study, knowing the lasting bene-fits of a cultivated mind. We should continue to learneven when formal education has ended, for educationends only with the end of life. Knowledge is one gre a telement in life, which leads to the highest success,and it can be acquired in only one way — t h rough dili-

The Traditional Ceremony

gence and effort. Learning furnishes the lamp bywhich we read the past, and the light that illuminatesthe future . Candidates have the charge to continuallyexpand their world through the opportunities inhere n tin scholarship.”President: “ S e rv i c e .”S e r v i c e : (steps forwa rd) “My office is serv i c e . S e rv i c ecan be described in various way s . In the routine ofthe day ’s wo r k , m a ny opportunities arise to help oth-e r s . Willingness to work for the benefit of those inn e e d , without monetary compensation or withoutre c o g n i t i o n , is the quality we seek in our member-s h i p. We are committed to the idea of volunteeringour time and abilities to the creation of a bettert o m o r ro w.”President: “ L e a d e r s h i p.”Leadership: (steps forwa rd) “Leadership should exert awholesome influence on the school. In taking the ini-tiative in class and school activities, the real leaderstrives to train and aid others to attain the same objec-t i v e . The price of leadership is sacrifice—the willing-ness to yield one’s personal interests for the interest ofo t h e r s . A leader has self-confidence and will go for-wa rd when others hesitate. No matter what power andre s o u rces may exist in a country, t h ey are ineffectualwithout the guidance of a wise leader. Leadership isa l ways needed; thus, to lead is a substantive charge toeach of our members.”P r e s i d e n t :“ C i t i z e n s h i p.”Citizenship: (steps forwa rd) “I re p resent Citizenship--the obligations each member of our society faces tolive up to the democratic ideals given to us by thefounders of our country. The responsibilities each of ushas to our home community, our state, and our nationa re many. As good citizens, we are bound to live up tothe laws and guidelines which unite us as a civilizeds o c i e t y. Good citizens work together to improve notonly our lives, but the lives of all our fellow citizens.Good citizenship re q u i res that we remain strong andvigilant in protecting the freedoms and rights thath ave been granted to us and in preventing injusticef rom entering our lives. We , the members of our chap-t e r, a re called to live up to the high standards ofCitizenship from this day forwa rd .”

Location: What is the best and available location for theevent? Consideration should be given for the elderly andthe disabled.

Room set-up: Air conditioning/heating, sound (a PA ) ,tables/chairs needed, e t c .

D e c o rations: What to do? When to decorate? School col-ors? Honor Society colors?

R e f reshments: Food (sweet? nonsweet?), d r i n k s , a l l e rg i e s ?—Cake decoration with logo: Permission is needed for

some store s .—Consult with the cafeteria manager because he or she

m ay want to contribute.—Pa rent/member contributions?

Supplies: U t e n s i l s , p l a t e s , c u p s , table cloths, punch bowls,p l a t t e r s , e t c .—Discount providers: Look for local kitchen/re s t a u ra n t

or wholesale suppliers for bulk purchases of supplies Nametags to help identify pare n t s , t e a c h e r s , and new members. Special guests

—A d m i n i s t ration re p s , s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , school boardm e m b e r s

—I n t roductions? Assign a current member as a personal guide. Guest book for signing Gifts/mementos for new inductees and/or their pare n t s Duty stations: Map out a plan for covering all reception

functions. P ro g ra m

— E n t e r t a i n m e n t— Paper pro g ram of the agenda for the re c e p t i o n— Toast to the new members and/or their pare n t s

Staff: Chapero n e s , s u p e rv i s i o n P h o t o g rapher: Will your chapter historian take care of

getting photos or will you invite a local newspaper pho-t o g rapher to attend?

E m e rg e n cy plans: Illness, n a t u ral disasters, a c c i d e n t s , e t c .Consult with your school administrators on your re s p o n-sibilities in this are a .

Cleanup: By members, c u s t o d i a n s , e t c . See that enough tra s hcans are available for the reception and for cleanup afterwa rd s .

Follow-up: Expenses/bills, thank yo u s , evaluation plan-ning for next ye a r.

Keep all of your plans and notes in a file for future re f e re n c e .The national office is always looking for recent photogra p h s

( h a rd copy or digital) of induction ceremonies to use in our va r i-ous publications and on the Web site during the ye a r. Please con-sider sending copies, along with any and all permission forms foruse of student images, to the national office. When possible, yo u rchapter and school will be identified for your contribution.


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President: “ C h a ra c t e r.”C h a r a c t e r : (steps forwa rd) “ C h a racter is the forc ewithin each individual which distinguishes that per-son from others. It gives each of us our individuality.It is that without which no one can respect oneself,nor hope to attain the respect of others. It is this forc eof character that guides one through life and, w h e nonce dev e l o p e d , g rows steadily. C h a racter is achiev e dand not re c e i v e d . It is the product of constant action,striving daily to make the right choice. The pro b l e mof character is the problem of self-contro l . We mustbe in reality what we wish to appear to others. B yd e m o n s t rating such qualities as re s p e c t , re s p o n s i b i l i-t y, t r u s t wo r t h i n e s s , f a i r n e s s , c a r i n g , and citizenship,we may hope to prove by example that we va l u ec h a ra c t e r.”P r e s i d e n t : “The candidates will rise and repeat thep l e d g e .”Candidates repeat the pledge and are then instructed

to walk across the stage where each receives theemblem and membership card . The principal, who mayassist in the presentation of the emblems, is then intro-d u c e d . The principal makes congra t u l a t o ry remarks andi nvites the guests to a reception following the cere m o nyand the president adds congratulations and dismissesthe new members and guests.

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6. CHAPTER ACTIVITIES

Chapters of the National Junior Honor Society are obli-gated by the national constitution to engage in a limitednumber of specific activities each ye a r. In addition, t h eym ay choose to participate in other activities that supportthe purposes of the organization as outlined in Article I.This chapter of the handbook will rev i ew some of theactivities fundamental to all chapters and also provide ideas forchapters seeking ways to expand their outre a c h .

6.1 Chapter NameM a ny chapters create a special name for their chapter to beused in lieu of the school name when referring to their chapter.Chapter names are often established in honor of a chapterm e m b e r, a dv i s e r, or principal who has influenced the dev e l o p-ment of the chapter in some important manner. If a specialname is selected, it is recommended that the reasons behindthe selection of this special name be incorporated into theannual induction cere m o ny. This is a way to establish and pre-s e rve an important segment of chapter history. Chapters wish-ing to have their chapter name placed on their charter musto rder a replacement charter, complete with the chapter namei n f o r m a t i o n , f rom the NASSP sales office.

6.2 Dues for MembersChapters determine and specify in their by l aws the amount oflocal chapter dues, if any, for their members. Dues are not toexceed $10 per year per member. Membership should not bedenied because of a student’s inability to pay.

6.3 MeetingsThe holding of chapter meetings is not a specificre q u i rement for NJHS, but such meetings do serve animportant purpose by providing the means for plan-n i n g , teaching leadership skills, communicating tothe membership, and generally making the adv i s e r ’s

job a little easier. Member responsibility concerning meetingattendance should be described in the chapter by l aw s . T h ep ro c e d u re to follow when an absence is necessary shouldalso be outlined in the by l aw s . It is important that all meet-ings are planned well, h ave a well-thought-out agenda, a n da re operated according to some recognized method of pro-c e d u re (e.g., R o b e r t ’s Rules of Ord e r, e t c . ) . It is the re s p o n s i-bility of the chapter officers, with support of the chaptera dv i s e r, to plan and conduct all meetings in such a mannerthat members believe their time is well spent.

Although recognizing the importance of attending meet-i n g s , the National Council cautions against dismissal for poora t t e n d a n c e . A member who fails to attend meetings should becounseled at length by the chapter adviser before disciplinaryaction is taken.

6.4 ProjectsA well-thought-out and organized approach to projects is keyto chapter success and to maintenance of the standards ofN J H S. The national constitution mandates that each chapterconduct a chapter service project each year (Article XIV). I na d d i t i o n , the National Council suggests that chapters choose

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CHAPTER ACTIVITIES

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As you plan meetings for your chapter throughout the ye a r,consider using the model provided for your meeting agenda.Whether this is the agenda you use or not, a l ways have awritten agenda developed and distributed prior to the meet-ing so that your chapter members know what their re s p o n-sibilities are if they appear on the agenda and what topicswill be discussed at the meeting so the members can be pre-p a re d . Chapter officers, particularly the chapter pre s i d e n t ,a re encouraged to work with the chapter adviser to pre p a reeach meeting’s agenda. C a re should be given to consult theagendas and minutes from previous meetings to determinethose issues that merit continued considera t i o n . Prior to them e e t i n g , the following actions should take place: A copy of the agenda is distributed to all members or

is made available for viewing A presiding officer is identified for the meeting and

time reviews the agenda items Individuals with specific responsibilities at the upcom-

ing meeting (e.g., s e c re t a ry, t re a s u re r, c o m m i t t e ec h a i r s , p roject chairs, etc.) are notified indicating then a t u re of their duties for the meeting and when theyappear on the agenda

Members are notified and reminded of the meetingtime and place.

Sample Agenda Outline

I . Call to ord e rI I . Roll call/attendance pro c e d u re s

I I I . Minutes of the previous meeting (rev i ew anda p p rova l )

I V. Tre a s u re r ’s report* (rev i ew and approva l )V. Committee re p o r t s *

A . Standing committee re p o r t sB . Special committee re p o r t s

V I . Old/unfinished business**: Carried over from thelast or previous meetings

V I I . N ew business**V I I I . Other re p o r t s , a n n o u n c e m e n t s , and reminders of

events or responsibilities including, but not limitedt o , the announcement of the date and time of thenext regularly scheduled meeting of this gro u p.

I X . Guest presentation or pro g ram topic for this meet-i n g . (Location of this segment of the meeting agen-da may depend on the nature of the content and

the scheduling needs of the guest pre s e n t e r, f o re x a m p l e , the principal, who may need to speak atthe beginning of the meeting instead of the end.)

X . A d j o u r n m e n t* It is recommended that all reports be submitted in

writing to the secre t a ry by the end of the meeting, and thata time limit or format be given to each reportgiver to ensureconsistent and informative re p o r t i n g .

** When motions are presented for consideration by them e m b e r s h i p, it is strongly recommended that the chapteruse the fundamental principles of meeting managementf rom R o b e r t ’s Rules of Ord e r or other established systems ofmeeting management.

Meeting Management Resources

Looking for re s o u rces to help facilitate the use and under-standing of parliamentary pro c e d u re? To start, consider pur-chasing a copy of Parliamentary Procedure Without Stre s s( revised edition) by Roberta M. M c D o w, available from Th eLeadership Store . But if yo u ’re really in a hurry, h e re are sev-e ral important Web sites for you to paruse. Please note thatthese re f e re n c e s , listed in alphabetical order by site name,a re for general information purposes only. Their listing doesnot constitute an official endorsement by NHS, N J H S, o rNA S S P.

w w w. j i m s l a u g h t e r. c o m —Site sponsored by JimS l a u g h t e r, p a r l i a m e n t a r i a n , a t t o r n ey, and parliamentaryp ro c e d u re consultant (and former student leader).w w w. p a r l i . c o m —Robert McConnell Productions offersre s o u rces for training in parlimentary pro c e d u re .w w w. p a r l i a m e n t a r i a n s . o rg / p a r l i p ro . h t m —Run by theNational Association of Pa r l i a m e n t a r i a n s , this site hassome basic how-to information that is very helpful.w w w. p a r l i a m e n t a r y p ro c e d u re . o rg —Official site of theAmerican Institute of Parliamentarians that includes booklinks and information on becoming a certified parliamen-t a r i a n .w w w. p a r l i p ro . o rg —Some general information includingquizzes and mind-benders to keep your meetings in ord e r.w w w. ro b e r t s r u l e s . c o m —The official site of R o b e r t ’s Rules ofO rd e r.

We hope you find this information helpful as yo upursue the effective management of your meetings.

Chapter Management Tool: Sample Meeting Agenda

one or more additional major projects for the school ye a r. E a c hmember would then be expected to contribute to those pro j e c t s .(See Appendix J for a project report form.)

6.4.1 Chapter Service Projects

As stated in the constitution, all NJHS projects must do thef o l l o w i n g : Fulfill a need within the school or community H ave the support of the administration and faculty Be appropriate and educationally defensible, and not in

conflict with the activities of other school org a n i z a t i o n s Be well-planned, o rg a n i z e d , and executed.

The executive committee is encouraged to see that chapterp rojects are scheduled or arranged so those members whowork or have family responsibilities are able to participate.No member who sincerely wishes to fulfill the service obliga-tion should be prevented from doing so because of schedul-ing conflicts.

6.4.2 Individual Service Projects

Each member has the responsibility to choose an individuals e rvice project (ISP) in line with his or her particular talentsand intere s t s . This approach emphasizes the need for coop-e rative effort in service to the community while prov i d i n gan opportunity for individuals to discover and develop theirunique contributions. M a ny chapters regularly completetheir chapter service project obligations, but often ov e r l o o kthe additional mandate of individual service pro j e c t s . B e l o wa re a few suggestions for making this component a pro m i-nent part of your chapter: The constitution indicates that the project should re f l e c t

the “particular talents and intere s t s ”of the member. T h eindividual member is given the responsibility of choos-ing and participating in the pro j e c t , though he or sheshould be held accountable for reporting this in an offi-cial manner to the local chapter.

G e n e ra l l y, when choosing the pro j e c t s , it is best to steeraway from activities that directly benefit a member’sf a m i l y.

S e rvice projects done for financial or other compensationa re often viewed as contra ry to the common definition ofs e rv i c e , though unique pro g rams may be appro p r i a t eexceptions to this rule when the compensation, such as asmall gift, is small relative to the amount or quality ofs e rvice prov i d e d .

When tabulating the individual service projects of mem-b e r s , chapter advisers should establish a definite deadlineor schedule for completion that concludes at least onemonth prior to graduation to avoid the end-of-senior-year rush.

If the local chapter so chooses, individual service can beperformed while participating in a project planned andimplemented by another group on campus or in thec o m m u n i t y. ISP does not necessarily imply that thesep rojects must be completed alone, m e rely beyond theactivity undertaken through the re q u i red chapter serv i c ep ro j e c t .

Verification of service by asking for an adult’s signaturef rom a supervisor or chaperone is a way to guarantee thatall chapter members are fulfilling their responsibilities ina fair and appropriate manner.

Chapter advisers are encouraged to set up a systemw h e re chapter members seek approval for ISP prior tocompleting the pro j e c t . A master list of prev i o u s l ya p p roved projects can be developed to save the adv i s e rtime; howev e r, p re a p p roval avoids circumstances wherethe chapter might be unwilling to accept the serv i c e

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Project PlanningTo facilitate the planning of effective pro j e c t s , t h efollowing guidelines have been adopted from thecurriculum of the National Leadership Campss p o n s o red by NA S S P.

Twe lve Ws of Project Planning

Planning any activity re q u i res careful thought andp re p a ra t i o n . B e f o re stepping into action, be surethat you can answer the following questions: What are you planning to do? W hy do you want to do this pro j e c t ? When and where will the activity take place? Who will benefit from the pro j e c t ? What staff member(s) will need to approve the

p roject? What funds are needed? When will the basic planning be done? What committees are necessary ? What kind of publicity is needed? Who deserves a special thank yo u ? Was the project wo r t h w h i l e ? W h a t ’s next? W h e re do we go from here ?

p rovided (e.g., a p roject being done for the member’sfamily if that would run contra ry to the local chapterg u i d e l i n e s ) .

A dvisers can delegate the re c o rd-keeping components ofISPs to chapter officers as part of their duties of office. Ac e n t ral file should be kept under these circumstances anda dvisers should regularly counsel their officers re g a rd i n gthe regular maintenance of this aspect of chapter activity.

To facilitate your chapter members finding appro p r i a t es e rvice project ideas, the chapter might consider settingup a bulletin board (standard or electronic) of pro j e c topportunities for members to rev i ew. Notifying socials e rvice and community organizations of the existence ofthis feature may bring in a large number of ideas foryour chapter and other students in the school.

In addition to listing this responsibility on the newmember obligations list for all candidates prior to selec-t i o n , it is recommended that friendly reminders aboutcompleting this important service obligation be part ofthe meeting agenda throughout the ye a r.

6.4.2.1 Project IdeasThe following are a few ways in which chapters can bei nvolved in the school and community. Leadership forStudent Activities magazine is another source of pro j e c ti d e a s . Chapters may contact the national office for furtheri n f o r m a t i o n . Schools with service projects that they are par-ticularly proud of should consider entering them in theOutstanding Service Project Awa rd competition sponsore dannually for schools attending the national confere n c e .

School Service

O rganize a health fair Run a school clean-up campaign Awa rd scholastic letters to deserving students Usher at school or public ev e n t s Hold a teacher and staff recognition day Participate in school evaluation pro g ra m s Help establish a new chapter of the National Honor

Society at another school Plan freshman and new student orientation Sponsor a libra ry drive or other pro g rams to bring new

educational equipment into the school Furnish student re p resentatives for the various school

c o m m i t t e e s O rganize a good sportsmanship guidebook Set up a peer-tutoring pro g ra m Welcome and orient new staff members

C o l l a b o rate with other cocurricular activity groups ontheir service pro j e c t s .

Community Service

O rganize individual or group tutoring pro g ra m s Make tape re c o rdings for the blind Establish a hospital aid pro g ra m Collect holiday toys and supplies for hospitalized or

underprivileged childre n Sponsor a foster child D evelop a pro g ram of energy conserva t i o n P romote env i ronmental service pro j e c t s Volunteer to staff a community hotline P romote ecology pro j e c t s Volunteer to be a day c a re youth wo r k e r Undertake a food drive for a local food bank or shelter Conduct a bloodmobile with the American Red Cro s s Support a homeless shelter by providing clothing or

s e rving meals.Visit w w w. s e r v e n e t . o rg for a list of service opportunities

found in your are a . The site offers a search tool (under “ G e tI nvolved”) to assist in identifying these items. The site iss p o n s o red by Youth Service A m e r i c a , an organization active-ly supported by the national office of NJHS.

Student Leadership

Sponsor a leadership training conference for studentl e a d e r s

O rganize special pro g rams in observance of NationalStudent Leadership We e k , o b s e rved annually during thet h i rd week in A p r i l

Honor leaders of cocurricular activities with re c o g n i t i o nawa rd s

Start a leadership class at your school Sponsor a day in which school leaders trade places with

such local officials as the mayo r, p o l i c e , c h i e f , f i n a n c ed i re c t o r, e t c .

Raise funds to send student leaders to a national stu-dent leadership camp.

Publish a regular column in the school newspaper re c-ognizing an outstanding school leader

O rganize a student-of-the-week or student-of-the-month pro g ra m

P resent public demonstrations of leadership techniques Keep a scrapbook of school leader activities Maintain a leadership libra ry.

* For more information, contact the national office or viewavailable re s o u rces in The Leadership Store c a t a l o g .

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* * For more information, contact the national office orvisit the Web site, w w w. n j h s . u s .

Character Building

C reate an honor code for your chapter or your studentb o dy

Add a character Quote of the Day to the dailya n n o u n c e m e n t s

C reate bulletin boards or Web pages on character tra i t s Sponsor an “Ethics Day ”event and include the commu-

nity (see Ethical Decision Making, in the national catalogfor details)

Teach character lessons to local elementary students Honor persons of good character from your community

at your induction cere m o ny Honor a chapter member (or other student) for his or her

good character each year at the school awa rds cere m o ny P romote good character traits with posters for each

t e a c h e r ’s classro o m Sponsor an anticheating or antiplagiarism campaign Teach re s p e c t .

Visit the following Web sites (each with its own set oflinks) for a variety of additional ideas: w w w. c h a r a c t e rc o u n t s. o rg , w w w. c h a ra c t e r. o rg, and w w w. c h a ra c t e re d u c a t i o n . o rg .

Citizenship Education

Work to introduce voter education and re g i s t ration pro-g rams into the curriculum

Educate students about the laws for voter re g i s t ra t i o n ,voting pro c e d u re s , and civic re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s

Publicize dates for general elections, p r i m a r i e s , or spe-cial elections

Sponsor bipartisan or multipartisan panels of politicalc a n d i d a t e s

O rganize a group to attend a city council meeting orvisit the state legislature .

NJHS Alumni and Pare n t s

Sponsor a meeting with a guest speaker for your chap-ter alumni during homecoming week

O rganize a newsletter to send to chapter alumni C o o rdinate a fundraising project with the alumni in support

of your chapter (e.g., raising money for pins for new mem-bers or for scholarships for deserving outgoing seniors)

Host a dinner for famous alumni still in the area of yo u rs c h o o l

Host a special parents re c o g n i t i o n / a p p reciation dinner I n c o r p o rate parents and alumni into the induction cere m o ny.

Intergenerational Exchange

Plan and coordinate a local Youth Conference withOlder A m e r i c a n s

D evelop a list of organizations that need volunteers toassist with older people for student use

O rganize a pro g ram featuring re t i red persons from va r i-ous backgro u n d s

Team up with an elderly person on a volunteer pro j e c t A r range an errands service for the elderly shut-in Write a newspaper article challenging stereotypes of the

a g e d C reate a piece of art that presents an image of humani-

ty that bridges all ages Maintain a libra ry on the senior period of life Sponsor a question-and-answer session on the senior

years of life R e c o rd the youthful experiences of older people from a

variety of ethnic backgro u n d s A r range a discussion of the stereotypes of older people

that appear in adv e r t i s i n g , the media, and litera t u re O rganize an awa rds pro g ram to recognize the contribu-

tions older people make to the community Submit an article to the local newspaper about an older

p e r s o n ’s experiences H ave a Generations Working Together We e k Hold a school assembly to recognize interg e n e ra t i o n a l

activities and Older Americans Month (May ) C reate an art show featuring interg e n e rational activities

and artists.

C a reer Education

O rganize a college night for interested students Set up a career intern pro g ra m Set up a career center in the libra ry or guidance center.

I n t e rcultural Exchange

Sponsor students who might otherwise be unable toparticipate in domestic or international studentexchange pro g ra m s

O rganize a committee to welcome and befriendexchange students

Plan an International We e k Plan a fine arts assembly O p e rate a book exchange Collect books to send to needy schools in the United

States and abro a d O rganize a speakers bure a u Sponsor an Ethnic Heritage Day

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Volunteer to participate in excavation of local arc h a e o-l o g ical sites

C o o p e rate in re s t o ration pro j e c t s .

Fundraising Activities

Evaluate your financial needs. Don’t do fundraisingunless there is a supportable goal for the activity, espe-cially because your members are probably alreadybooked with fundraising activities through other organi-zations to which they belong.

Visit www.njhs.us and look under the section on ideasharing for ideas from the field.

Collect fundraising ideas and resources from back issuesof Leadership for Student Activities magazine, publicationsin the catalog, and other groups on campus.

Consider raising money to give as scholarships todeserving senior members.

Establish a financial goal for your service projectsthrough which you also contribute an amount in supportof the organization (e.g., the local food bank, soupkitchen, homeless shelter, etc.) in addition to the workyour members undertake on their behalf each year.

Establish a student store or concession stand with stafffrom the chapter to provide ongoing revenue.

Sell things. Make sure there is a demand in school or thecommunity, that the products are of good quality, andthat you’re not competing for the same market withother groups on campus.

Do an Internet search for fundraising and see what youfind.

Create an advisory committee of businesspersons andparents to develop creative and enterprising alternativesto candy sales (seek administrative support prior topulling the group together).

Explore and use the e-fundraising links found onwww.njhs.us.

6.5 Planning for the YearH e re are a few events on the national calendar that we hopeall NJHS advisers will keep in mind as they and their chaptersp re p a re for the coming ye a r :A u g u s t / S e p t e m b e r —A r r i val of your back-to-school mailingf rom the national office, including information on the upcom-ing conferences and wo r k s h o p s . R e g i s t rations for the NHSand NJHS National Conference will be due in October. A l s o , i fyou hav e n ’t rev i ewed your local chapter policies and pro c e-d u res and the national handbook in a while, this would be agood time to begin the pro c e s s .

O c t o b e r —National Character Counts! Week will be celebra t-ed in mid-October. Use this week to emphasize character inyour school. Expect the arrival of your adviser ID card and cer-tificate of annual affiliation from the Membership Departmentat the national office.N o v e m b e r —NHS and NJHS National Conference is held.D e c e m b e r —H o l i d ay projects abound. This is a great time fors e rvice projects for special groups in your community.J a n u a r y —Performance rev i ew for your chapter members. B es u re your plans for spring inductions have been outlined anda p p rov e d .F e b r u a r y —With thoughts turned to lov e , this is a great timeto sponsor a faculty appreciation effort. In addition, if yo uh av e n ’t done so alre a dy, plans for your spring selection andinduction should be underway. LEAD conferences are usuallyheld in February, M a rc h , and A p r i l .M a r c h —Though spring is just in bloom, i t ’s time to thinkabout summer leadership opportunities for your new chaptero f f i c e r s . This is also a good time to finalize your orders ofNJHS supplies for your spring inductions.A p r i l —National Student Leadership Week (NSLW) will takeplace towa rd the end of this month. Using your NSLW poster,sent in a winter edition of the magazine, plan to re c o g n i z eyour chapter leaders and other student leaders in your school.The re n ewal invoice for your annual affiliation fee arrives inthe principal’s office this month. Get the payment pro c e s su n d e r way before the June 30 deadline.M a y —As the school year comes to a close, get those newchapter officers elected and plan for next fall, setting up somesummer planning meetings if you need to (by the pool, in thep a r k , at the beach, e t c ) . Submit your annual report form to thenational office before you leave for the summer.

Of course, one of the best ways to keep abreast of upcom-ing special events is to read Leadership for Student Activitiesmagazine and visit w w w. n j h s . u s ev e ry month and pass oncopies to your chapter members so they can help you re m e m-ber the important activities coming up during the school ye a r.

6.5.1 Conferences and Workshops for NJHS

A variety of meetings are held each year to give advisers andstudents the opportunity to learn more about their NationalJunior Honor Society.

6.5.1.1 NHS and NJHS National ConferenceEach fall, NHS and NJHS host the national confere n c e . B e g u nin 1993, this conference is open to students and advisers fro mNHS or NJHS chapters. At this hotel-based meeting, p a r t i c i-pants hear dynamic speakers, participate in meaningful wo r k-

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s h o p s , and network with their peers from around the country.During the confere n c e , delegates explore the contempora rymeaning of the Society’s criteria. In 2002, the confere n c ebecame the host of the NHS Scholars’ B o w l , offering anopportunity for students to test their skills in this ultimateacademic challenge. R e g i s t ration forms are mailed to all affili-ated chapters in the spring and regular notices are provided inLeadership for Student Activities magazine as well as in theC o n f e rences and Pro g rams section of the Web site,w w w. n j h s . u s . See the separate Scholars’Bowl link for detailson this competition. Schools attending the conference canalso compete for one of the honored Outstanding Serv i c eP roject awa rd s , which recognize 10 chapters for their uniqueand exemplary service pro j e c t s .

6.5.1.2 LEAD ConferencesUsually between the months of February and April of eachye a r, NHS and NJHS, along with the National A s s o c i a t i o nof Student Councils (NA S C ) , sponsor sev e ral weekendc o n f e rences for student leaders and activities adv i s e r s .These conferences provide essential training in leadershipskills for students and professional development tra i n i n gon a variety of topics re l evant to advising student activities.At these confere n c e s , nationally known speakers present atg e n e ral sessions. At small group wo r k s h o p s , s u c c e s s f u lp ractitioners from the field share a variety of ideas and pro-g rams with participants. A re p resentative of the nationalstaff presents a special session on Honor Society policiesand pro c e d u res at each confere n c e . B ro c h u res on the wo r k-shops are sent to all active chapter advisers and appear inthe Conferences and Pro g rams section of w w w. n j h s . u s .

6.5.1.3 State Conferences and WorkshopsIn addition to these nationally sponsored pro g ra m s , m o rethan 20 state associations exist in the United States, all ofwhich provide various meetings, c o n f e re n c e s , and wo r k s h o p sfor students and adv i s e r s .

6.6 Annual ReportsEach active chapter is re q u i red to submit an annual report ofactivities to the national office. A form for reporting yo u rchapter activities will be sent to the chapter adviser by thenational office in a spring edition of Leadership for StudentA c t i v i t i e s magazine and on the Web site each ye a r. D e a d l i n efor submission is June 30 each ye a r. It is the responsibility ofthe chapter adviser to complete and return this annual re p o r tand to retain a copy for chapter files. Official membership listsa re to be maintained at the school.

6.7 Public Relations for the Chapter and Its ActivitiesTo d ay, when people are questioning the value of just about ev e ryfacet of education, public relations (PR) is more important thanev e r. PR is what leads to understanding and support for yo u t h ,for your school, and for your chapter. It is no longer enough tom e rely operate any school pro g ram; it is essential to demon-s t rate its va l u e , inform all interested audiences, and evaluate thep ro g ra m ’s effectiveness. This is all part of a quality PR effort.

Patrick Ja c k s o n , a former president of the Public RelationsSociety of A m e r i c a , s ays public relations “d evelops attitudeswhich change behav i o r s .” T h a t ’s a good working definitionfor NJHS chapters.Your goal, t h rough PR, is to identifyaudiences that need to hear your message, determine thebest ways to reach those audiences, and deliver a messagethat will help them understand the importance of NJHS andsupport your chapter.

The first opportunities you have for promoting good PRare through your student handbook, at new student orienta-tion programs, and through parent newsletters in which youdescribe the chapter and the fundamental procedures andtraditions associated with it. Informative pieces that areclearly expressed and thorough in these arenas will establishyour PR program firmly in the school and community. Otherkey audiences might include teachers who could encouragestudents to participate in the NJHS, administrators andschool boards who will provide resources for successfulchapters, students who are candidates to become chaptermembers, local business and civic leaders who could providerecognition for your chapter, and even state legislators whowill enact laws influencing student activities.

Communication vehicles might include editorials orcolumns in the school newspaper, invitations to businessleaders to attend a chapter event, face-to-face meetings withadministrators or school boards reviewing your chapter’spast achievements and plans for the future, and a public list-ing of former NJHS members from your school showingtheir success as adults. The more support you can obtainfrom these individuals the more likely you will have the nec-essary adult support, financial resources, community under-standing, and student involvement to run a high quality pro-gram.

To develop such support, it is no longer enough to justpublish an occasional news release or newsletter. They canbe effective in building awareness about chapter membersand activities—an essential step in gaining support—but notby themselves. Each NJHS chapter should develop a PR planthat should include the following:

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Identifying the four or five important audiences to com-municate with in your school and community

Determining the three or four key messages those audi-ence should understand

Selecting communication vehicles to best deliver thosemessages

Defining a budget (which does not have to be exten-sive), naming one or more individuals or a committee tohead your PR efforts, setting timelines and deadlines

Determining how to evaluate your PR activities.

Any or all of these activities can help you recognize chap-ter members, projects, and philosophies: News releases about new members, officers, or chapter

projects in the school and community newspapers. A guest column (by the chapter president or PR commit-

tee chair) for the school newspaper or a local communitynewspaper about the value of your NJHS chapter.

A presentation at a school staff meeting outlining whatstudents gain from NJHS and calling for faculty support.

Production of a question-and-answer sheet about NJHSchapter issues to distribute to school staff, student lead-ers, parents, or other audiences. Determine what ques-tions people may have by interviewing members of keyaudiences beforehand.

A presentation to your school board about recent suc-cessful projects. This activity should be coordinatedthrough your principal or superintendent.

A speech at a civic club about the value of NJHS andwhat your chapter has recently contributed to the com-munity. There may be adults at the school or parents ofchapter members who are members of civic clubs andcould arrange for an invitation.

An annual newsletter or report that recalls the variousachievements of your chapter. Distribute the newsletterto people you hope to influence—school staff, locallegislators, business leaders, school board members.

A Web site providing pertinent details about your chapter. Look for ways to involve members of key audiences in

your projects. (There’s no better way to develop a posi-tive belief in an organization than to see firsthand thepositive things it does.For more guidance, see Appendix T and the PR Toolkit at

www.njhs.us.

6.8 Official InsigniaWhen NJHS was founded in 1929, the National Councilauthorized and approved an official emblem. This emblem, a s

stated in the Honor Society’s constitution, can be issued by anNJHS chapter only to duly elected active or honora ry members.

The NJHS emblem was described in the early years as fol-lows: “The emblem of this society is the flaming torc h . To bearf o r wa rd the searching light of truth, to lead that others mayfollow in light, to keep burning in our school a high ambitionfor the enduring values of life, and to serve - these purposesa re symbolized in the torc h .”

The distribution of official NJHS emblems is contro l l e dexclusively by the National Council. A dvisers and principalsa re given the authority to purchase official insignia from thenational sales office. C o n s e q u e n t l y, only the principal or chap-ter adviser can place telephone, f a x , or e-mail ord e r s . All offi-cial insignia are listed in The Leadership Store , the annual cata-log of products and services sent to advisers in all memberschools at the beginning of each school year as well as beingposted on the NJHS Web site, w w w. n j h s . u s. (See Appendix Ifor camera - re a dy logos.)

F rom time to time, the national office licenses commerc i a lvendors to produce and sell items bearing the official insigniaof the org a n i z a t i o n . Indications of this license are expected tobe included in all promotions produced and distributed bythese licensees. A dvisers who question the authenticity of anyp romotion bearing the name or insignia of the Honor Societyshould report their concerns to the staff of the national office.Look for the ® or “ T M ”as an indicator of the official emblem.

The NJHS emblem is re g i s t e red with the United StatesPatent and Trademark Office and cannot be duplicated with-out the expressed permission of NA S S P. The names “ N a t i o n a lJunior Honor Society”and “ N J H S ”and the insignia design arealso similarly pro t e c t e d .

6.8.1 NJHS Trademark Policy and Logo Usage

Guidelines

All local and state advisers are responsible for helping top rotect the use of all NJHS trademark items. NA S S P, t h ep a rent and owner of the rights to all Honor Society namesand logos, e x p resses its policy concerning the use of tra d e-mark materials as follows:

Local NJHS chapters and state associations are permitted touse trademark items without obtaining approval from thenational NJHS office (NASSP) on printed materials, p ro m o-tional pieces, and displays that are not sold. A p p roval mustbe obtained in writing from NASSP for any item that will besold by local or state NJHS chapters or that is produced by ac o m m e rcial vendor. C o m m e rcial vendors are not permittedto use NJHS trademarks on any goods offered for sale orotherwise unless they have been licensed by NA S S P.

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6.8.2 On the We b

For Internet or Web site dev e l o p m e n t , local chapters may usethe NJHS logo for a period of three years as long as the fol-lowing conditions are met:

The “ T M ”or ® (trademark) sign should appear nextto the name (National Junior Honor Society) or ini-tials (NJHS) when it first appears on the page.

A footnote is added to the page where the “ T M ”o r® appears stating: “National Junior Honor Societyand NJHS are duly re g i s t e red trademarks of theNational Association of Secondary School Principals( NA S S P ) . Unauthorized copying or use of saidt rademarks is strictly pro h i b i t e d .”

A printout of the usage described above is sent tothe national office at the following addre s s :NHS & NJHS Logo Usage1904 Association DriveR e s t o n ,VA 20191-1537Fax: 703-476-5432E-mail: n h s @ n h s . u s (subject: logo usage)

6.8.3 Web Site Link Usage

Local chapters may establish links to the NJHS Web sitefound at w w w. n j h s . u s . Please inform the national office ifyour chapter has its own homepage or Web site so that yo ucan be included in the electronic network of NJHS chapters.

6.8.4 Use of the Official Emblems

The purchase of an emblem is not an obligation of member-ship. Emblems are often purchased through the school activ-ity fund on the same basis as athletic letters and are present-ed to new members at the induction ceremony. Communityorganizations (e.g., PTA, Rotary, Kiwanis, or Lions Club)sometimes provide funds for the purchase of the emblems.In a school where no financial provision is made, individualmembers may purchase the emblem through the adviser.

R e g a rdless of who pays for the emblem, the title to theemblem remains with the chapter until the member has com-pleted the final grade at the school. Each member should have aclear understanding of this stipulation. Members who are dis-missed for any reason must surrender the emblem to the chap-ter adv i s e r. If the dismissed member re f u s e s , that individualshould be reported through normal school disciplinary channels.If the emblem was paid for by the member, the chapter shouldreimburse the student for the original cost of the emblem.

The emblem and other insignia should always be worn withdignity and pride. Individual student members may not d e s i g ntheir own clothing or jew e l ry featuring official NJHS insignia.

Pins and charms may be engraved with the member’si n i t i a l s , but the engraving must be done locally, not thro u g hthe national office.

Graduate members who lose emblems should contact the principal of the school where induction took place. If the principal certifies in a letter to the national office that theindividual was selected for membership and is a bona fidegraduate member, a price list and order form will be sent.Unless membership can be so verified, additional emblemscannot be supplied.

An official catalog with complete instructions for orderingsupplies is sent to each chapter adviser annually and can befound at www.njhs.us. Advisers should use only current orderforms, updated annually, when ordering official insignia.Chapters that do not have a current catalog and order formmay secure one by contacting the NJHS Sales Office, 1904Association Drive, Reston,VA 20191. Be sure to state thename of the school and chapter and include your schoolaffiliation number, which can be found either on the advis-er’s membership card or on the mailing label of all mailingsoriginating from the national office including Leadership forStudent Activities magazine.

6.9 Official Colors, Motto, and FlowerThe official NJHS colors are blue and white. A dvisers wishingtone specifications can contact the national office for officialPantone color designations.

The Honor Society’s motto is “Light Is the Symbol of Tr u t h .”The official flower of NJHS is the white ro s e .

6.10 Commercial RequestsThe national office cautions principals, chapter adv i s e r s ,and members to be wa ry of commercial groups thatrequest lists of NJHS members for any re a s o n . S u c hg roups often operate fra u d u l e n t l y. School officials con-cerned about offers that appear to exploit students shouldcheck with local postal authorities or the Better BusinessB u reau if the organization in question does not fulfill itsc l a i m s , or consult the NASSP A dv i s o ry List of StudentContests and A c t i v i t i e s . This list is disseminated to allNASSP principals in the fall of the year and can be foundat w w w. p r i n c i p a l s . o rg .

In addition, all official correspondence from NJHS,including all invoices for affiliation re n ewa l , will bear theofficial logo and the Reston, VA , return addre s s . C h a p t e r ssuspecting misuse of the name or logo or the questionablerequest for member names can also report this informationto the national office.

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CHAPTER ACTIVITIES

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7. DISCIPLINE AND DISMISSAL

As in the case ofs e l e c t i o n , all disci-pline and dismissal pro c e-

d u res must be clearly described in writing. This descriptionshould be available to anyone who requests it. The Fa c u l t yCouncil is responsible for developing all discipline and dis-missal pro c e d u res (Article V I I , Section 4) that are consistentwith the NJHS constitution and handbook.

It is the responsibility of the chapter adviser to periodicallyrev i ew the standing of members for compliance with HonorSociety standards and for fulfillment of chapter obligations asdescribed in the chapter by l aw s . When a member falls belowa ny of the standards by which the member was selected orfails to fulfill chapter obligations, the adviser should informthe errant member in writing of the nature of the violation,the time period given for improv e m e n t , and provide wa r n i n gof the possible consequences of nonimprovement (i.e., c o n-s i d e ration of dismissal or additional disciplinary measure sbeing imposed). It is helpful to both the student and thea dviser to follow up the letter with a confere n c e . If the stu-dent does not make the improvement in the specified time,that student is subject to whatever disciplinary measures arec o n s i d e red appropriate by the Faculty Council.

D i s c i p l i n a ry measures other than dismissal are acceptablefor minor offenses. For example, the Faculty Council maysuspend certain chapter privileges, re m ove a member fro mchapter office, request that the student perform additionalschool or community service activities, or have the studentreceive special counseling. The goal of disciplinary measure s

should be to reeducate the student tom o re appropriate behav i o r. If the discipline is constructive,t h e re is a greater likelihood that the student will improve inthe particular area in which there is a deficiency.

7.1 No Automatic Dismissal A member can never be dismissed automatically for failingto maintain standards, not meeting member obligations, oreven being found guilty of violating school rules or the law.A written notification and hearing are called for in Article X,Section 4, and must be conducted by the Faculty Council todismiss a member. By definition, a member is a student whohas successfully completed both the selection process andthe induction ceremony. Consequently, the process for disci-pline and dismissal of members differs significantly from theprocess used for selection. In addition, chapters can indicatethat certain violations will lead to immediate considerationof dismissal by the Faculty Council, but they can neverdescribe such violations as warranting “automatic dismissal”under any conditions.

Members should understand fully that they are subject todismissal if they do not maintain the standards of scholarship,l e a d e r s h i p, s e rv i c e , c i t i z e n s h i p, and character that were used asa basis for their selection. The Faculty Council can select todiscipline a member by placing them on warning (sometimesre f e r red to as suspension or pro b a t i o n ) , during which timet h ey are considered not in good standing with the chapter,although technically still retaining membership. Such wa r n i n gperiods are generally for a specific amount of time after which

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regular membership is re s t o re d . Article XV, Section 3, n o t e sthat only members who are in good standing will be allowedto wear the Society’s emblem, unless the local chapter by l aw sindicate to the contra ry. Chapter advisers are encouraged toremind senior members of this condition on sev e ral occasionsduring the members’ last year and include it in the written listof chapter member obligations.

Members should also be informed that they are allowedlimited warnings during their membership, and that in thecase of a flagrant violation of school rules or the law, a wa r n-ing is not re q u i red for dismissal, but a hearing will still beh e l d . The hearing is identified in the NJHS constitution as aright of membership; is guaranteed as due process as identi-fied by the 14th Amendment of the U. S. Constitution; andre q u i res the chapter to notify the member of the action beingc o n t e m p l a t e d , the reasons for the action, the date and time of

the hearing, and the opportunity for the member to re s p o n deither in writing or ora l l y. A student who is dismissed or whoresigns is never again eligible for membership in NJHS.

Faculty Councils should use dismissal sparingly. Prior toany vote on dismissal, the Faculty Council should investigatethoroughly before any action is taken. If the Council deter-mines that the facts warrant consideration of dismissal, themember should be notified in writing of the violation, thepossibility of dismissal, and the need for scheduling a hear-ing with the Faculty Council. (See Appendix K for sampleletters.) The member should be allowed to appear before theFaculty Council and explain his or her view of the circum-stances. A parent or guardian may be present with the mem-ber; however, it should be noted that the primary purposeand focus of the hearing is to allow the member to presenthis or her case.

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Chapter Management Tool: Dismissal Hearing Agenda

I n t roductions of attendees, facilitated by the chapter adv i s e r. Explanation of the proceedings by the adv i s e r. This is a good place to quote the handbook, which indicates

that “the primary focus of the hearing is to allow the member to present his or her case.”Following thestatement of purpose, a rev i ew of the “ c h a rg e s ”being brought against the member is made. Excerpts fro mthe hearing notification letter that outlined the charges and was sent to the member can be read at thist i m e .

Statement of case. The member is given the opportunity to respond to the charg e s . Question-and-answer period. This is an opportunity for the Faculty Council members to seek clarification

f rom the member re g a rding his or her position or actions. Statement by parent (optional). No right to be present exists for any parent or other party re p resenting the

accused member, h o w ever nothing specifically prohibits their sitting in on the sessions. Whether or notsuch individuals are allowed to speak is left to precedent per the standard operating pro c e d u res of thec h a p t e r, and to the discretion of the presiding adv i s e r.

Final statement by the member before conclusion of this portion of the meeting. Excusing of the member (and parents and others). This indicates that a decision re g a rding the case in

question is forthcoming, and if possible gives an indication of the timing and method of notification thatwill be used.Following this portion of the hearing, the Faculty Council, still facilitated by the chapter adv i s e r, engages in

d i s c u s s i o n , a n d , if all the pertinent information has been prov i d e d , t h ey can make a decision by voting. ( Amajority vote is all that is needed for dismissal.) If additional clarification is needed, the Council should set ameeting date for coming back together for the purpose of concluding the case. As previously stated, it is stro n g l yrecommended that the results of the Faculty Council’s decision be shared first with the principal prior to notifi-cation of the member or the pare n t .

Thanks to NHS adviser Jeff Hagers from Bentonville (AR) High School for taking the national recommendations astep further and providing this model for all chapter advisers to consider.

7.2 Dismissal Procedures OverviewIn all matters of dismissal, local advisers should first rev i ew thedata found in the most recent editions of the national constitu-tion and the national handbook. N e x t , a rev i ew of the existingguidelines for your local chapter should be undertaken. It isimportant that all local guidelines conform to those found inthe national constitution. Questions re g a rding conformancecan be directed to the national office.

To avoid confusion, it is always appropriate to refer to thesecases as dismissal from the chapter and not expulsion.Expulsion is a term that bears legal connotations in some stateswhen used to refer to the re m oval of a student from the school.In most cases, it is safe to refer to dismissal from the chapterwhen re m oving a member from your ro s t e r.The followingpoints should also be taken care of in all dismissal cases: Procedures for dismissal are to be determined by the

local school’s Faculty Council (with review by the princi-pal, superintendent, school board, school system attor-ney, etc., when necessary). Student input on these pro-cedures can be sought, however the final say on the pro-cedures is always left to the Faculty Council.

A written description of the discipline and dismissal pro-cedures should be available to interested parties. Areview of these procedures with your chapter membersand officers is essential along with frequent reminders.Student handbooks or chapter handbooks shouldinclude these. In addition, chapter members should bereminded regularly of the standards that they are expect-ed to maintain.

A member can be considered for dismissal when per-formance falls below the acceptable levels of any of thestandards by which the student was selected, when themember fails to fulfill chapter obligations, or when themember is found guilty of violating school rules or thelaw.

It is highly recommended that a student be warned inwriting whenever the student falls below any standard.It is further recommended that copies of this correspon-dence be sent to the parents and that a copy of theletter, including the date it was sent, be maintained bythe adviser. Some schools prefer the presentation ofsuch written warnings in person; others use registeredmail to guarantee receipt of the letters at home. This is a matter of local precedent, worth checking with theprincipal.

The Faculty Council determines when an individual hasexceeded a reasonable number of warnings, thus war-ranting consideration of dismissal.

In all cases of pending dismissal, a chapter member shallhave a right to be notified in writing of the offenses andto a hearing before the Faculty Council. This is the dueprocess guaranteed to all chapter members under boththe NJHS constitution and the 14th Amendment of theU.S. Constitution. Please note that this hearing is priorto dismissal. Under no circumstances is there automaticdismissal from the Honor Society.

Appeals of dismissal are to be handled first by theschool principals and, thereafter, in the same fashion asdisciplinary appeals in the student’s school district.Neither the National Council nor the national office hasthe authority to hear appeals in cases of dismissal.If a member is dismissed, written notice of the decision

should be sent to the member, his or her pare n t s , and thep r i n c i p a l . The member must then surrender the NJHSemblem and membership card to the chapter adv i s e r. If themember is unwilling to do this, the matter should be tre a t e das a school disciplinary matter.

7.3 Appeals for Dismissal CasesThe dismissed member may appeal the decision of the Fa c u l t yCouncil first to the principal and then, as indicated under thelocal school district’s policies governing disciplinary appeals,follow the normal channels for an appeals pro c e s s . If theFaculty Council acts professionally with due care and fairness,then there should be few occasions for such appeals. It is inthe best interest of the chapter that those most familiar withHonor Society goals and pro c e d u res be responsible for deci-sions concerning the chapter and its membership (i.e., t h eFaculty Council).

In the case of dismissal appeals, the principal is genera l l ythe first recipient of the appeal. He or she shall follow thelocal district appeals pro c e s s . Decisions made should be basedon adequacy and fairness of the Faculty Council pro c e d u re s .In the ra re instance in which dismissal cases are successfullyappealed by a member, the principal is encouraged to sharethe rationale for reversing the initial decision and the Fa c u l t yCouncil is requested to graciously receive and implement thed e c i s i o n . The National Council and NASSP do not have theauthority to hear or make any decisions re g a rding appeals indismissal cases. (See Article X, Section 7.)

7.4 ResignationA member who resigns from the NJHS will never again beeligible for membership or its benefits. Resignation from theHonor Society should involve the submission of a writtenstatement by the resigning member that is dated and signed


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by both the student and his or her pare n t ( s ) .Verbal re s i g n a-tions are generally insufficient to end membership. S t u d e n t scontemplating resignation should be informed of the ra m i f i c a-tions of their re s i g n a t i o n .

Students cannot be forced to re s i g n . This situation wo u l dbe interpreted as a dismissal order for which the pro c e s s , a soutlined in Article X of the national constitution, must be fol-l o w e d .

Appendix A: A Survey of Your Honor Society ChapterHow much do you know about your Honor Society chapter? Take time to answer the following questions to the best of yo u ra b i l i t y. Answer each question. If you don't know the answer, l e ave it blank.

1 . Our Honor Society chapter is actively affiliated with the national office. ■ YES ■ NO

2 . Members of the chapter are regularly shown and read information from Leadership for Student ■ YES ■ NO A c t i v i t i e s m a g a z i n e .

3 . T h e re is a written job description for each chapter officer and committee chairperson. ■ YES ■ N O

4 . Chapter officers set specific goals annually to be accomplished by the chapter. ■ YES ■ N O

5 . Officers are re q u i red to complete a leadership training pro g ra m . ■ YES ■ N O

6 . The name of the chapter adviser is known by chapter members and published at school. ■ YES ■ N O

7 . Selection to the Honor Society is accomplished through use of a 5-member Faculty Council. ■ YES ■ N O

8 . A schedule of regular meetings is developed and used by the chapter. ■ YES ■ N O

9 . B y l aws of the chapter are rev i ewed annually and kept in compliance with the national constitution. ■ YES ■ N O

1 0 . Agendas are developed and used at each meeting of the chapter. ■ YES ■ N O

1 1 . The chapter president meets regularly with the principal of the school and chapter adv i s e r. ■ YES ■ N O

1 2 . A system of committees has been established and is used during the ye a r. ■ YES ■ N O

1 3 . Members are presented with a calendar of events and projects and activities of the chapter ■ YES ■ N Ofor the ye a r.

1 4 . The student body has an opportunity to evaluate activities of the chapter. ■ YES ■ N O

1 5 . T h e re is a systematic means of raising funds for the chapter. ■ YES ■ N O

1 6 . The chapter has joint projects with classes or clubs and organizations within the school. ■ YES ■ N O

1 7 . Some activities of the chapter are designed to provide service to either the school or community. ■ YES ■ N O

1 8 . Some activities of the chapter are designed to support the academic curriculum or student ■ YES ■ N Oi nvolvement there i n .

1 9 . Student activities of the chapter are regularly designed to improve student–faculty re l a t i o n s . ■ YES ■ N O

2 0 . The Honor Society sponsors activities to improve student understanding of its purposes ■ YES ■ N Oand pro g ra m s .

2 1 . A c c u rate descriptions of the Honor Society regularly appear in the student handbook ■ YES ■ N Op resented to all students.

2 2 . The chapter sponsors activities to aid the development of good character among students. ■ YES ■ N O

2 3 . The Honor Society induction cere m o ny is a well-respected pro g ram among the traditions of the ■ YES ■ NO s c h o o l .

2 4 . The local selection process is understood by the faculty and students and considered fair and ■ YES ■ N Oeffective when used.

2 5 . Members of the chapter are proud of their chapter, what it stands for, and its history in the school. ■ YES ■ NO

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Appendix B: A Checklist for Honor Society ChaptersIs your chapter operating in full compliance with the national guidelines for NJHS? Use the following checklist to initiate yo u rrev i ew.

■ A ff i l i a t i o n : H ave you submitted payment of your annual affiliation fee to cover the July 1 to June 30 membership ye a r ?R e n ewal invoices are mailed to principals of active chapter schools in late spring. Generic copies of the invoices are ava i l-able at w w w. n h s . u s .

■ Chapter Adviser: Has the chapter adviser been appointed by the principal from the faculty? The name of this individualshould be included when submitting the annual affiliation fee in the space provided on the re n ewal inv o i c e . Multiple adv i s-ers are acceptable at the local level; howev e r, no principal or assistant principal can serve as chapter adviser and only a sin-gle adviser will be included in the official chapter database at the national office.

■ Faculty Council: Has the principal approved the 5-member Faculty Council for the year? The adviser serves as a nonv o t-ing sixth member of this body.

■ P u b l i s h : Is your local selection process (including criteria and schedule) published for all students, p a re n t s , and faculty tosee per Article IX, Section 4 of the national constitution?

■ National Handbook: Is the chapter currently using the most recent edition of the national handbook? Copies are obtain-able by contacting the national Sales Office by phone at 8 6 6 - 6 4 7 - 7 2 5 3 or by e-mail at s a l e s @ n h s . u s .

■ M e e t i n g s : H ave you scheduled regular meetings for the chapter, including your induction cere m o nyies) for the year andinformed the chapter members of this schedule and their responsibility to attend?

■ B y l a w s : Does your chapter have its chapter by l aws dev e l o p e d , p r i n t e d , and published for all chapter members? See thenational handbook for suggested content guidelines.

■ S e r v i c e : Has the chapter planned the re q u i red annual chapter service project(s) for the current school ye a r ?

■ Individual Service: H ave members been informed about their obligation to engage in individual service projects for thec u r rent year? Is there a system in place for accounting for their fulfillment of this obligation?

■ O b l i g a t i o n s : H ave members been fully informed in writing (via the chapter by l aws) of the total list of membership obli-gations that they are responsible for this ye a r, i n c l u d i n g , but not limited to payment of dues (if charg e d ) , s e rvice hours,meeting attendance, e t c . ?

■ Professional Development: Is the adviser rev i ewing the content of the monthly issues of Leadership for StudentA c t i v i t i e s magazine or the A dviser Zone on the national Web site (w w w. n j h s . u s) for updates from the national office? Hasthe adviser considered joining the state association (in states where they exist) or attending one of the training opportuni-ties sponsored by the national office (national confere n c e , LEAD confere n c e s , etc.)? See the Web site for details.

■ Annual Report: Did you submit your annual report form to the national office by the June 30 deadline? If not, please planto use the form found in the April issue of Leadership for Student Activities magazine (or on the Web site) to complete andreturn for the coming ye a r.

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APPENDICES

Appendix C: Suggested Outline forHonor Society Chapter BylawsAll NJHS chapters function under a single national constitution (developed and monitored by the NationalCouncil and as found in the previous chapter), a n do p e rate locally under a set of by l aw s .

B y l aws for local NJHS chapters are designed to imple-ment the constitution. T h ey are written sets of rules for ag ro u p. The by l aws define the limits of authority for theo rganization and give a sense of both order and pur-p o s e . In addition, chapter by l aws should be stated ins i m p l e , d i re c t , and easy-to-understand terms. T h eyshould include only essential items. B y l aws must bestudied regularly and changed to stay vital and mean-i n g f u l .

Article I—Name. Statement of the name of the org a n i z a t i o n .Article II— Purpose. The general purpose of the gro u p.Article III—Authority. Powers vested in the org a n i z a t i o nand the authority of the principal.Article IV—Membership and Obligations. Definition ofmembership for the group and identify obligations for allchapter members (dues, meeting attendance, e t c . ) .Article V—Selection Procedures. Establishment of thet i m e , m e t h o d s , and pro c e d u res for the nomination andselection of members. (Information in this section must beconsistent with the national guidelines, d eveloped by theFaculty Council, and is not subject to member approval asper Article IX, Section 4, of the national constitution.)Article VI—Meetings. F re q u e n cy of meetings and prov i-sions for special sessions.Article VII—Chapter Leadership. The duties andresponsibilities of the org a n i z a t i o n , the officers, a dv i s e r,and members. (Include committees, t o o , if you have any. )Article VIII—Officer Election. P ro c e d u res for election ofo f f i c e r s , re m oval from office, and filling va c a n c i e s .Article IX—Rules of Order. Definition of rules of ord e rand re f e rences for conducting society business (usuallyR o b e r t ’s Rules of Ord e r, Newly Revised) .Article X—Discipline and Dismissal of Members andO ff i c e r s . Domain of the Faculty Council and elaborate onthe local due process based on Article X of the nationalc o n s t i t u t i o n .Article XI—Ratification/Approval. Method and pro c e-d u re for ratification of the by l aw s .Article XII—Amendments. P rovisions for amending theby l aw s .

Sample Bylaws

P rovisions found within this sample have been compiledf rom a variety of by l aws submitted over the years to thenational office. Local chapters should rev i ew their ownn e e d s , p o l i c i e s , and pro c e d u res to amend this model to suittheir local needs. Though by l aws are a constitutional man-date (Article XVI), the verbiage found in this sample is not.All components of local by l aws must conform to the guide-lines and regulations found in the national constitution.

In the sample by l aws below, blanks ( _____ ) andunderlined phrases indicate areas of the by l aws whereindividual chapters must add local information not other-wise mandated by the national office.

A RTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1—The name of this chapter shall be the______________ Chapter of the National Junior HonorSociety of _________________(name of school).Section 2—The purpose of this chapter shall be to create anenthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to re n d e rs e rv i c e , to promote wo r t hy leadership, and citizenship, a n dto encourage the development of character in students of________________________ (name of school).

A RTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1—Membership in this chapter shall be known asactive and honora ry. H o n o ra ry members become gra d u a t emembers at gra d u a t i o n . G raduate and honora ry membersh ave no voice or vote in chapter affairs.Section 2—Membership in this chapter is an honorbestowed upon deserving students by the faculty, and shallbe based on the criteria of scholarship, service, leadership,citizenship, and character.Section 3—E l i g i b i l i t ya . Candidates eligible for election to this chapter must be in the

second semester of sixth grade or grades seven through nine.b. To be eligible for selection to membership in this chapter,

the candidate must have been in attendance for a periodof one semester at __________________ (school name).

c . Candidates eligible for selection to the chapter shall have aminimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (out of 4.0; 85 or “ B ”a realternative minimum standards for schools using either100-point scales or letter grades only). This scholastic lev e lof achievement shall remain fixed, and shall be the re q u i re dminimum level of scholastic achievement for admission toc a n d i d a cy. All students who can rise in scholarship to ora b ove such standard may be admitted to c a n d i d a cy forselection to membership.

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d . Upon meeting the grade lev e l , a t t e n d a n c e , and GPAs t a n d a rd re q u i re m e n t s , candidates shall then bec o n s i d e red based on their serv i c e , l e a d e r s h i p, c i t i-z e n s h i p, and chara c t e r.

A RTICLE III: SELECTION OF MEMBERS

Section 1—The selection of members to this chapter shallbe by a majority vote of the Faculty Council consisting offive faculty members appointed by the principal. T h echapter adviser shall be the sixth, n o nv o t i n g , ex officiomember of the Faculty Council.Section 2—Prior to selection, the following shall occur:a . S t u d e n t s ’ academic re c o rds shall be rev i ewed to deter-

mine scholastic eligibility.b. Students who are eligible scholastically (“candidates”)

shall be notified and asked to complete and submit theStudent Activity Information Form for further consider-ation for selection.

c . The faculty shall be requested to evaluate candidatesdetermined to be scholastically eligible using the offi-cial evaluation form provided by the chapter adv i s e r.

d . The Faculty Council shall rev i ew the Student A c t i v i t yInformation Form and faculty evaluations in order todetermine membership.

Section 3—The selection of new active members shall beheld once a year during the second semester of the schoolye a r. (Alternative or additional selection periods may bea d d e d . )Section 4—Candidates become members when inductedat a special cere m o ny.Section 5—Once selected and inducted, all members areexpected to maintain the standards by which they wereselected and maintain all obligations of membership.Section 6—An active member of the National Ju n i o rHonor Society who transfers from this school will be givena letter indicating the status of his or her membership andsigned by the principal or chapter adv i s e r.Section 7—An active member of the National Ju n i o rHonor Society who transfers to this school will be auto-matically accepted for membership in this chapter. T h eFaculty Council shall grant to the transferring memberone semester to attain the membership re q u i re m e n t sa n d , t h e re a f t e r, this member must maintain thosere q u i rements for this chapter in order to retain his or herm e m b e r s h i p.

Note: The selection process used at the local level mayva ry from the pro c e d u re outlined above; howev e r, s u c hvariations must still conform to the national constitution.

A RTICLE IV: DISCIPLINE AND DISMISSAL

Section 1—A ny member who falls below the standards of scholarship, l e a d e r s h i p, c h a ra c t e r, citizenshipor service maybe considered for dismissal from the _____________________chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. A member ofthe National Junior Honor Society is expected to maintainhis or her academic standing and take an active role ins e rvice and leadership to his or her school and community.Section 2—If a member’s cumulative GPA falls below thes t a n d a rd in effect when he or she was selected (fill in theminimum cumulative GPA for your chapter selection), h eor she will be given a written warning and a time periodfor improv e m e n t . If the cumulative GPA remains belows t a n d a rd at the end of the warning period, the student willbe subject to further disciplinary action by the Fa c u l t yC o u n c i l , which may include consideration of dismissalf rom the chapter.Section 3—If a member fails to perform any of the pub-lished obligations of membership, he or she will be given awritten warning and a time period for improv e m e n t . If theobligation remains unmet at the end of the warning peri-o d , the student will be subject to further disciplinary actionby the Faculty Council, which may include dismissal fro mthe chapter.Section 4—Violation of the law or school regulations canresult in dismissal of a member. These violations include,but are not limited to, stealing; destruction of pro p e r t y ;cheating; truancy; or possession, s e l l i n g , or being underthe influence of drugs or alcohol at school or school-re l a t-ed activities. [Note: This section should reflect the contentof any existing behav i o ral guidelines in place with thechapter or at the school. Input from the local schoola d m i n i s t ration is essential for this prov i s i o n . ]Section 5—Offenders of the school conduct code (such asuse of pro f a n i t y, f a i l u re to comply, unexcused absence,excessive tard i n e s s , etc.) will receive written warning noti-f i c a t i o n . A conference may be requested by either party( Faculty Council, s t u d e n t , or pare n t ) . If the member isi nvolved in another violation of the school conduct code,the member may be considered for dismissal.Section 6—In all cases of pending dismissal:a . The member will receive written notification indicating

the reason for possible dismissal from the adviser orFaculty Council. The member and adviser will discussthe written notification in a confere n c e . Situations thati nvolve flagrant violations of school rules or the lawcan wa r rant disciplinary action without a written wa r n-ing although a hearing must still be held (see below).

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b. The member will be given the opportunity to re s p o n dto the charge against him or her at a hearing beforethe Faculty Council prior to the vote on dismissal. T h eFaculty Council will then vote on whether to dismiss.A majority vote of the Faculty Council is needed todismiss any member.

c . The results of the Faculty Council vote will be rev i ew e dby the principal and then, if confirmed, e x p ressed in aletter sent to the student, p a re n t s , and principal.Dismissed members must surrender any membershipemblems to the adv i s e r.

d . The Faculty Council’s decision may be appealed to thebuilding principal and afterwa rds through the schooldistrict discipline policy.

e . When a student is dismissed or re s i g n s , he or she is nolonger a member and may not be re c o n s i d e red formembership in the National Junior Honor Society.

Section 7—In lieu of dismissal, the Faculty Council mayimpose disciplinary sanctions upon a member as deemeda p p ro p r i a t e .

A RTICLE V: OFFICERS

Section 1—The officers of the chapter shall be pre s i d e n t ,vice pre s i d e n t , s e c re t a ry, and tre a s u re r.Section 2—Student officers shall be elected at the lastmeeting of each school ye a r. All returning active membersa re eligible to run for a position as an officer. All activemembers of the chapter are eligible to vote. [Note: T h etiming of the election of chapter officers is determinedl o c a l l y. ]Section 3—A majority vote shall be necessary to elect anyofficer of this chapter. If the first vote does not yield am a j o r i t y, a second vote shall be taken of the two candi-dates receiving the highest number of votes. [ N o t e :P l u rality can be used to determine the outcome of elec-tions as an alternative to a majority vote.]

The following duties should reflect the re s p o n s i b i l i t i e sd eveloped for officers in the local chapter:Section 4—It shall be the duty of the president to pre s i d eat the meetings for this chapter.Section 5—The vice president shall preside in the absenceof the president and shall also keep a re c o rd of members’contributions to leadership and serv i c e .Section 6—The secre t a ry shall keep the minutes ofmeetings and be responsible for all official chapterc o r re s p o n d e n c e .Section 7— The tre a s u rer shall keep the re c o rd of chaptere x p e n s e s , d u e s , and all other financial transactions of the

c h a p t e r. [Note: If additional or alternative officers or dutiese x i s t , their positions and duties of office should be detailedin this article of the by l aw s . Also consider adding compo-nents that would describe when officers could be re l i ev e dof their duties (suspensions, etc.) in cases not inv o l v i n gdismissal from the chapter. Additional provisions thatspeak to filling vacancies should they occur during the ye a r(for whatever reason) are also adv i s e d . Consult with thes c h o o l ’s student council adviser for local precedents inthese are a s . See also the national handbook’s outline forchapter by l aws that incorporates these topics.]

A RTICLE VI: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1—The executive committee shall consist of thefaculty adviser and the chapter officers.Section 2—The executive committee shall have genera lc h a rge of the meetings and the business of the chapter,but any action by the executive committee is subject to therev i ew of the chapter members.

A RTICLE VII: MEETINGS

Section 1—Meetings of this chapter shall be____________________________ (e.g., m o n t h l y, w e e k l y, e t c . ) .Section 2—This chapter shall conduct its meetings accord-ing to R o b e r t ’s Rules of Order.Section 3—All chapter members are expected to attend allregularly scheduled chapter meetings. [Note: If there is achapter policy on absences, defining excused versus unex-cused absences, it should be inserted into this article.]

A RTICLE VIII: ACTIVITIES

Section 1—The chapter shall determine one or mores e rvice projects for each ye a r.Section 2—All members shall regularly participate inthese pro j e c t s .Section 3— These projects shall have the followingc h a racteristics: fulfill a need within the school or com-munity; have the support of the administration and thefaculty; be appropriate and educationally defensible; andbe well planned, o rg a n i z e d , and executed.Section 4—Each member shall have the re s p o n s i b i l i t yfor choosing and participating in an individual serv i c ep roject that reflects his or her particular talents andi n t e rests and as approved by the chapter adv i s e r. This isin addition to the chapter projects to which all membersc o n t r i b u t e .Section 5—The chapter shall publicize its projects in apositive manner.

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A RTICLE IX: EMBLEM

Section 1—Each member of this chapter who is in goodstanding with re g a rd to the membership standards andmember obligations shall have the privilege of wearing theemblem adopted by the National Junior Honor Society.[Note: The content of this section parallels Article XV, S e c t i o n3 of the national constitution, revised 2005.]Section 2—A ny member who withdraw s , re s i g n s , or is dis-missed from the chapter shall return the emblem to the chap-t e r. [Note: If the members purchased such emblems, the chap-ter is obligated to reimburse the student for said expense.]Section 3—Chapter members who are seniors in goodstanding shall be granted the privilege of wearing thehonor cords or other insignia adopted at the local level atg ra d u a t i o n .

A RTICLE X: DUES

Section 1—Annual dues for this chapter shall be_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .Section 2—Dues will be payable to the chapter tre a s u re rwithin 30 days of induction. [Note: This section is optional.]

A RTICLE XI: POWERS

Section 1—The chapter adviser is given the authority tos u p e rvise the administration of chapter activities, as dele-gated by the school principal.

Section 2—The principal shall re s e rve the right to approv eall activities and decisions of the chapter.Section 3—These by l aws are designed to amplify prov i-sions of the national constitution and cannot contra d i c ta ny components there o f . The chapter is obligated toa d h e re to the provisions of the national constitution in allactivities it undertakes.

A RTICLE XII: AMENDMENTS

Section 1—These by l aws may be amended by a two - t h i rd svote of the chapter, p rovided notice of the pro p o s e damendment has been given to members at least onemonth prior to the vote. The exceptions are Articles III andIV (selection and discipline), which are developed by theFaculty Council with the approval of the principal.Section 2—B y l aws and amendments must be consistentwith the constitution of the National Honor Society.

Additional articles can be added as needed. It is oftenc o nvenient to have the last article dealing with amend-m e n t s . A l s o , be sure to include the following at the end ofyour chapter by l aw s :

Date: (Important to indicate the date of lasta p p roved rev i s i o n s , e . g . , M ay 30, 2 0 0 3 . )S i g n a t u res: Chapter pre s i d e n t , s e c re t a ry, a dv i s e r,and principal (for historical re c o rd )

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Appendix D: Legal Memorandum, Fall 2003Selection, Dismissal, and Discipline: Legal Guidelines

for National Honor Society and Other Selective

Organizations

Grades, competitive school activities, selective course place-ment, and selective honors encourage and reward studentsfor their work and avail them of opportunities in higher edu-cation and employment. However, students, or more oftenthe parents of students, who do not receive the results theydesire will often demand explanations and adjustments.When conflict arises, the first inclination of school officialsmay be to abandon the practice of distinguishing students,or to reduce their standards, but this would be a mistake.Instead, those entrusted with the duty to oversee selectiveactivities must continue to evaluate students and use well-defined procedures and professional practices to place them-selves—and the process—beyond reproach. The NationalHonor Society (NHS) 1 may serve as a model of such proce-dures and practices for not only its own chapters, but forselective student activities in general. This edition of A LegalMemorandum uses NHS to explore the legal issues facingselective student activities.

Membership: Whose Right Is It Anyway?

In the handful of legal challenges to selection decisions byNHS chapters, courts have consistently held that member-ship in NHS and other selective organizations is a privilege,not an entitlement. As such, there has been no recognitionof a property or liberty interest in membership selection thatwould give rise to constitutional due process rights. In Millerv. Goldberg (1981), a New York trial court analogized nonse-lection for NHS to the nonrenewal of a untenured teacher;like the untenured teacher, the nonselected student has only“an abstract need or desire”to be offered membership andnot a legitimate claim.

In Karnstein v. Pewaukee School Board (1983), a U.S.District Court in Wisconsin endorsed this view, noting thatmembership in NHS is an “honor”rather than a legal “enti-tlement”and therefore does not warrant “the requirements ofdue process of law.”This rule is so well established that inDangler v.Yorktown Central Schools (1991), a U.S. DistrictCourt in NewYork not only rejected a student’s challenge tohis nonselection, it sanctioned the plaintiff with a $60,000penalty for bringing a frivolous lawsuit.

Since the NHS selection process does not involve a lib-erty or property intere s t , the due process clauses of theFifth and Fourteenth Amendments do not apply. H o w ev e r,once a student has been inducted, he or she gains a limited

p roperty right to membership; the U.S. Constitutionnotwithstanding, the NHS Handbook entitles NHS mem-bers to due process if they are going to be deprived of theirmembership.

Due process is a very broad concept. At a minimum itre q u i res the individual whose liberty or property is in jeop-a rdy to be provided notice and an opportunity to be heard(Fuentes v. S h ev i n , 1 9 9 4 ) . Returning to the untenured teacheranalogy used by the court in Miller v. G o l d b e rg , as tenure dteachers are entitled to certain due process before dismissal,so too are NHS members. (Also see Wa r ren v. N a t i o n a lAssociation of Secondary School Principals, 1974; and EctorCounty Independent School District v. H o p k i n s , 1 9 7 4 . )

Discriminating Without Prejudice

School officials should remember that selective organizationsare meant to be selective. Schools must avoid using inappro-priate criteria when determining which students should beinvited to join a team, enroll in advanced courses, or beoffered membership into honorary groups. However, schoolsalso should not abandon their duty to differentiate and dis-tinguish students to provide them with appropriate educa-tion and to recognize and encourage student achievements.When standards are reduced to avoid conflict, programs andhonors lose their value. Therefore, appropriate selectivity isessential to any useful selection process.

The Target: Identifying the Criteria

Every decision to select, discipline, or dismiss a student froma selective student activity must be based on the standardsfor membership. The only way that such decisions can be fairis if they are based on clearly defined standards that arepublished and presented to the students. Though subjectivitymay play an important part in the selection, discipline, anddismissal of members, making the selection process asobjective as possible will make the selection process less vul-nerable to criticism.

The NHS Constitution identifies four criteria to be usedin the selection of its members: scholarship, l e a d e r s h i p,c h a ra c t e r, and serv i c e . Each of the four factors natura l l yi nvolves subjective assessments. Thanks to student cumu-lative grade point av e ra g e s , scholarship re q u i res the leastsubjective rev i ew by the Faculty Council; while leadershipand service are more subjective, t h ey can still be quantifiedand considered with relative objectivity. H o w ev e r, c h a ra c-ter judgments are subjective by nature; there f o re , it is notsurprising that most controversies result from issuesi nvolving chara c t e r.

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The Faculty Council may reduce the subjectivity of itscharacter evaluation by relying on documented evaluationsof student performance. Such evaluations may includeschool records, character or conduct ratings on report cards,professional records of individual faculty members, com-ments based on professional evaluations and action, disci-pline actions, and faculty evaluation forms.

How Far Back?

While NHS honors outstanding scholarship, leadership,character and service, it is important to remember that stu-dents are growing and learning—they will make mistakesand are expected to mature. This raises the question of howfar the Faculty Council should look when examining a stu-dent’s past. Courts will likely leave this question to the dis-cretion of the Faculty Council as long as the Council’s deci-sion is applied consistently. However, the NHS Handbookprevents the Faculty Council from reviewing students’ behav-ior prior to high school.2 When making its assessment, theFaculty Council should consider the severity of prior short-comings and evidence of improvement. Most important, theCouncil must apply the same standard to all students.

Beyond the School: Is Good Character Homework?

NHS is meant to honor exceptional students for theirachievements. In doing so, the Faculty Council will oftenconsider achievements—both in and outside of the school—when making selection, discipline, and dismissal decisions.Courts have consistently recognized NHS’s right to considerstudents’ behavior in the community outside of school whenselecting, disciplining, and dismissing members. Whether ornot to consider students’ behavior outside of school is left tothe discretion of the local chapters. If chapters choose toconsider students’ behavior beyond the school walls, thenschools should make it known to both students and parentsthat student behavior in and outside of school will be evalu-ated.

In Farver v. Board of Education (1999), students were sus-pended from participation in school activities, includingNHS, when they were caught attending a weekend partywhere alcohol was being served to minors. The U.S. DistrictCourt in Maryland held that alcohol abuse was of sufficientconcern to school officials, and thus refused to prevent thesuspensions from school activities. There have been severalcases like Farver, dealing with students’ off-campus alcoholconsumption; in each case, the court recognized underagedrinking as an offense reasonably within the scope of NHSpunishment. In Warren v. National Association of Secondary

School Principals (1974), a student was dismissed from NHSafter a Faculty Council member witnessed him drinkingalcohol off campus at a nonschool-related social outing.Though the court ruled for the student, it did so not becausethe offense was not punishable, but because there wereinconsistencies and procedural faults in the Faculty Council’sresponse to underage drinking.

A less-clear legal issue arises when juvenile criminalrecords are used to assess a candidate’s or member’s charac-ter. Because juvenile records are generally confidential, theiruse by the Faculty Council raises interesting concerns. Whilethe legality or illegality of using juvenile records by theFaculty Council is unsettled, because such records are gener-ally confidential it is prudent for principals to refrain fromallowing their use and base decisions on information thatcan be legitimately accessed.

Drug Testing

In an effort to fight drug abuse, some school districts haveinstituted mandatory, suspicionless drug testing for studentsparticipating in student activities. In Board of Education v.Earls (2002), the U.S. Supreme Court found that drug testingof students who participate in student activities does notviolate students’ Fourth Amendment protection from unrea-sonable search and seizure. However, NHS chapters shouldnot implement drug-testing programs independent of schoolpolicies; before establishing a drug-testing program, schoolofficials should engage legal counsel.

Inappropriate Discrimination: Selection Should Not BeBased on Rumor, Racism, Sexism, or Other CapriciousGrounds

Prejudice has no place in the NHS selection process, norshould it be a factor in the selection process of other studentactivities. A student’s race, gender, ethnicity, political persua-sion, socioeconomic background, family, disability, or anyother characteristic unrelated to the criteria for NHS shouldnever prevent a student from obtaining or maintainingmembership. The Faculty Council should also not base itsdecisions on rumor or hearsay. The Faculty Council shouldrely on students’ official school records, information submit-ted by students (generally not school records), and, whenev-er possible, firsthand observations from the faculty.

Free Expression

Where the U.S. Constitution protects students’ expression,schools must not prevent their expression or retaliate againststudents for engaging in free speech. Courts have givenschools enormous leeway with regard to restricting speech in

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order to facilitate order. However, when expression is notdisruptive, it is generally protected; for example, theSupreme Court has decided that the U.S. Constitution pro-tects students who choose not to recite the Pledge ofAllegiance. This protection extends to protect students’par-ticipation in school-sponsored organizations.

The application of First Amendment protections to stu-dent activities was illuminated by the U.S. District Court inNew Haven, CT, in a case regarding a student’s refusal torecite the Pledge of Allegiance. There, the court ordered astudent’s induction into NHS when evidence led the court tobelieve that the student’s nonselection was in retaliation forher refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag (Greenberg, 1997).The case involved a high school senior who refused to recitethe Pledge of Allegiance because she believed that there wasno justice for Black Americans. The Faculty Council respond-ed to claims of retaliation by citing disciplinary issues, butthe court concluded that the limited incidents cited by thecommittee were directly related to the school’s policy ofsending students who refused to recite the pledge to theprincipal’s office. The court cited the student’s exemplaryrecord and school involvement, and noted that prior to hernonselection, neither she nor her parents were everinformed of any problems with her conduct. The court con-cluded that the concerns cited by the committee were pre-textual and that the student’s nonselection was based on herrefusal to recite the pledge.

Plaintiffs, however, do not always find such success. InDangler v.Yorktown, the plaintiff claimed that he was deniedmembership in NHS in retaliation for his father’s outspokencriticism of the school. The court rejected the claim when theplaintiff was unable to provide evidence that the father’scomments were part of the Faculty Council’s considerationafter the Council provided other reasons for his nonselec-tion. Selection, discipline, and dismissal should never beused to suppress students’ constitutional rights or to retaliatefor the exercise of those rights. The best defense against falseclaims of retaliation is to have well-defined procedures andcriteria for selection and to be willing and able to providereasonable, constitutional explanations for nonselection.

Special Education

Students with disabilities may not, and should not, beexcluded from consideration because of their disability; nei-ther must they be given an unfair advantage. When a stu-dent meets NHS standards in every way except that prevent-ed by a disability, they should not be disqualified from con-sideration for honorary membership (Article VIII, Section 3,

of the NHS Constitution). As the NHS Handbook explains,honorary membership is available to students who representthe ideals of NHS but who are disqualified from considera-tion through no fault of their own.

In 1999, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office forCivil Rights (OCR) investigated a parent’s claim that his sonwas denied induction into NHS on the basis of his disability(U.S. Department of Education, 1999). At the start of theselection process, the parent submitted a letter to the FacultyCouncil explaining that his son was being treated for “abnor-malities in the thoracic spine”and, as a result, his activitieswould be limited. After reviewing the student’s activities andteacher surveys, the Faculty Council elected not to offer himmembership. The student was given a letter from the advisercongratulating him on his scholastic accomplishments, butinforming him that he did not meet all of the standards forselection.

In response to inquiries by the father, the principali n t e rv i ewed members of the Faculty Council and re l ayed tothe father the student’s failure to satisfy the leadership ands e rvice re q u i re m e n t s . After further inquiry, the father wa sinformed that his son “ refused to participate in any classd i s c u s s i o n s , would not sit in the circle for seminar discus-s i o n , and would not make any oral pre s e n t a t i o n s .”It wa salso explained that the student was absent from clubmeetings without providing reasons and had listed mem-bership in the Chess Club though he had attended onlyone meeting. The OCR interv i ewed school officials andconcluded that the Faculty Council did not consider thes t u d e n t ’s disability during the selection process and didnot even realize his condition until they received thef a t h e r ’s letter. In addition, the Faculty Council considere dthe student for honora ry membership, but found that hedid not meet the serv i c e , l e a d e r s h i p, and character criteria.The father claimed that his son was unable to meet theNHS criteria because of his disability, but he was unable top rovide OCR with a list of “ re l evant activities that the stu-dent was unable to perform that would satisfy the NHSc r i t e r i a .”T h e re f o re , the OCR concluded that the studentwas not denied membership on the basis of his disability.The OCR did ask the school officials to include a nondis-crimination disclaimer3 in letters to parents to informthem that the process did not involve discrimination.Schools should include the nondiscrimination disclaimerin all letters re g a rding NHS and may consider honora rymembership for students whose disability prevents themf rom satisfying the standards for selection despite the stu-d e n t ’s re p resentation of the virtues advanced by NHS.

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Gender

Throughout the history of NHS, females have generally beenoffered membership in NHS at a higher rate than males. Thissometimes gives rise to parent complaints of gender discrim-ination against boys, but looking at the criteria for selectionshould quickly quiet such claims. The factors that guide theNHS selection process are gender neutral. The difference ineligibility rates may be explained by differences in the paceof adolescent development between boys and girls, by differ-ent social norms and related peer pressure, or by other gen-der differences during adolescence. Schools must avoid con-sidering gender or using gender-biased factors when consid-ering selection, and all students—regardless of gender, race,or ethnicity—should be held to the same standards forscholarship, leadership, character, and service.

Pregnancy

Schools must be especially careful to avoid any inadv e r t e n tgender bias when considering chara c t e r. It has been clearlydecided that while premarital sex may be considered ac h a racter deficiency, schools that choose to consider itshould do so very carefully if at all. P re g n a n cy is the mosteasily accessible evidence of premarital sex, but to usep re g n a n cy as a measure without also making efforts topenalize paternity outside of marriage creates a genderbias against female students. Courts have consistentlyupheld this rule. In A r i z o n a , a U. S. District Court deter-mined that a pregnant female student was not admittedinto NHS because she was pregnant while a male studentwho was an unwed father was admitted. Finding this toviolate Title IX, the court ord e red that the NHS inductionc e re m o ny not take place without the student. The schoolauthorities then canceled the entire induction cere m o ny toavoid admitting her; subsequently, holding that the schoolacted in bad faith, the court ord e red the school to pay thep l a i n t i f f ’s attorney s ’ fees (Schweitzer, 1 9 9 9 ) .

In another case, a high school junior with a GPA wella b ove the locally re q u i red 3.5 was not selected for NHSdue to pre g n a n cy. Finishing her junior year with a 3.9 GPA ,her scholarship in the classro o m , including two A dva n c e dPlacement classes, was exemplary. She was also very activein school and community activities. The student becamep regnant in the fall of 1997. S u b s e q u e n t l y, she and anotherp regnant student whose GPA qualified her for considera-tion were not offered membership in NHS. The studentsb rought a Title IX action against the school district. F i n d i n gthat the students’ nonselection was based on their pre g-n a n cy, the Federal District Court of Kentucky ord e red the

NHS chapter to admit the students on a pre l i m i n a ry basisuntil a final judgment by the court could be made re g a rd-ing selection. H o w ev e r, the parties settled their suit beforea final judgment was made by the court. The court heldthat premarital sex was a legitimate issue of chara c t e r, b u tthat using pre g n a n cy as a proxy when paternity was notc o n s i d e red was a violation of Title IX (Chipman v. G ra n tCounty School Disrict, 1 9 9 8 ) . The NHS Handbook does note n c o u rage chapters to consider pre g n a n cy when eva l u a t i n gc h a ra c t e r, but leaves the question of values to local chap-t e r s . The courts have made it clear that if chapters wish toconsider premarital sex against students’ c h a ra c t e r, t h e nt h e re must be enforcement for males as well as females.

Procedure: It’s The Journey, Not TheDestination That CountsCourts are generally reluctant to intervene in school mat-ters when intervention means second-guessing the eva l u a-tions of professional educators (Schweitzer, 1 9 9 9 ) .H o w ev e r, courts are more likely to intervene when the pro-c e d u re used is challenged. T h e re f o re , the three most impor-tant legal considerations for selective school org a n i z a t i o n sa re pro c e d u re , p ro c e d u re , and pro c e d u re .

As with most selective activities, induction into NHS is ap r i v i l e g e , not a right, and as such does not wa r rant duep ro c e s s . H o w ev e r, students and parents will expect, a n dshould re c e i v e , fair tre a t m e n t . Fair treatment can bea c h i eved through the thoughtful creation and pro f e s s i o n a lexecution of pro c e d u res designed to ensure fairness. O n c ea student becomes a member, the issue of fairness becomesone of constitutional importance; after a student is induct-e d , he or she is entitled to due process should his or hermembership become jeopard i z e d . Both during and after theselection pro c e s s , t ra n s p a re n cy and clarity are central to theintegrity of the pro c e s s . Access to the pro c e d u res allowsp a rents and students to understand the reasons for nonse-lection and helps keep the selection process honest.

The NHS Constitution and NHS Handbook provide cer-tain pro c e d u res for the selection, d i s c i p l i n e , and dismissalof members that must be followed by ev e ry chapter. T h eNHS Handbook also provides guidance re g a rding possibleadditional pro c e d u re s . The principal, a dv i s e r, and Fa c u l t yCouncil should read these materials carefully and conformtheir practices to the NHS Constitution.

Information Forms

A simple but extremely important step that chapters should

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take to prevent complications is a matter of terminology. Theterm “application”can carry with it many complex legalimplications that are inappropriate in the context of NHSmembership. To avoid binding themselves to unnecessaryrestraints, chapters should more accurately identify the infor-mation provided by students being considered by using theterm “information forms.”

Teacher Evaluations

Courts have consistently upheld the professional use ofteacher evaluations in the selection process. A U.S. districtcourt in Arkansas has held that teacher evaluations, includ-ing anonymous evaluations, do not violate the U.S.Constitution (Bull v. Dardanelle, 1990; Price v.Young, 1983).In states where anonymous evaluations pass judicial scrutiny,courts will generally defer to the discretion of school officials.Because anonymous evaluations raise questions about theintegrity of the selection process and may make explainingselection decisions more difficult, the NHS Handbook pro-hibits their use. Moreover, in states such as Texas, by law,evaluations may not be anonymous. The Texas Commissionerof Education ruled in 2002 that because anonymous evalua-tions prevent parents from receiving full information regard-ing their child’s activities—which they are entitled to by theTexas Education Code—such evaluations are in violation ofthe Code and therefore not allowed (Byard v. Clear CreekIndependent School District, 2002).

Information: Revelation BreedsResolution NHS is not a secret society. Its selection process should bepublicized. Under the NHS Constitution, the selectionprocess must be published and available to parents, students,and faculty members. To the greatest extent possible, the cri-teria and process for selection should be printed in the stu-dent handbook. In addition, a description of NHS, its stan-dards, and the selection process should be included in schoolnewsletters, newspapers, or other publications that are avail-able to schools and can reach interested parents and stu-dents. The more informed parents and students are aboutthe expectations, the less surprising the results should be.

Though in many states it is not legally required, fairnessand professionalism requires, and NHS encourages, chaptersto provide students and their parents with reasons for nons-election when requested. By providing students with expla-nations, NHS may facilitate students’ improvement in areaswhere they fail to meet criteria and help to improve theirchances for selection in the future. Disclosure also protects

the integrity of the decision by demonstrating valid reasonsfor nonselection. By responding to requests for explanationby students and their parents, schools can assuage concernsof discrimination and capriciousness. With few exceptions,federal law does not mandate explanation, but many statesdo. For example, both New York and New Jersey have poli-cies that require school officials to provide reasons for stu-dents’nonselection when parents request them. FacultyCouncils and principals should determine what level ofinformation to disclose in accordance with state and locallaws and their chapter bylaws. It can be as simple as tellingthe student and parent which of the four criteria was notmet, or more substantive information may be shared. Hereagain, it is important that their decision be consistentlyapplied.

Writing: If You Write it, Do It; And If YouDo It, Write ItOften courts look to the governing documents of NHS todetermine the responsibilities of the adviser, Faculty Council,and principal. Therefore, when chapters document their pro-cedures they are binding themselves to their own expecta-tions. For example, in Warren v. National Association ofSecondary School Principals (1974), a teacher caught a stu-dent drinking outside of school and led the Faculty Councilto dismiss the student from NHS. However, the FacultyCouncil did not follow the procedures outlined in the NHSConstitution and in their own chapter bylaws. Because ofthis, the court found that the student’s dismissal violated hisright to due process. Thus, schools should be deliberatewhen establishing and changing bylaws, because what iswritten will often bind them.

The binding nature of NHS documents might lead someto consider putting very little of their pro c e d u re in writing.Though writing may at times constrain the chapter, it alsos e rves as one of the chapter’s greatest pro t e c t o r s . Given thatcourts generally avoid questioning the judgment and discre-tion of school officials, the bulk of courts’ rev i ews are con-c e n t rated on whether or not the school followed pro c e-d u re s . Just as courts look to NHS documents for guidanceas to what should have been done when they are not fol-l o w e d , t h ey also may look to the documents as the rule ofl aw that the chapter must follow. In such cases, if the chap-ter follows its own pro c e d u re s , and the pro c e d u res are fun-damentally fair, then the court will not interv e n e . F u r t h e r,h aving clear pro c e d u res may legitimize decisions and av o i dthe actualization or appearance of capricious and arbitrarydecision making.

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Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA),governs the handling of education records. FERPA entitlesstudents and their parents access to most school records andrequires schools to maintain the confidentiality of studentinformation in these records. However, in most cases, NHSrecords—such as teacher evaluations and Faculty Councilnotes—are not, and should not be, education records as con-templated by the federal law. The Department of Education’sOffice for Civil Rights (OCR) has ruled that NHS documentsthat are not made part of the permanent school record arenot covered by FERPA (U.S. Department of Education, 2001).Therefore, the applicability of FERPA will depend on howand where the records are maintained.

Because NHS records generally do not, and should not,become permanent school records, FERPA has limited appli-cation to the retention of NHS records. The U.S. Departmentof Education’s Family Policy Compliance Office has held thatit is not a violation of FERPA to destroy evaluations if thereare no pending requests for review of them at the time ofdestruction. (U.S. Department of Education, 1998). Therefore,so long as state and local laws and policies do not requirethe school to retain such records, school officials may destroyteacher evaluation forms used in the selection process ifthere are no pending requests for the documents. If chapterschoose to do this, they should maintain a record sufficientenough to assist the principal or other authoritative body inany review of the Faculty Council’s decision. This mayinclude a tally of points if a point system is used or a sum-mary of the areas of deficiency that prevented selection. Italso may be worthwhile for schools to put a time frame onappeals. For example, if no appeal is filed within a reason-able time after notice of nonselection, then the school maydestroy documents used in the selection process. Studentsand parents should be informed of such a policy beforeselection decisions are made.

While FERPA does not necessarily protect documentsaccumulated in the selection process, state laws and localschool system policy requiring record retention and disclo-sure vary. For example, Texas law considers NHS records,including evaluations, as education records; therefore, NHSrecords must be retained by the school (Texas Attorney Gen.OR 90-244, 1990). In Texas, parents may even have access tonotes that members of the faculty write to themselves abouta parent or student. In Lett v. Klein (1996), the school systemwas ordered to deliver to a father a teacher’s notes regardingcomplaints concerning his child’s grade. Texas is not thenorm, but principals and Faculty Councils should consult

state law and local policy to determine how to handlerecords.

Due Process For Discipline and Dismissal

The NHS Constitution gives the chapter the power to disci-pline and dismiss members for failing to maintain the stan-dards of conduct required for membership in NHS. Unlikeselection, discipline and dismissal require at least minimaldue process. The NHS Constitution provides members dueprocess by requiring that members receive notice of dis-missal proceedings and an opportunity to be heard prior tothe Faculty Council’s vote on the case in question. Whilemany of the rights associated with criminal or even civil dueprocess do not apply to the discipline or dismissal of mem-bers4, the Faculty Council must exercise basic elements offairness that include: written notice of the reasons for theproposed action; time to prepare an explanation of any miti-gating circumstances; and an opportunity to present thatexplanation to the Faculty Council. Written notice of a finaldecision to dismiss should be sent to the student or his orher parent, and to the principal. After being dismissed, a stu-dent may appeal the decision first to the principal and there-after under the same rules pertaining to any other discipli-nary action used in the school district.

Dismissal from NHS is never automatic. Even if a studentfalls below the criteria for selection, dismissal does not auto-matically follow. The right to a hearing, as outlined in ArticleX, Section 4, of the NHS Constitution, must be applied.Once dismissed, a former member may never be reconsid-ered for admission. It is important to remember, however,that National Junior Honor Society members do not auto-matically become NHS members. Thus, the Faculty Councilmay elect to not select a student despite his or her member-ship in NJHS; in such a case, the student would remain eligi-ble for future admission into NHS.

The adviser should periodically review the standing ofmembers for compliance with NHS standards. Any memberwho falls below the standards should be warned in writingof the nature of the violation and the possible consequencesof nonimprovement. If a student’s behavior is deteriorating,advisers are encouraged to inform students of their concernsand allow them time to improve. However, a single infrac-tion, if serious, may warrant consideration of dismissal with-out providing an opportunity for improvement. The NHSConstitution in no way prevents a chapter from dismissing astudent after a single infraction when the student’s behavioris a gross violation of NHS standards, school rules, or thelaw. To be fair, advisers should make students aware of what

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is expected of them. This is best achieved by discussingexpectations with members and informing members’ par-ents, in writing, of the expectations and obligations placedon members.

For minor offenses, the adviser or Faculty Council maychoose to discipline a member rather than pursue dismissal.Discipline measures may include suspension from NHSactivities or restriction of member privileges. For example,members may be denied the privilege of wearing the NHScord at graduation. Certain NHS benefits may not be deniedto members even if they are not in good standing. For exam-ple, NHS members must be recognized at graduation asmembers of NHS and include NHS membership on applica-tions and résumés. These benefits may only be revoked by amember’s dismissal or the member’s resignation.

References

Board of Educ. of Indep. Sch. Dist. No. 92 ofPottowatomie County et al. v. Earls et al., No. 01-332(June 27, 2002).

Bull v. Dardanelle Public Sch. Dist. #15, 745 F. Supp. 155(E.D. Ark. 1990).

Byard v. Clear Creek Indep. Sch. Dist., Comm’r Dec. No.020-R5-1001 (June 2002).

Chipman v. Grant County Sch. Dist., 30 F. Supp. 2d 975(E.D. Kentucky 1998).

Dangler v.Yorktown Central Schools, 771 F. Supp. 625(S.D.N.Y. 1991).

Ector County Independent School District v. Hopkins, 518S.W. 2d 576 (Tex. Civ. App. 1974).

Farver v. Board of Education, 40 F. Supp. 2d 323,323 (D.Md. 1999).

Fuentes v. Shevin, (407 U.S. 67. 1994). Greenberg, B. Judge Rules on Flag Pledge, Associated

Press, May 28, 1997. Karnstein v. Pewaukee School Board, 557 F. Supp. 565

(E.D. Wis. 1983). Lett v. Klein Indep. Sch. Dist., 917 S.W.2d 455.

Miller v. Goldberg, 436 N.Y.S. 2d 828 at 577 (N.Y. Sup. Ct.1981).

Price v.Young, 580 F. Supp. 1 at 2 (E.D. Ark. 1983). Schweitzer, Thomas A.“A”Students Go To Court: Is

Membership In The National Honor Society A CognizableLegal Right?, 50 Syracuse Law Rev. 63 at 69 (May 1999)citing Cazares v. Barber, No. CIV-90-0128-TUC-ACM, slipop. (D. Ariz. May 31, 1990); See also Chipman v. GrantCounty Sch. Dist., 30 F. Supp. 2d 975 (E.D. Kentucky1998); Pfeifer v. School Bd., 917 F.2d 779 (3d Cir. 1990);and Wort v. S.D. of Brown County (Case about pregnan-cy).

U.S. Department of Education, Letter regardingComplaint #04-01-1034, March 27, 2001.

U.S. Department of Education, Letter to Coleman, FamilyPolicy Compliance Office, August 7, 1998.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights,Hopewell (VA) Pub. Schs., 32 IDELR 210 (1999).

Warren v. National Assoc. of Secondary Sch. Principals,375 F. Supp. 1043 (N.D. Tex 1974).

Endnotes1National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) guidelines parallelthose of NHS. For simplicity, this memo references onlyNHS.

2For NJHS, review is limited to the years during which thestudent was a middle school student.

3Sample nondiscrimination disclaimer: NHS maintains poli-cies and practices that are designed to prevent discriomina-tion against any qualified candidate on the basis of race,color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, and disability.This policy of nondiscrimination applies to all practices,including the selection, discipline, and dismissal of mem-bers.

4For example, students do not have the right to cross-exam-ine witnesses or to a public hearing.

© 2003 NASSP

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Appendix E: Model Selection Process Description for Student HandbooksThe national constitution (Article IX, Section 4) indicates that,“A description of the selection pro c e d u re shall be published in an official school publication that is widely available in a timely fashion to all students and parents ofthe school.” This re q u i rement is widely known and can be the cause of unwanted attention if your chapter is not adher-ing to this guideline. To assist in preparing an effective piece for your handbook, first check to see that your selectionp rocess guidelines conform to the national standard s . Once confirmed, use the guidelines to pre p a re an informativepiece for your handbook. The following model is offered for your conv e n i e n c e :

The National Junior Honor Society chapter of (insert school name) is a duly chartered and affiliated chapter of this prestigious nat i o n a l

o r g a n i z at i o n . Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in five areas of evaluat i o n : s c h o l a r s h i p , l e a d e r s h i p ,

s e rv i c e , c i t i z e n s h i p , and character. Standards for selection are established by the national office of NJHS and have been revised to meet

our local chapter needs. Students are selected to be members by a 5-member Faculty Council, appointed by the principal, which bestow s

this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school each (insert month/months).

Student in the second semester of sixth grade or grades seven through nine are eligible for membership. [ N o t e : Eligibility can be altered

according to your local guidelines, thus limiting the year or years of eligibility. See the chapter on selection for cl a r i f i c ation.] For the

scholarship criterion, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale (see previous Note). Those students who meet

this criterion are invited to complete a Student Activity Information Form that provides the Faculty Council with information regarding the

c a n d i d at e ’s leadership and serv i c e . A history of leadership experiences and participation in school or community service is also required.

[ N o t e : Schools with specific minimal requirements for leadership or serv i c e , e . g . , “ p a r t i c i p ation in at least two student activity organiza-

tions each year” or “10 hours of documented community serv i c e ,” should include such specific requirements based on the rubrics used

by the selection committee in reaching their decisions.]

To evaluate a candidate’s character, the Faculty Council uses two forms of input. First, school disciplinary records are reviewed.

Second, members of the faculty are solicited for input regarding their professional reflections on a candidate’s service activities, char-

acter, citizenship, and leadership. [Note: These evaluations from the faculty are not required and are options for chapters at the local

level.] These forms and the Student Activity Information Forms are carefully reviewed by the Faculty Council to determine membership.

A majority vote of the Council is necessary for selection. Candidates are notified regarding selection or nonselection according to a pre-

determined schedule.

Fo l l owing notificat i o n , a formal induction ceremony is held at the school to recognize all the newly selected members. Once induct-

e d , new members are required to maintain the same level of performance (or better) in all five criteria that led to their selection.

This obligation includes regular attendance at chapter meetings held (insert durat i o n , e . g . , “monthly”) during the school year, a n d

p a r t i c i p ation in the chapter service projects(s). [Insert additional member obligations here if they exist for your chap t e r.] Students or

parents who have questions regarding the selection process or membership obligations can contact the chapter adviser, ( i n s e r t

adviser name here), in Room (insert room number) or by phone at (insert school phone number).

Please rev i ew your established pro c e d u res carefully and see that the descriptions you provide are accura t e .You aree n c o u raged to seek the rev i ew of your principal prior to submitting this description for publication. By taking thetime to elaborate on your selection process and to provide a general ov e rv i ew of your pro c e d u re s , you not only liveup to the expectations of the national constitution, but also send a strong and complete message to all about thevalue of NJHS on your campus.

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Appendix F: Sample Student Activity Information FormNJHS Selection Procedures

(NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN APPLICATION FORM. We encourage local chapters to use this as a template, adding relevant compo-nents to reflect their local selection guidelines.)

(Insert Chapter Name) Chapter of the National Junior Honor SocietyDirections: Please complete all sections. Type or print all information and submit it by the published deadline. Do not be modest.Every bit of information will be used by the Faculty Council to assist with the fair consideration of your candidacy during theselection process.

Completion and submission of this form does not guarantee selection. Should you have questions about this form, please contact(fill in the appropriate contact information).

I. Administrative Information

Name Current grade level:

Other information as re q u i red by the local chapter, e . g . h o m e room number/teacher, c u r rent grade lev e l , student identificationn u m b e r, e t c .

II. Leadership Positions—List all elected or appointed leadership positions or other positions of responsibility held ins c h o o l , c o m m u n i t y, or work activities. Only those positions in which you were responsible for directing or motiva t i n gothers should be included (e.g., elected officer for the student body, c l a s s , or club; committee chairperson; team captain;n ewspaper editor; work area manager; or other community leader). Please include the name of the adult responsible fors u p e rvising your leadership in each position.

*Include grade 6 here and below only if included in the grades found at your school. If sixth grade is part of an elemen-t a ry s c h o o l , activities from that year should not be considered for the NJHS selection pro c e s s . S i m i l a r l y, if grade nine islocated in the high school, do not include activities from grade nine on your form.

Ye a r Leadership Position A c t i v i t y / O r g a n i z a t i o n Supervising Adult

6 *

7

8

9

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IV. Service Activities — List service activities in which you have participated. These can be individual or group service proj-ects done either in or out of school [unless your Faculty Council specifically limits service to school activities only]. Generally,service activities are those that are done for or on behalf of others (not including immediate family members) for which nocompensation (monetary or otherwise) has been given. Please ask an adult supervisor who can verify your participation ineach activity to sign on the appropriate line, and also list the estimated number of hours you invested while performing thisservice. [Note: If a minimum number of hours or minimum number of projects is required for selection, please identify thatinformation in this paragraph.]

IV. Other Student Activities—List all other school-based activities (not noted above) in which you have participated inschool. Include clubs, teams, musical groups, etc., and any significant accomplishments in each.

V. Other Community Activities—List other community activities in which you have participated and note any majoraccomplishment in each.These should be any activities outside of school in which you participated for the betterment of yourcommunity (e.g., religious groups, clubs sponsored outside the school, Boy or Girl Scouts, community art endeavors, etc.). Donot repeat participation already listed above. Please include the name of the adult supervisor of each activity.

Ye a r A c t i v i t y Hours of Service Supervising Adult

6 *

7

8

9

Ye a r A c t i v i t y A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s

6 *

7

8

9

Ye a r Community Activity H o u r s A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s Supervising Adult

6 *

7

8

9

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VI. Work Experience, Recognition, and Awards—Though not a specific criterion for membership, please list below any jobexperiences, honors, or recognition that you have received that support your candidacy for membership in the Honor Society.

VII. Signatures

I understand that completing and submitting this form does not guarantee selection to the Honor Society. I attest that theinformation presented here is complete and accurate. If selected, I agree to abide by the standards and guidelines of thechapter and to fulfill all of my membership obligations to the best of my ability.

Student Signature Date

I have read the information provided by my son/daughter on this form and can verify that it is true, accurate, and complete.

Parent Signature Date

Parent phone number(s)

We request this so that we can notify you regarding important details.Return completed form to (insert specific individual/ location to which forms are be re t u r n e d).

Note: Include the school address and phone number along with instructions on how questions about this form ormembership in general can be answered by Honor Society staff/advisers.

Ye a r Job, Recognition, or Aw a r d Group or Activity Hours Spent on Job or Activity (if applicable) Supervising Adult

6 *

7

8

9

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Appendix G: Sample Faculty Evaluation FormNJHS Selection for (insert year or semester/year)

The following students have been identified as candidates for selection to our chapter of the National Junior Honor Society.Candidacy begins by meeting our Scholarship criterion of (insert cumulative GPA criterion) which has been met by these students.Each candidate will submit to the Faculty Council a student information sheet, but additional information is being requested fromthe entire staff to assist in this important selection process. Every staff member is being asked to review, sign, and return this form.

Please carefully rev i ew the list of candidates. For each of the four criteria, please use the rating scale provided (1 to 4, w h e re 1 =l o w / p o o r, 2 = below av e ra g e , 3 = good, and 4 = high/outstanding) to evaluate any student with whom you have had professional intera c-tion (i.e., as a teacher, a dv i s e r, c o a c h , e t c . ) . Should your rating be poor or below av e rage for any candidate (either a score of 1 or 2), it isn e c e s s a ry for you to provide an additional comment that speaks to the professional rationale for this low rating or examples of the poorperformance which led to the ra t i n g . Please consider these ratings as seriously as you would any grade entered into your grade book.

Please sign the bottom of the form. In the event you have had no professional interaction with any of these students, please attest tothat fact by checking the box at the bottom, signing the form, and returning it.

All forms should be returned to the chapter adv i s e r, (insert adviser name), by (insert deadline).Your cooperation in this importantselection process is greatly appre c i a t e d .

____ I certify that my ratings and comments are sound and based on professional interaction with the candidates.____ I certify that I have had no professional interaction with the above-named candidates or choose not to participate in the

evaluation process for this year.

Signature Date

C a n d i d a t e ’s Name Leadership Service Character Citizenship Comments (use the back for additonal notes)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

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Appendix H: Sample Letters of Selection and Nonselection

Sample Letter to Students Selected for Membership

[Use official chapter or school stationery that contains the school phone number.]

Dear (insert name):Congratulations! You have been selected for membership in the (insert school name or chapter name) Chapter of theNational Junior Honor Society.Your selection was based upon careful consideration of your scholarship, leadership, service,citizenship, and character by our Faculty Council.

We would like to have you as our guest at a formal induction ceremony at (place) on (date) at (time). Additional informationwill be provided to all confirmed participants at a later date.

Please return the attached form to the chapter adviser, (insert name), no later than (insert date). If you have any questions,please call (insert name) at the school.

Sincerely,(chapter president signature)President, National JuniorHonor Society

Sample Response Form for Selected Members:

Please complete this form and return it to the adviser, (insert name), by (insert submission deadline).____ Yes, I plan to attend the National Junior Honor Society induction ceremony on (insert date) at (time).____ Yes, I would like to become a member, but I cannot attend due to a previous engagement. (If you check this box,

please contact the chapter adviser immediately for additional information.)____ No, I will not attend and I do not wish to accept membership at this time.

Student Name Student Signature Date

Parent Name Parent Signature Date

Sample Invitation to Parents

The Principal and Facultyof(school name)are pleased to announce the selection of(student’s name)for membership in the (name of chapter) Chapter of theNational Junior Honor Society.You are cordially invited to attend theinduction ceremony to be held at (location)on (date) at (time).A reception for new members and their parents will follow the ceremony.

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Sample Letter to New Members Regarding the Responsibilities and Obligations ofMembership

Dear New Inductee:

Congratulations! Membership in the National Junior Honor Society is one of the highest honors that can be awarded to astudent. Our chapter of NJHS has worked hard to bring the accomplishments of outstanding students to the attention ofparents, teachers, peers, and the community. Our chapter, along with the more than 6,000 chapters in schools across thenation, strive to give practical meaning to the Society’s standards of scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship, and charac-ter. These five ideals have been considered as the basis for your selection. No student is inducted simply because of a highacademic average. The National Junior Honor Society strives to recognize the total student—one who excels in all of theseareas. The standards used for your selection were:

Scholarship—(insert local GPA) cumulative average

Leadership, service, citizenship, and character—as demonstrated by activities and teacher evaluations.

Membership, however, is more than an honor. It incurs a responsibility and an obligation to demonstrate those outstandingqualities that resulted in your selection.Your membership also carries a responsibility to the chapter. If our chapter to theNational Junior Honor Society is to be effective and meaningful, each member must become involved. A list of chapter obli-gations will be provided to you at the first chapter meeting. We challenge you to live up to your obligations by participatingin all of our chapter meetings and projects.

We look forward to your continued success.

Sincerely,

(Principal’s signature)Principal

(Adviser’s signature)Chapter Adviser

(Chapter president’s signature)Chapter President

Note: It is recommended that a list of all local chapter member responsibilities and obligations be shared annually with members andtheir parents as well as being available for all candidates to review prior to accepting membership.

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Sample Letter to Nonselected Students and/or Parents

Dear [First name],On behalf of the Faculty Council of our National Junior Honor Socitey chapter, I am writing to inform you that after carefulconsideration, the Faculty Council has voted to not select you for membership at this time. This decision was made carefullyand came only after a thorough review of your candidacy by the Council. As you know, a candidate must receive a majorityvote from the Council for selection. A careful review of your records did not result in that necessary vote.

Although, you were initially eligible as a candidate, as a result of your excellent cumulative GPA, the Faculty Council foundyour efforts in* the area(s) of [identify one or more of the remaining criteria as annotated in the list of nonselected students that containsthe criterion(a) that each nonselected student did not meet.] to be below our chapter selection standards.

We understand that this is disappointing news for you. However, we commend you on your successful efforts so far, in par-ticular your academic accomplishments, and encourage you to continue your hard work in hopes that rewards and recogni-tion will continue to come your way in the future.

Should you or your parents have any questions or concerns about this nonselection decision, please feel free to contact me withinthe next two weeks [or other appropriate and reasonable timeframe] at [contact information.]

S i n c e rely yo u r s ,

[ A dviser signature ][ A dviser name/typed]cc: Chapter files

Pa rents of [student name]

*Alternative phrasing: “one or more of the remaining selection criteria”[if the chapter cares not to identify the specificcriteria in which the candidate was found lacking].

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Appendix I: Logos (camera-ready)

The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is proudly sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals(NASSP). To protect the NJHS emblem, it is registered with the U.S. Patent Office. This registration, or trademark, prohibitsexploitation by persons or companies attempting to use, manufacture, or distribute the emblem without special authorizationfrom NASSP. All rights to the trademarks and service marks as well as other intellectual property and copyrights relating toNJHS are reserved by NASSP.

Please refer to “Official Insignia” in chapter 6 logo usage information.

APPENDICES

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Appendix J: Project Report Form

The national office is interested in the many and varied projects undertaken by chapters across the nation. Use the form belowto submit a description of your best project(s) at any time during the school ye a r. Submissions can be used in publications, a tc o n f e re n c e s , and in developing general information about NJHS activities for members. Feel free to copy this form in order tosubmit multiple ideas.

Project category (check one):

■ C h a racter building ■ F u n d raising ■ Leadership development ■ S e rvice ■ Spirit building ■ Other: _________

Please print or type the following information:

Name of project:

Brief description (include the goals, implementation, and results):

Photos (black and white or color prints, s l i d e s , or digital images) may be sent in with this sheet or e-mailed separately ton h s @ n h s . u s . Please put identifying information for the photos on a separate sheet—do not write on the photos!

Your name Your title

School name

School address

C i t y S t a t e Z i p

Phone number E - m a i l Fa x

You can mail this form to NHS and NJHS, 1904 Association Drive, R e s t o n ,VA 20191-1537, fax it to 703-476-5432, or e-mail the content to n h s @ n h s . u s .

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Appendix K: Sample Dismissal Hearing Notification Letter

Dear [s t u d e n t ’s first name]

This is to notify you and your parents that you have fallen below the standards for identify the criterion or criteria in which the student has fallen below standard as set forth in the constitution of NJHS, Article V I I I , Section 1, and Article X, Section 2.[If additional charges are being brought against the student, e . g . , violating school rules or codes of conduct, they should also be listed in this para g ra p h .]

[S p e c i f i c a l l y, outline the nature of the charges re f e renced in the first para g ra p h . This should be sufficient to indicate to the readers that thereis professional substantiation for the charges being brought against the student, e . g . , re f e rence to disciplinary actions by the school, re p o r t sprovided by teachers, e t c.]

The nature of your conduct wa r rants consideration for dismissal from the National Junior Honor Society. As stated in Article X,Section 4, of the national constitution, a written notification and hearing are called for and must be conducted by the Fa c u l t yC o u n c i l . F u r t h e r m o re , the NJHS handbook states that, “in the case of a flagrant violation of school rules or the law, a warning isnot re q u i red for dismissal, but a hearing will still be held. The hearing is identified in the constitution as a right of membership, i sg u a ranteed as due process as identified by the 14th Amendment of the U. S. C o n s t i t u t i o n , and re q u i res the chapter to notify themember of the action being contemplated, the reasons for the action, the date and time of the hearing, and the opportunity forthe member to respond either in writing or ora l l y.”

Your hearing will be conducted [day and date] at [insert time] in [location of the meeting] . A pare n t / g u a rdian may be present withyo u , but the primary focus of the hearing is to allow you to present your case before the Faculty Council.

If you wish to explain your case in writing, you should present the written statement by [deadline date to chapter adviser and placew h e re statement] should be submitted. The letter will be considered in lieu of the face-to-face hearing and will fulfill the chapter’sobligation outlined in Article X, Section 4.

F i n a l l y, you and your parents are requested to sign below to signify you have rev i ewed the contents of this letter, and return it tothe NJHS adviser by [insert date] . If you have questions re g a rding the contents of this notification letter, please consult with thechapter adviser immediately.

S i n c e re l y,[Adviser name or, as an alternative, the principal’s name]

Please sign below and return to the chapter adv i s e r.We have rev i ewed and understand the content of this notification.

Student Signature Student Name Date

Parent Signature Parent Name Date

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Sample Notification of Dismissal Letter

Dear [student’s first name]

After careful rev i ew of the facts involved in your case, and taking into consideration the content of the information provided byyou at the recent hearing, the Faculty Council of the [insert chapter or school name] chapter of NJHS re g rets to inform you that yo ua re being dismissed from the chapter at this time.

As a consequence of this decision, please return your membership card , c e r t i f i c a t e , and member pin [or relevant insignia items] tothe chapter adviser within the next two weeks. In addition, we must inform you that members who are dismissed are never againallowed to become members of the National Junior Honor Society nor make claims to membership in the future .

Should you wish to appeal this decision of the Faculty Council, you can do so by contacting the school principal within the nextt wo weeks [or alternative time limit established to be fair and appropriate by local school personnel] to set up an appointment to dis-cuss your position.

S i n c e rely yo u r s ,

[Adviser signature][Adviser name]

cc: P r i n c i p a lChapter files

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Appendix L: F requently AskedQ u e s t i o n sEach FAQ answer includes a re f e rence at the end to additionalinformation on the topic at hand. Readers are warned not totake re s p o n s e s , or portions there o f , out of context and to rev i ewthe additional information re f e renced prior to rendering anopinion or raising a concern re g a rding local chapter policies.

1. How does a school establish a chapter of the

National Junior Honor Society?

A ny secondary school, public or priva t e , that is accredited byits state department of education or by an accrediting agencya p p roved by the National Council may apply to the nationaloffice for a charter. After the submission of a completed appli-cation form and payment of the chartering fee, and if thecharter is gra n t e d , the new chapter is placed in the database ofofficial chapters of the Society. The chapter is then expected tofollow the national constitution, formulate its own by l aw s ,submit an annual re p o r t , and maintain annual affiliation withthe national office. (See Chapter 3, Establishing a Chapter)

2. What is the basis of NJHS membership?

Membership is open to second semester sixth graders andstudents in grades 7 through 9 who have attended theschool for the equivalent of one semester (or as accepted bythe local Faculty Council per powers granted in Article IX,Section 1) and who have a cumulative GPA of 85%, B, 3 . 0(on a 4.0 scale), or the equivalent standard of excellence.Individual schools may re q u i re a higher cumulative GPAand also designate the eligible grade levels of members.Students who meet the attendance and scholastic re q u i re-ments are then evaluated by the Faculty Council on thebasis of leadership, s e rv i c e , and chara c t e r. Once selectedand inducted, members must maintain these standard s .(See Chapter 4.)

3. W h e re is the national office of NJHS?

The national office is located at the NASSP nationalh e a d q u a r t e r s , 1904 Association Dr. , R e s t o n , VA 20191-1537; Phone: 703-860-0200; Fax: 703-476-5432; E-mail:[email protected]; Web site: w w w. n j h s . u s . All NJHS corre s p o n-dence should be sent via one of these contacts.

4. What can the national office do for chapters and

state organizations?

The national office is responsible for providing all NJHSm a t e r i a l s , including Leadership for Student Activities m a g a-z i n e , The Leadership Store (the official insignia catalog), a n d

the annual report form. It also helps state associationsa r range conferences and wo r k s h o p s . The national officealso administers the NHS and NJHS national confere n c ethat includes the NHS Scholars’ B o w lTM c o m p e t i t i o n . T h enational office collects and studies the annual re p o r t s ,answers questions about the Society’s opera t i o n , and pro-vides assistance to chapters. Publications on issues re l a t e dto NJHS and student activities are provided to chapters bythe national office along with regular updates as theyappear in Leadership for Student Activities magazine and onthe Web site, w w w. n j h s . u s . (See the appendices.)

5. Who is the final authority on chapter affairs such

as selection, projects, disciplinary action, etc.?

On a day - t o - d ay basis, the adviser is responsible for theo p e ration of the chapter. If there is a question that must beresolved at the local school lev e l , the principal will serve asthe arbiter. H o w ev e r, as stated in Article V, Section 1, of thec o n s t i t u t i o n , the principal has the right to approve all activ-ities and decisions of the chapter and has the final say insuch matters, except where a dismissal case has beenappealed beyond the principal’s office through normalschool pro c e d u re s . (See Chapter 3, Pe r s o n n e l . )

6. Who is the national secretary of NJHS?

The NASSP director of student activities is the nationals e c re t a ry of NJHS.

7. A re sixth graders eligible for membership in NJHS?

Students who have completed the first semester of theirsixth grade year may be considered as candidates for mem-bership in an NJHS chapter. The decision re g a rding theirinclusion in the candidacy pool is left to the local Fa c u l t yCouncil which determines when students in a given schoolbecome eligible for membership. C a n d i d a cy is also open toall students in the sev e n t h , e i g h t h , and ninth grades in amiddle level school unit. Note: This change, to include sec-ond semester sixth gra d e r s , was added to the national con-stitution by vote of the NJHS & NHS National Council,effective June 1, 1 9 9 7 .

8. How can chapters learn what other chapters

a re doing?

The national confere n c e , state confere n c e s , and LEADc o n f e rences provide good opportunities for sharing ideasand netwo r k i n g . A l s o , regular columns of NJHS news andQ&As appear in Leadership for Student Activities m a g a-z i n e . Chapters also share ideas on the message board s

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and the section of the Web site, w w w. n j h s . u s , d evoted tosharing ideas.

9. If a student was a member of NJHS, is that

individual automatically eligible for NHS?

N o . NJHS and NHS are separate Honor Societies, both atthe local and national lev e l . Members of NJHS must beselected for membership in NHS in the same manner asall other candidates at the school. S i m i l a r l y, d i s c i p l i n a ryactions taken against an NJHS member should not affectthat student’s candidacy for NHS membership. ( S e eChapter 3, M e m b e r s h i p. )

10. What explanation is owed to nonselected

s t u d e n t s ?

Each chapter determines the appropriate method of noti-fying candidates who do not meet the chapter’s standard sfor selection. The student can be sent a written note say-ing he or she was not selected and no further explanationis generally re q u i re d . On the other hand, nothing pre-vents a local chapter from discussing the circ u m s t a n c e sthat led to a candidate’s nonselection. Students who arenot selected for membership should be informed as towhom they can contact if they have questions re g a rd i n gthe decision. Local chapters should check with local andstate authorities to determine if other re q u i rements existthat would dictate steps that must be taken by theirchapter in this re g a rd .

T h e re is no right to membership, it is a privilegebestowed upon a student by the faculty of the school.H o w ev e r, some may disagree with the decision of theFaculty Council and need to have the selection pro c e d u ree x p l a i n e d . Chapter advisers are encouraged to becomefamiliar with the sections of the handbook that deal withthe selection process and the nonselection issues. ( S e eChapter 4 and appendices.)

11. Can quotas or percentages be used to limit

chapter size?

N o . As stated in the handbook, quotas or percentages maynot be set to limit membership or chapter size. If it is deter-mined that the size of the chapter is unwo r k a b l e , then thecumulative GPA or other standards can be ra i s e d . ( S e eChapter 4.)

1 2 . Does a chapter have to have its own set of

b y l a w s ?

Ye s . Article XVII of the constitution re q u i res written by l aw s

for each local chapter. Written by l aws help individualsunderstand what is expected of them and help avoid pro b-lems and misunderstandings. All chapter by l aws areexpected to conform to the national constitution. If yo uh ave a question about your by l aw s , submit them to thenational office for rev i ew. (See Chapter 3.)

13. Can grades earned in AP or Intern a t i o n a l

B a c c a l a u reate classes be weighted when

calculating the cumulative GPA ?

Weighted grades are permitted only when they are figure din to the method of calculating the cumulative GPA by thes c h o o l . If weighting is used, this should be specifically re f-e renced in the local selection pro c e d u re guidelines asre q u i red by Article IX, Section 4 of the constitution. L o c a lchapters should take steps to ensure that the grades for allcandidates are considered carefully and in a fair manner. I tis generally recommended that the GPA , as calculated forofficial school purposes such as report cards and tra n-s c r i p t s , be used to determine scholastic eligibility for candi-d a cy. (See Chapter 4.)

14. How do I obtain membership pins and other

items to support and motivate the members of

our chapter?

Each chapter is sent annually Th e Leadership Store catalog ofp roducts and serv i c e s . An updated version can be found onthe Web site, w w w. n j h s . u s . O rders are placed with the saleso f f i c e . For all ord e r s , schools must provide the school affili-ation number. Only advisers and principals may placeo rders for NJHS insignia items for the chapter. ( S e eChapters 4 and 9.)

15. How can we start a state association for NJHS?

Guidelines for starting a state association can be found in the appendices as well as on the NJHS Web site. L o c a lchapters can join together to assure each other of theirintent and then notify the national office. The state gro u pshould seek approval from the state principals association(contacts can be provided by the national office) prior toformally establishing an association. Once approv e d , t h en ew state Honor Society organization should proceed withd eveloping by l aws that identify the purposes, a d m i n i s t ra-tive structure , and functions of the new org a n i z a t i o n . Wi t hthese elements in place, m e e t i n g s , wo r k s h o p s , and confer-ences can be set up to meet the needs of the state mem-b e r s . (See appendices.)

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16. How do we dismiss a member from the chapter?

B e f o re proceeding with any dismissal, a dvisers shouldrev i ew Article X of the national constitution and the seg-ments of the handbook that refer to dismissal. A p p ro p r i a t enotice must be provided and a hearing must be scheduledfor the member to present his or her case prior to the voteof the Faculty Council. Once the member is given noticeand the opportunity to respond to the charg e s , the Fa c u l t yCouncil may vote to dismiss a member. (See Chapter 7.)

17. Do I have to provide a copy of our local

selection process to a student or parent who

requests this information?

Ye s . All chapters must have their selection process pub-lished and available for rev i ew. NJHS is not a secret org a n i-zation and the constitution speaks clearly about makingthis information available in a timely fashion. It is re c o m-mended that schools include this information in the stu-dent handbook and that they also have separate sheetsc o nv eying all re l evant information about the selectionp ro c e s s , and that these be kept on hand in the school officeto field such requests in a timely manner. (See Chapter 4)

18. Can an NJHS chapter be set up in a high school

with grades 9–12?

N o . The constitution does not allow for this circ u m s t a n c e(see Article IV and Chapter 3). Only in mixed-level schools( K – 1 2 , 6 – 1 2 , etc.) can two chapters coexist on one campus.Because the constitution indicates that ninth graders can-not be members of NHS, students coming from a middlel evel school (6–8) with an NJHS chapter will have one ye a rwhen they will not be active in NHS or NJHS . In the opin-ion of the National Council, ninth graders need to focus onmaking a smooth transition from the middle level to highs c h o o l , establishing a firm academic foundation and“learning the ro p e s ,”and should not be encumbered withthe pre s s u res of selection pro c e d u re s . This is a time, h o w-ev e r, to orient the ninth graders to the criteria for member-ship in NHS and encourage their involvement in activitiesthat would assist their attaining membership once theyreach the appropriate gra d e . (See Chapter 3.)

19. Can faculty evaluations be used in the selection

p ro c e s s ?

Ye s . The handbook provides some commentary on theiru s e . Under no circumstances should these evaluations bec o n s i d e red a vote of the faculty. In addition, faculty mem-bers should sign all evaluations submitted and base their

evaluations on sound professional judgments of the candi-d a t e s . These evaluations serve to supplement the StudentActivity Information Forms and to assist the Fa c u l t yCouncil in making the best decisions re g a rding member-s h i p. (See Chapter 4.)

20. How can NJHS members obtain leadership

t r a i n i n g ?

At least two main opportunities exist. Students and adv i s-ers can register to attend the NHS and NJHS national con-f e rence held each fall or the LEAD conferences in thespring where specific leadership training takes place. S o m estate associations also provide conferences and wo r k s h o p sfor training student leaders.

21. Must all chapters perform service?

Ye s . Article XIV of the national constitution mandates serv-ice projects as one of the main chapter activities each ye a r.In addition, members must participate in individual serv i c ep rojects to continue to maintain their service criterion.Since its beginning, NJHS has supported the participationin service projects as a way for students to learn the va l u eof serv i c e , p rovide needed re s o u rces for the school or com-m u n i t y, help the school maintain a positive image in thec o m m u n i t y, and to re i n f o rce the curriculum thro u g hi nv o l v e m e n t . (See Chapter 6.)

22. What are the basic necessities of any

NJHS chapter?

See chapter 3 for an article that covers this concern.

23. W h e re can chapter advisers obtain training?

All activity advisers should receive professional dev e l o p-ment training in all of their areas of assigned re s p o n s i b i l i t y.To support this position, the national office makes a va r i e t yof experiences ava i l a b l e . A dvisers can attend the NHS andNJHS national confere n c e , LEAD confere n c e s , or state con-f e rences for special adviser training each ye a r. M a ny localschool districts provide annual training sessions for adv i s e r sin the schools within their district as well. For those adv i s e r sunable to attend these meetings, re s o u rces are also found inthe publications section of the national catalog and on theWeb site. S i m i l a r l y, information on all professional dev e l o p-ment opportunities provided by the national office is pre-sented in the annual A dviser Updates, in Leadership forStudent Activities m a g a z i n e , and in the A dviser Zone foundon the NJHS Web site, w w w. n j h s . u s .

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24. What steps should a chapter take if it is going

to be disbanded due to school consolidation or

for some other re a s o n ?

The membership department of the national office shouldbe notified of this situation. See contact information at theend of this section.

25. How do I get more information or assistance at

the local, state, or national level regarding poli-

cies and procedures of the Honor Society?

M o re information can be found through the followings o u rc e s : NJHS handbook. When in doubt, start at the sourc e .

H e re i n , you’ll find a wealth of information re g a rd i n gvarious aspects of NJHS.

Local chapter by l aw s .Your locally developed guidelinesm ay provide you some assistance, even if you are n ’tc u r rently awa re of their content. Should you find thatt h e re are no local by l aw s , it is time to write them!Consult your national handbook for some guidelineson creating by l aw s .

Other advisers of chapters in the are a . T h e re is a verita-ble wealth of information awaiting your call in the formof advisers from chapters at nearby schools. T h o u g htheir chapter pro c e d u res may not mirror yo u r s , t h e recertainly is information that you can glean from theire x p e r i e n c e s . Give them a call and then keep a list ofthis valuable local netwo r k .

Call your state honor society org a n i z a t i o n . M o re than20 states now have active NJHS org a n i z a t i o n s . T h estate organization may be able to put you in contact

with an expert nearby who can assist yo u . Contact the national office. Our staff is re a dy to wo r k

with you to assist in clarifying the pro c e d u res and poli-cies of NJHS. With more than 20,000 chapters to tend,we encourage you to exhaust some of your localre s o u rces prior to calling. But don’t let trouble brew —give us a call. Matters that don’t need immediate atten-tion can be sent in writing to the NJHS national officeat the address below.

Consult the NJHS Web site. Access to the NJHS consti-tution as well as previous sets of questions andanswers from Leadership for Student Activities m a g a z i n eand re l evant excerpts from this handbook will becomea regular component of the sites. We hope you willbegin to check in regularly online.

Contact us!Po l i cy and Pro g ra m s

National Junior Honor Society1904 Association DriveR e s t o n , VA 20191-1537Phone: 703-860-0200

Fax: 703-476-5432E-mail: n h s @ n h s . u s

Web site: w w w. n j h s . u s

Sales DepartmentPhone: 866-647-7253

Membership DepartmentPhone: 800-253-7746, p ress “ 4 ”

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APPENDICES

Sales Products and Services for NJHS Members and Chapters

The following is a partial list of the products and services available for NJHS members and advisers as found in the annualcatalog, The Leadership Store, sent to all advisers at the beginning of the school year. The catalog is also found on www.njhs.us.Please see the catalog for order numbers, prices, and a complete set of ordering instructions and forms.

Appendix M: Products and Services for NJHS Members and Chapters

I n s i g n i a

NJHS membership pins* Year guards for pins Officer guards for pins Officer symbols Tie tack/lapel pin N e c k l a c e * C h a r m s *

*Also available as fine jew e l ry items inp recious metals.

Other Insignia Items

Membership certificates Membership cards NJHS diploma seals S t o l e s , honor cord s , and insignia patch Bumper sticker NJHS gav e l Banquet kits S t a t i o n e ry packets Charter replacements Chapter banner E n g ravable plaques G l a s s - f ront plaques for chapter

membership ro s t e r

C l o t h i n g

S w e a t s h i r t s Polo shirts with embro i d e red logo T- s h i r t s Customized shirts

S e r v i c e s

P u b l i c a t i o n s NJHS handbook Leadership for Student Activities m a g a z i n e Annual report forms The Leadership Store A dviser updates*

*Check the national Web site, w w w. n j h s . u s ,A dviser Zone

Meetings and Confere n c e s

National conference LEAD conferences Additional meetings sponsored by state

a s s o c i a t i o n s

Scholarships and Aw a rd s

Prudential Spirit of Community Awa rd s Outstanding Service Project Awa rds Rynearson A dviser of the Year Awa rd

For a complete list of benefits and services prov i d e dby the national office, please refer to the member-ship section of our Web site, w w w. n j h s . u s .

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Forming a State Association

A long-term goal of the national office is to see the forma-tion of a state Honor Society organization in every state. Tothis end, the staff of the national office regularly supportsefforts by individual chapters or state principals’ associationsin organizing state meetings to get the process underway.Individuals in states not currently offering state associationscan pursue the formation of a state association by contactingthe national office and using the following guidelines: Develop it. Determine the level of interest in forming a

state organization. Find the names of schools and advis-ers in various parts of your state and develop a list ofpotential supporters for this cause. The national office canprovide you with mailing labels or a computer printout ofall of the NHS and NJHS chapters in your state—just callthe national office for details.

Organize it. Plan an organizational meeting, allowingplenty of time for people to get this on their agenda andto attend.Your school or organization might like to hostsuch a meeting to save expenses. At this meeting, youshould consider some or all of the following concerns:1. What do you want this organization to do? How will it

further the purposes of NHS and NJHS (as stated inthe national constitutions)?

2. Who should belong? NHS and NJHS? Advisers andstudents? How will they become members? What willbe required of members? Dues?

3. What activities would you like to conduct? start with anew event that you do well, then consider expandingthe services as the organization matures.

4. How will the group be organized? What officers willthere be? Who will compose the constitution andbylaws? Who will be the supervisor/director of theassociation, serving as the central contact, budget

developer/coordinator, membership coordinator, etc.? 5. Will the group meet on an annual basis? When?6. Who will contact the state principals’ organization to

pursue the support and recognition suggested by thenational office guidelines? When will this meetingtake place to forge the details of the support?

7. Is this doable? Have we bitten off more than we canchew?

Formalize it. Once you have the answers to the ques-tions abov e , each state is re q u i red to develop an agre e-ment between the new NHS and NJHS association thatbears the support or acknowledgement of the state prin-c i p a l s ’ a s s o c i a t i o n . Contact the national office to obtain ac o py of the appropriate form.

Publicize it. Assuming yo u ’ve followed all of the pre-scribed steps abov e , d evelop a plan for getting the wo rdout—a public relations and marketing plan—to allpotential member schools. Use your best org a n i z a t i o n a lefforts to see that people in chapters throughout yo u rstate can recognize the value and importance of yo u rn ew org a n i z a t i o n . Good luck!

For more details or assistance, contact the national officeof NHS and NJHS at NASSP, 1904 Association Drive,Reston,VA 20191; Phone: 703-860-0200; Fax: 703-476-5432;E-mail: [email protected].

Benefits of Membership in State Associations

The national office supports the development and ongoingactivities of all state Honor Society org a n i z a t i o n s .Participation in state associations adds value to membershipin NHS and NJHS and re i n f o rces the purposes of the org a n i-zation for all inv o l v e d . In addition, state groups provide help-ful networks of student leaders and activities adv i s e r st h rough which ideas are share d , p roblems are solved, a n dgoals are achiev e d .

Existing state Honor Society groups conduct a variety ofactivities that can include: State conventions State officer training workshops Leadership workshops for students and advisers Newsletters to students and advisers Scholarship opportunities Statewide service projects State-sponsored delegations to the national conference

and much more.State associations can provide a variety of activities

for their members. T h e re are no mandatory activities

Appendix N: State NJHS Associations

96

What audience will be attending?S t u d e n t s , a dv i s e r s , f a c u l t y, p a rents? Each re q u i res differe n tp ro g ra m m i n g . If the attendees are from two or more ofthese audiences, a wide variety of issues will need to bea d d re s s e d .

What is the purpose of the conference?Awa rd s , e d u c a t i o n , re c o g n i t i o n , n e t wo r k i n g , fun? A g a i n ,each purpose has specialized activities associated with it. Ac o n f e rence may include all of these, in fact using sev e ra loffers a sense of balance in a confere n c e .

Develop a conference theme around the purpose anda u d i e n c e .Try not to make the theme too “ c u t e ,”but do make itc a t c hy. A theme should be short and should be inter-twined throughout the conference so that it will bem e m o ra b l e .

Develop an appropriate, well-organized schedule.D u ration of a conference can be one day to sev e ra l , d u r i n gschool and on weekends, or over a holiday. D e t e r m i n ewhich is the most effective for your situation.

Remember your audience when planning the schedule.L e ave time between functions to change ro o m s , s t re t c h ,obtain meals or snacks, and use the re s t room facilities. S e ethat your schedule and the events are age-appro p r i a t e ,particularly if your meeting is open to members of bothNHS and NJHS.

Most conferences are held in high schools or other cam-pus facilities. Special considerations must be made whenworking with a school. Make sure the proper steps aretaken to secure the needed space and school support per-sonnel (for example, custodians) to opera t e . If your confer-ence is in a hotel, a contract will be an important part ofyour planning and securing the services of a well-tra i n e dmember of the hotel’s staff to assist in all of the details ofthe meeting. C o n t racts are formal legal agre e m e n t s , so a)read them thoro u g h l y, and b) see than only authorized per-sonnel sign for your org a n i z a t i o n .

Take into consideration the rooms you will be using—their capacity, a u d i ovisual and technical ava i l a b i l i t y, a n dp roximity to each other.

Make sure to plan enough rooms for the size audienceyou expect. Visit in person and check the facility androoms you will use to make sure there are enough chairsor desk space, eating facilities (if needed), re s t ro o m s , a n da ny other special needs you may hav e .

that the national office imposes on state associations,but often the most meaningful elements include thesponsoring of a state service project through which allstate chapters (through activities or fundraising) arei nvolved in supporting a charity or group selected eachyear by the association’s leadership. These state serv i c ep rojects can be submitted each year in the state serv i c eawa rd competition sponsored by the national office,which recognizes the achievements of an outstandingstate association each ye a r. This awa rd is named forA rdis Ky k e r, who actively served as the state director inMinnesota for many ye a r s .

Although not re q u i red for any chapter affiliated with thenational org a n i z a t i o n , membership in the state associationis strongly encouraged for all chapters in those states cur-rently sponsoring an org a n i z a t i o n .

Organizing State and DistrictConferencesThe most common feature of all state Honor Societyo rganizations is an annual state meeting. Those who wish to organize a state or district conference can contact thenational office for individual assistance. H o w ev e r, the fol-lowing are some general considerations to rev i ew as yo uplan and implement your next state meeting. Good con-f e rences include: A purpose and theme developed around a contempo-

ra ry issue A well-organized schedule Quality presentations by speakers or panels Leadership training sessions Student-led discussion sessions on school and chapter

i s s u e s Entertainment or tours to add balance to the business

s e s s i o n s Seminars on such topics as finance, officer duties,

p ro j e c t s , induction cere m o n i e s , and selection p ro c e d u re s

Sessions for adv i s e r s .

Organizing Conferences

Planning a successful conference on the local, s t a t e , o rnational level depends on the details. Set out to bra i n-storm with a planning committee, not just for gre a ts p e a k e r s , but to mentally walk through a conference fro mstart to finish and think of all the detailed specifics of them e e t i n g . To assist in planning an outstanding confere n c eh e re are some guidelines and suggestions.

APPENDICES

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Plan programming for the conference.A g a i n , remember your purpose and audience. D evelop topics,s p e a k e r s , t raining sessions, and discussion groups to fulfillthat purpose and that are directed towa rd your audience.

Workshop topics should be varied, ranging from serious tofun activities. If networking is one of the purposes, build itinto the programming and also leave time for informal net-working.

Presenters and speakers should be varied. Use both stu-dents and adults whenever possible. Students can shareideas and experiences that are valuable to other students andadults. Adults can offer expertise and guidance in specializedtopics.

Develop an evaluation form to determine if the confer-ence programming met the needs of the audience. Thisinformation will assist in reviewing the conference and alsoin planning the next.

Delegate conference responsibilities.A steering committee should be set up to oversee theplanning and implementation of the confere n c e . T h esteering committee is responsible for all the planningitems abov e .

In addition, other committees should be set up to cov e rthe main portions of the confere n c e . This will allow form o re inv o l v e m e n t , but more importantly, it will give morepeople the opportunity to give input and lessen thechance of an important detail being missed. The steeringcommittee is ultimately responsible for the success of ac o n f e rence and should carefully track the pro g ress of eachc o m m i t t e e . Some conference responsibilities are listedbelow that could be delegated.

Registration includes development of all registration relat-ed materials (tickets, name badges, etc.) and personnel foractual registration. Donations, such as pens, paper, candy,etc., from local businesses can be procured for inclusion inthe registration packet.

Publicity includes publicizing the event before, during andafter the conference with posters, signs, announcements,press releases, etc.

Program committee develops a printed program toinclude the conference schedule to be handed out at regis-tration. The program can be copied or printed, bound or in athree-ring binder.

Food committee coordinates the procurement and deliv-ery to the attendees. Many times either the school cafeteriacan provide the food, or fast food chains can be approachedfor the donation of a lunch/dinner.

Housing: If an overnight stay is planned either hosthomes or a hotel facility must be procured. This can be amajor undertaking and requires careful planning. With eitheroption special care should be taken to oversee and chaper-one the students for their safety and well being.

Transportation: If an overnight conference is plannedthen transportation must be provided to and from theschool. Also, if an off-site presentation is to be used trans-portation must be provided. This can be coordinated throughthe school district of the host school.

Security/Medical: A safe, secure atmosphere must beprovided for the attendees. Personnel should be provided forsecurity of the facility and a nurse should be on-site for anyaccidents or illness that may occur.

Insurance/Liability: Sponsors of the meeting should checkto see that appropriate insurance has been arranged for staffand participants. Requirements vary by state and district, andproper steps should be taken in this area.

Despite all the best plans and schedules, the conferenceplanners will still need to improvise during the conference.Even if all details are covered, planning is exact and welldone, something will go wrong. Count on it! It will happen,be it large or small. The air conditioner goes out and it is 99degrees; the speaker goes on much too long and throws offyour schedule.You cannot determine your emergency planbecause you do not know what will go wrong. Don’t panic—get your team to come up with a plan. Let the attendeesknow the problem and the plan. Keep your cool, take care ofthe situation, and the crisis will pass.

The national office offers its assistance to chapters orschools when sponsoring an NHS and NJHS conference orworkshop.

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Appendix O: Overview of the NationalOffice

NASSP was founded in 1916. Today, the association is thenation’s largest secondary school organization, representingmore than 30,000 middle level and high school principals,assistant principals, and aspiring principals in both publicand private schools. The association’s motto, “Promotingexcellence in school leaders”speaks to the commitment ofNASSP to train and serve secondary level administrators asthey provide instructional and management leadership intheir schools. A full description of the association and itsmany activities can be found at www.principals.org.

In 1921, NASSP organized the National Honor Societyand has been the proud sponsor of the organization ev e rs i n c e . In 1929, the association added the National Ju n i o rHonor Society to promote student recognition for yo u n g e rs t u d e n t s . Along with the staff of the student activities officethat administers the pro g rams and policies of the Honor

S o c i e t i e s , m a ny additional staff members serve the member-ship in various other departments located in the nationalheadquarters building in Reston,VA . The national staff serv e ss t u d e n t s , activity adv i s e r s , and administrators in secondaryschools nationwide and in more than 70 countries.

The national office staff also administers the NationalAssociation of Student Councils and several national schol-arship competitions. Leadership education and studentrecognition are the primary goals of all programs adminis-tered by the national office. The office provides a variety ofleadership training opportunities, programs, publications,and other services for students and advisers in middle leveland high schools. Through these opportunities, the nationaloffice stresses the importance of student activities in schools,effective and engaged student leadership, service to others,and good citizenship.

NASSP maintains eight administrative regions for itsmembership and the membership of the Honor Societies.The map below shows the location of these regions.

APPENDICES

99

APPENDICES

National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)Board of Directors

Sponsors NHS & NJHS and all NHS & NJHS programsAppoints the National Council

Gerald N. Tirozzi, Executive Director

NHS & NJHS National Council

Appointed by the NASSP Board of Directors

Regulates NHS & NJHS

Selects NHS National Scholarship recipients

National Office

Administers NHS & NJHS programs, publications, NHS scholarships,

the national conference, and NHS Scholars’ B o w l ™

Provides assistance to chapters

All NHS & NJHS chapters must affiliate with the national office annually

Rocco Marano, Director

NHS & NJHS state associations

Provide conferences and workshops

Increase communication among state chapters

A link to the national off i c e

NHS & NJHS state associations currently operate in 22 states

Local chapters voluntarily affiliate with state groups

NHS & NJHS chapters

Selection and induction of members

Chapter service activities

Local promotion of the purposes of NHS & NJHS

NJHS Organizational Chart

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Appendix P: NASSP Position Statementon Student ActivitiesIssue

Beyond the standard curriculum of required and electivecourses, schools enhance student learning and developmentby offering a range of cocurricular student activities.Activities can be classified into the following categories: Direct extensions of required or elective courses (e.g., sci-

ence club, math club, dance club), including opportunitiesfor recognition of achievements in those areas throughhonorary organizations (e.g., National Honor Society,Quill and Scroll, Spanish Honor Society, Tri-M HonorSociety [music])

Clubs or activities that are expressions of student interestthat may be interdisciplinary in nature or not have adirect curricular link (e.g., popular music club, skate-boarding club)

Student council or student government that serve asopportunities for students to engage in the democraticprocess and have a voice in the life of the school to theextent allowable by law, policy, or tradition

Interscholastic and intramural athletics that provide stu-dents opportunities for development through sport (e.g.,football, track, tennis, cheerleading).

NASSP Guiding Principles

Secondary schools properly provide for social and person-al needs as well as for those that are strictly academic.Student activities are integral to an education, providingopportunities for all students that support and extendacademic learning.

The term “student activities”is preferred to “extracurricu-lar”because “extra”connotes activities that are peripheralto a school’s main mission. Student activities are educa-tional in nature and should be thought of as cocurricular.

Student activities support the goal of teaching students tobe responsible and fulfilled human beings, providing

them with opportunities that develop character, criticalthinking, sociability, and specific skills.

Research has shown a strong relationship between partic-ipation in student activities and academic achievement.

Membership in national and state student activitiesorganizations adds value to programs sponsored at thelocal level by providing training and other services,unique opportunities for networking, and additionalrecognition for those involved.

Recommendations

Recognize all activities carried out under the aegis of asecondary school in terms of their potential contributionto the school’s overall goals for young people.

Encourage secondary schools to engage as many studentsas possible in student activities and offer sufficient varietyto appeal to a wide range of student interests.

Encourage administrators, educators, student activityadvisers, and the general public to use the term studentactivities instead of extracurricular activities. Studenthandbooks, school documents, and other communicationshould reflect this more current terminology.

E n s u re that activities are age-appropriate; nondiscriminato-ry; well planned, o rg a n i z e d , and implemented; superv i s e dby professional staff; and evaluated on a regular basis.

Ensure that participation in events sponsored by state andnational organizations for youth is subject to identifiableminimum standards for the quality of the program, itscontent, and its practices regarding participant supervi-sion and safety.

Ensure that the staff directing student activities receivesprofessional development in the area of responsibility,and appropriate compensation for the work providedwhile fulfilling this supervisory duty.

Approved by the NASSP Board of Directors, November 9,2002.

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APPENDICES

Appendix Q: What to Expect in the Mailfrom Your National OfficeFor Advisers

Back-to-school mailing, including the A dviser Update( A u g u s t )

Monthly issues of the awa rd-winning Leadership for StudentA c t i v i t i e s m a g a z i n e . Inserts within the magazine will include:a. The Leadership Store annual catalog (September) b. H o l i d ay promotion fro m The Leadership Store ( O c t o b e r )c. LEAD conferences brochure (November)d . NHS and NJHS national conference bro c h u re (Marc h )e . Annual report form for all Honor Society chapters (April)f. National Student Leadership Week materials (April)

Annual adviser identification card and school affiliationcertificate (October)

Spring induction kit promotion from The Leadership Store(January)

Spring mailing, including the Adviser Update and a publi-cation for advisers (March)

For Principals

Principal’s Leadership Award packets (October) Annual affiliation renewal notice (March or April)*

Additional Mailings

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards promotion(September)

Note: Member mailings are also found on the nationalWeb sites for easy replacement of lost materials.Individuals can also contact the national office for assis-tance re g a rding any of these mailings. Some items arefound only in the A dviser Zone, which re q u i res a confi-dential login. Name corrections or changes to schoola d d ress should be faxed to the membership department at703-860-3422 or e-mail to: [email protected] .

Please share this information with the school secre t a ry,school bookkeeper, or other staff members responsible formail handling on your campus to ensure correct delivery ofall materials.

*All invoices from the national office bear the officiallogo(s) and the Reston, VA , return addre s s . See the alerton the NJHS Web site, w w w. n j h s . u s , for warnings re g a rd-ing evidence of fraudulent invoices being distributed toschools nationwide.

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A Short Course in Educational JournalismBy Gayle Wayne, Ocean View (CA) School District

1. Type your story on one side of the paper only, using 8 1/2" X 11" paper.

2. Double-space the text.3. Leave the top third of the first page blank, except for

source information.4. Source information should be at the top left corner of the

first page and should include the full name and addressof your school and the writer’s name and telephonenumber (both day and night, if necessary).

5. End each page with a complete paragraph.6. Make the story concise. If a second page is necessary,

always indicate “MORE”at the bottom of the first page.7. Use any of the following marks to indicate the end of the

story: ### -30- XXX ***8. Leave generous margins (minimum of 1" each) all

around.9. Consider the deadlines of the local press when planning

and writing the story. Get the story in as far in advanceas possible.

10. Send your news to the local reporter, by name.Yourschool system’s PR coordinator may have relevant con-tact information for your school.

11. Always use first and last names and completely identifyevery person mentioned.

12. Go easy on the adjectives.13. Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.14. If you don’t see your story in print when you expect it,

one follow-up call to the reporter is acceptable. Find outwhy it didn’t run.You may learn something that will helpyou next time.

15. When editors cut a story because of space limits, theybegin at the bottom of your story. The following is anexample of the order in which the content of your storyshould follow:

Who? What? When? Where? Why? Essential detailed information ImportantGeneral miscellanyNice to have

For additional information on public relations activitiesfor your chapter, see chapter 6. And the PR Toolkit onw w w. n h s . u s

Appendix R: Public Relations Suggested Press Release A: Induction CeremonyNotification (To be typed, double-spaced, and releasedbefore new members are selected.)

Suggested Press Release B: Post-Induction Ceremony( To be typed, d o u b l e - s p a c e d , and released after newmembers are selected.)

For Immediate ReleaseContact: (NJHS adviser)Date:Phone:

(Name of school) School’s annual induction cere m o ny for the (nameof chapter) Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society will be (day,date) at (time) in the (location).

To be eligible for membership considera t i o n , students must have acumulative GPA of (insert GPA ) . In addition, candidates must meet highs t a n d a rds of leadership, s e rv i c e , c i t i z e n s h i p, and chara c t e r. Members ofthe (insert re l evant grade levels) classes were evaluated and selected bythe Faculty Council of the chapter.

Leadership is based on the student’s participation in two or morecommunity or school activities, or election to an office (or other re l eva n ts t a n d a rd established by your chapter). To meet the service re q u i re m e n t ,the student must have been active in three or more service projects in theschool and community office (or other re l evant standard established byyour chapter). C h a racter is measured in terms of integrity, b e h av i o r,e t h i c s , and cooperation with both students and faculty office (or otherre l evant standard established by your chapter).

Students are rev i ewed by a Faculty Council consisting of five mem-bers of the faculty appointed by the principal. This year (insert total newinductees number) students are being considered for membership.

# # #

For Immediate ReleaseContact: (NJHS adviser)Date: Phone:

(Number) students from (school name) were inducted as newmembers of the National Junior Honor Society in a ceremony held atthe school yesterday. Members were selected by the chapter’s FacultyCouncil for meeting high standards of scholarship, service, leadership,citizenship, and character.

Students inducted were: (insert list of new members).“We are very proud to recognize these outstanding members of our

student body. National Junior Honor Society members are chosen forand then expected to continue their exemplary contributions to theschool and community,”said (insert name), chapter adviser.

The (insert school name) chapter has been active since (insert year).Each year the chapter sponsors several service projects for the schooland community, which in the last few years have included (insertchapter service activities).

The National Junior Honor Society ranks as one of the oldest and most prestigious national organizations for students. Chapters existin more than 6,000 schools and, since 1929, millions of students havebeen selected for membership. NJHS is sponsored nationally by theNational Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

# # #

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APPENDICES

Appendix S: Scheduling Your Selectionand Induction Pro c e d u re sS u rv eys undertaken by the national office indicate that whenplanning the timing of the selection and induction cycle atthe local lev e l , chapters favor having just one induction cere-m o ny per ye a r. Although nothing prevents a school fro mh aving more than one cycle per school ye a r, m o re than 80%of chapters only conduct one cere m o ny each ye a r. In addi-t i o n , the same surv eys indicate that nearly 65% of chaptersundertake their processes in the spring of the ye a r, l e av i n gnearly one-third of all chapters participating in the fall of theye a r.To re i t e ra t e , the timing and fre q u e n cy of induction cere-monies are decisions left to the staff of the local chapter.

To help understand the calendar and planning implicationsof the timing chosen at your school, the following planningsuggestions are offere d .

Model A: Chapters Undertaking Spring Inductions Only

S ev e ral important factors need to be considered when lookingat your spring calendar. To start, when can grades be ava i l a b l efor calculating cumulative GPAs for candidates? Consult withyour principal, guidance office, or information services (com-puter) manager for assistance. Once that is determined asyour starting point, please consider the following factors inplanning your spring cere m o ny : Date of “ g ra d u a t i o n ”and spring events for eighth or ninth

g ra d e r s Date for spring dance Schoolwide student elections if held in spring Spring sports and arts pro g ram schedules E n d - o f - year testing (e.g., state pro f i c i e n cy exams, A P, S AT,

AC T ) Other important events or traditions for your students,

s c h o o l , or community The chapter’s budget indicating the amount of funding

available for hosting your cere m o n i e s .Although the NJHS induction cere m o ny is important to

the school community, t h e re may be other local activitiesthat are considered of greater priority than your inductionp ro c e s s e s . Looking back on last ye a r ’s induction pro c e s sto see if any major conflicts arose is a good place to startin this pro c e s s . A d m i n i s t ra t o r s , activities dire c t o r s , a r t sd i re c t o r s , guidance counselors, and athletic directors willbe able to provide good information to assist you in plan-n i n g , particularly if there is no master school calendarava i l a b l e .

Some suggested steps to organize your pro c e d u res for thespring include the following:

Submit selection process for school calendar approval andp o s t i n g . This re q u i res establishing all dates and activitiest h rough this round of selection and securing the date andplace of the induction cere m o ny. In addition, c o n s i d e ro rdering the induction supplies as early as possible.Please allow six to eight weeks from the time of ord e r i n gfor delivery.

Publicize the pro c e s s . Get your schedule and selectionp rocess description on the student handbook, f a c u l t yh a n d b o o k , and parent new s l e t t e r s . Because many studenthandbooks are printed over the summer, you will nodoubt need to confirm some information prior to the endof the previous school ye a r. Consult with your principalre g a rding the timelines you need to follow.

Schedule the meeting for the Faculty Council. Determine who the candidates are for this round of selec-

tion (GPA calculations; coordinated with counselor’s officeor school information manager). For a spring selection,calculation of the cumulative GPAs of re l evant studentsf rom the end of first semester will need to be undertaken.

H ave a sufficient number of student information forms(SAIF) or candidate packets on hand. A l ways have extracopies in case a student loses his or her original forms.

Announce candidates and the method of obtainingcandidate packets (pick up from adv i s e r, meetings for dis-tribution or explanation, e t c . ) . The method of notifyingcandidates should be considered seriously. In manyi n s t a n c e s , m e rely posting the names for public viewing ona bulletin board is not sufficient to guarantee that all can-didates are notified. Alternatives would be personalizedmessages delivered through first period teachers, t h ro u g hh o m e ro o m s , or via letters home to both the student andthe pare n t s . It is important to determine if the methodsyou are using are guaranteeing 100% notification to allc a n d i d a t e s .

R ev i ew the evaluation process (if used) and disseminatethe evaluation forms at a faculty meeting. Consult withthe principal about getting on the meeting agenda at ana p p ropriate time.

Collect all SAIFs and eva l u a t i o n s . It is to the advantage ofthe adviser to see that a response is provided by all candi-d a t e s , even those that decline being considere d , and fro mall teachers, including those that chose not to eva l u a t ecandidates for valid re a s o n s .

Hold the selection meeting with the Faculty Council. S h a re the Faculty Council results with the principal prior

to notification of selection and nonselection. Announce the results of the Faculty Council selection

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APPENDICES

p ro c e s s . Prior to notifying those students who wereselected for membership into the Honor Society, m e e twith or notify nonselected students first. Because nonse-lection can be very disappointing news for both studentsand their pare n t s , c o n s i d e ration should be given to confi-dentially conv ey this information in an effort to av o i de m b a r rassment for the student(s) in question. A l s o , b eavailable to field questions re g a rding nonselection.

P roceed with plans for the induction of new memberswith assistance from the chapter officers and members ofthe Faculty Council.

Notify local media (new s p a p e r s , ra d i o , T V, etc.) of theselection of new members. It is best to build in some timefor responding to inquiries re g a rding nonselection beforedisseminating new member lists to the pre s s .

Rehearse for the induction cere m o ny. Remind membersthat attendance is mandatory. A l s o , set aside time for awa l k - t h rough of the cere m o ny even if this is done as partof your regular chapter meeting.

Conduct the induction cere m o ny along with necessaryc l e a n u p.

Follow-up with thank-you notes to all who assisted withthe selection and induction.

Schedule evaluation of the selection and inductionp rocesses with the administra t i o n , Faculty Council, a n dchapter officers. File the evaluation comments with yo u rplanning guide for the next round of selections.

Plan and carry out the first chapter meeting of old and newm e m b e r s . Include an opportunity to evaluate the selection and

induction processes for input from the new and old members. Plan and carry out the election of chapter officers, the estab-

lishment of chapter goals for the ye a r, the chapter serv i c ep ro j e c t ( s ) , and other activities that support your goals.

Model B: Fall Induction Only

Follow the outline presented in Model A with the following notes: G PA calculations will be from the end of the prev i o u s

school ye a r. Guidance counselors or information technol-ogy managers could probably undertake this task duringthe summer if given the parameters prior to your depar-t u re for the summer.

When determining your induction date, plan in rev e r s e( “ b a c k wa rds planning”) to make certain that it affords yo usufficient time at the beginning of the school year to noti-fy candidates, u n d e rgo the entire selection pro c e s s , o rd e rs u p p l i e s , and plan the cere m o ny.

Look into other school-based activities when planningyour ceremonies including fall sports seasons, fall artsa c t i v i t i e s , h o m e c o m i n g , and other holiday, t ra d i t i o n s , o rcommunity activities.

Plan and carry out the selection process and inductionc e re m o ny, keeping the students, f a c u l t y, a d m i n i s t ra t i o n ,and parents well informed about your activities.

Model C: Fall and Spring Inductions

The outline for Model A is still appro p r i a t e , but this modelhas to be applied twice during the same school ye a r. P l e a s ere f e rence comments in both Models A and B abov e .

APPENDICES

105

Appendix T: Scholarships and AwardProgramsScholarships and Awards from the National Office

The Department of Student Activities of NASSP sponsors oradministers a variety of national competitions for scholarshipsand awa rd s . T h rough these annual pro g ra m s , the nationaloffice helps to recognize outstanding students in secondaryschools throughout the nation. We encourage your school top a r t i c i p a t e !

Additional information on all of these pro g ra m s , i n c l u d i n gyearly pro g ram deadlines, can be found on our Web site,w w w. n h s . u s , or in Leadership for Student Activities, p u b l i s h e dmonthly by NASSP for schools actively affiliated with thenational office. All dates are tentative until official applicationsor nomination forms are printed.

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

These awa rds recognize students in grades 5–12 who hav ed e m o n s t rated exemplary community serv i c e . Schools andparticipating organizations may select one local honore efor ev e ry 1,000 students (or portion there o f ) . Local hon-o rees are then judged at the state lev e l . One high schooland one middle level student in each state, the District ofC o l u m b i a , and Puerto Rico are named state honorees andeach receives $1,000, a silver medallion, and an all-expens-es-paid trip to Wa s h i n g t o n , D C, with a parent or guard i a n .The runners-up in each state receive bronze medallions asdistinguished finalists, and other top applicants re c e i v ecertificates of excellence. At the national recognition ev e n t sin Wa s h i n g t o n , D C, 10 state honorees (5 high school and 5middle level students) are named national honorees andeach receives an additional $5,000, a gold medallion, and ac rystal tro p hy for their school or org a n i z a t i o n .

Information and application packets are mailed eachfall to the building principal and counselors in ev e ry mid-dle level and high school in the country and to the follow-ing organizations: Girl Scouts, 4 - H , Camp Fire USA,American Red Cro s s , Y M CA , Volunteer Centers of thePoints of Light Fo u n d a t i o n , and the Volunteer CenterNational Netwo r k . Applications are also available onlineat w w w. p r i n c i p a l s . o rg / a w a rd s / p r u d e n t i a l . c f m or by calling888-450-9961 (toll-fre e ) . A timeline follows: S e p t e m b e r — Awa rds packet mailed to principals,

counselors and participating org a n i z a t i o n s

October—Student deadline to schools or participatingo rg a n i z a t i o n s

N ov e m b e r — Postmark deadline to state judges F e b r u a ry — NASSP notifies state honorees through their

schools or participating org a n i z a t i o n s M ay—National recognition events in Wa s h i n g t o n , D C

Scholarship Resources

S t u d e n t s , a dv i s e r s , and even parents should be consider thefollowing re s o u rces when setting out in search of financialre s o u rces to support their postsecondary education plans. Guidance department at school. M a ny scholarship and

awa rd pro g ram opportunities can be secured thro u g hthe guidance counselors at school. The main office ofm a ny schools will forwa rd all scholarship and awa rdnomination packets to the attention of the school guid-ance counselors.

School and public libraries. Both school and publicl i b raries feature books and softwa re that allow studentsto search through a large database of scholarships tofind those that are suited to the needs and the chara c-teristics of the individual student.

College and university financial aid off i c e s . If thestudent has been accepted or has applied for admissionto a specific college or university, the financial aid officeis usually more than willing to assist parents in searc h-ing for available scholarship funds.

World Wide We b . By using various search engines onthe World Wide We b, sites offering financial aid andscholarships can be found in abundance on the Internet.

B o o k s t o r e s . M a ny major bookstores and new s s t a n d ssell financial aid and scholarship re s o u rce guides.

Commercial entities. M a ny commercial entities offertheir services in locating scholarship re s o u rces for a fee.Though many of these consulting services are legitimatebusiness enterprises, be awa re that in September 1996,the Federal Trade Commission issued a warning con-cerning “bogus scholarship search serv i c e s ,”w h i c hallegedly bilk students and their families of millions ofdollars ev e ry ye a r. Because school, l i b ra ry, c o m p u t e r, a n dInternet sources are fre e , it is recommended that thesere s o u rces be exhausted before accepting any offers thatclaim to“do all the work...for a fee.”

NASSP National Advisory List of Student Contests

and Activities

For more than 60 ye a r s , NA S S P, t h rough its NationalCommittee on Student Contests and A c t i v i t i e s , has prov i d e d

APPENDICES

106

high school principals with the National A dv i s o ry List. T h enational committee is guided by principals’ d e s i re to to pro-tect students from exploitive pro g rams and to identify pro-g rams having educational benefits. To this end, the purposeof the National A dv i s o ry List, t h e n , is to provide informa-tion to assist principals in guiding students and parents inmaking decisions re g a rding participation in a wide variety ofp ro g ram opportunities. A l s o , the National A dv i s o ry Listguidelines provide information on such topics as scholarships e a rch serv i c e s , student recognition pro g ra m s , and educa-tional student trav e l .

Although each school will determine the contests andactivities it chooses to take part in, the Student Contestsand Activities National A dv i s o ry List is offered as a guide. I tis adv i s o ry in nature and is a result of careful screening andrev i ew of information voluntarily submitted to the nationalc o m m i t t e e . Inclusion of a pro g ram on the NationalA dv i s o ry List indicates the pro g ram was found to meet thes t a n d a rds set by the committee and does not implyendorsement by NA S S P.

A link to the current list is available at w w w. n h s . u s a n dw w w. p r i n c i p a l s . o rg (the NASSP Web site).

APPENDICES

107

NJHS Handbook Order FormShipping Address

School name

Address

City State Zip

School Affiliation Number Phone Fax

E-mail address (To track your order, please include your e-mail address.)

Billing Address (if different from shipping address)

School name Address

City State Zip

Attention Phone Fax

E-mail address

Order Information

Order Number _____________________________Item _______________________ Unit Price _____________________

Q u a n t i t y_________________________Quantity Discount__________________________To t a l ____________________ ___

Subtotal_____________________________Shipping & Handling:__________________ TOTAL ____________________

Method of Payment ( Payment or purchase order must accompany ord e r. )■ C h e c k (Make payable to NJHS/NASSP [NASSP Tax ID #52-6006937]). ■ Purchase order ■ Credit card C a rd type: ■ M a s t e r C a rd ■ V I S A ■ American Expre s s

■ Pe r s o n a l ■ B u s i n e s s / S c h o o l

Account number Expiration Date

Cardholder signature Print name of cardholder

Cardholder billing address

VA residents only add 5% sales tax: If shipping and handling fees are not enclosed, you will be billed.

Appendix U: Ordering Additional Copies of the Handbook

Who else on your campus needs a copy of this handbook? Additional advisers? Members of your FacultyCouncil? The principal or assistant principals? Others?

The handbook is available for $12 for member schools, or $24 for nonmembers, plus shipping andhandling. To order additional copies, simply call or fax the NASSP sales department. Only principals andchapter advisers may place member orders.You’ll need four pieces of information to place an order:

1 .Your school’s national office affiliation number (the number found in the upper corner of thea d d ress labels on mailings and L e a d e r s h i p m a g a z i n e )

2 . The product number for this publication, which is #83198083 . Method of payment (check, p u rchase ord e r, or credit card )4 . Name and address of the person receiving the copies, along with a phone number where that person can be reached in

case there are questions about or changes to the ord e rO rders can be placed by calling 866-647-7253 and requesting the sales office, or by faxing an order to 703-620-6534.

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Appendix V: NJHS Handbook Evaluation Form

Please share your comments about this edition of the NJHS handbook by completing the briefq u e s t i o n n a i re below.

1. Overall evaluation (check one)■ A great new edition■ Good update■ Adequate re p l a c e m e n t■ I liked the old one better. H e re ’s why:

2. What is one thing that you like most about this new edition?

3. For our next edition, would you prefer to receive this text on a CD?■ Ye s■ No (please explain)

Other thoughts to share on this concept?

4. Would you be willing to purchase a custom-designed notebook in which this handbook would be placed costingbetween $10 and $12 per notebook? ■ Yes ■ Not likely

5. What additional information would you like to see in this handbook (i.e., additional topics, other resources, etc.)?

Additional comments:

Tell us about you.

Name (optional) Years served as chapter adviser? State (please include)

Mail or fax this evaluation to:NJHS Handbook Evaluation, 2006 Edition1904 Association DriveR e s t o n ,VA 20191Fax: 703-476-5432E-mail: [email protected]

Thanks for taking the time to evaluate the new handbook! Your comments are appreciated.

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