The National Honor Society (NHS) is an organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Chapter membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishments, but challenges them to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service. Four main purposes guide NHS: to create enthusiasm for scholarship; to stimulate a desire to render service; to promote leadership; and to develop character in the students of Stroud High School. These purposes also translate into the criteria used for membership selection in our chapter.

STROUD HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I

Name and Purpose

            The name of this organization shall be the Stroud Chapter of the National Honor Society. Its purpose shall be to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of Stroud High School.

ARTICLE II

The Principal

            The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter. The principal shall annually appoint a chapter advisor, who may serve consecutive terms. The principal shall be apart of the local school district appeal process for non-selection or dismissal cases.

ARTICLE III

The Chapter Advisor

            The chapter advisor shall be responsible for the direct, day-to-day supervision of the chapter and act as its liaison between faculty and administration, students and community. The chapter shall maintain records on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transactions. The chapter advisor shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties.

ARTICLE IV

Faculty Council

            The faculty council shall consist of three voting member appointed annually by the principal. No principal may be appointed to the faculty council. The term of the faculty council shall be one year, but members may be appointed to consecutive terms. The chapter advisor shall be the ex-offico, non-voting fourth member of the council. The council shall meet at least once a year to select members and to consider dismissal, non-selection and warning cases.

ARTICLE V

Membership

            Membership in the Stroud Chapter of the National Honor Society is bestowed upon a student. Selection for membership is by a faculty council and is based on outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, and service. Once selected members have a responsibility to demonstrate these qualities.

            The faculty council shall reserve the right to award honorary membership to school officials, principals, teachers, NHS advisors, or adults in recognition of outstanding service rendered to the school in keeping with the purpose of the NHS.

            A NHS member who transfers to another school and brings a letter from the former principal or chapter advisor shall be automatically accepted as a member in the new school’s chapter. Transfer members must meet the new chapter’s standard within one semester in order to retain membership. Members who resign or are dismissed are never again eligible for membership or its benefits.

ARTICLE VI

Selection of Membership

            To be eligible for membership the candidate must be a member of the sophomore, junior, or senior class. Candidates must have attended the school at least the equivalent of one semester. Based upon recommendation of the previous school’s principal, the one semester rule may be waived.

            To be eligible for membership the candidate must have a 3.5 cumulative grade point average or rank in the upper ten per cent of the student body (grades 10-12). Candidates must also be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership and character. The selection of each member shall be by a majority vote of the faculty council. A description of the selection process shall be posted in the counselor’s office and available for inspection by students and parents. The National Council and NASSP shall not review the judgment of the faculty council regarding selection of members to the Stroud Chapter.

ARTICLE VII

Dismissal

            A member who falls below the standards which were the basis for their selection shall be promptly warned in writing by the chapter advisor and given a reasonable length of time to correct the deficiency except in a case of a flagrant violation of school rules or civil laws a member does not necessarily be warned. The faculty council shall determine when an individual exceeded a reasonable of warnings. In case of an impending dismissal, a member shall have the right to a hearing before the faculty council. A member who has been dismissed may appeal the decision of the faculty council under the same rules for disciplinary appeals in the school district.

ARTICLE VIII

Chapter Officers

            Office of the president – must be a senior in good standing, will preside over all meetings, will conduct officers meeting, will help prepare meetings agenda, and will report directly to chapter advisor.

            Office of the vice-president – must be a junior or senior in good standing, will preside over meetings when president is absent, will attend officers meetings, will assist in preparing meeting agenda and reports directly to president.

            Office of Secretary – must be a junior or senior in good standing, must attend monthly officers meetings, must keep written reports of monthly officers meetings, minutes of  member meetings, records of member’s service, be in charge of official chapter correspondence, and report to the president.

            Office of Reporter- must be a junior or senior in good standing, will write articles for local school newspaper and local community paper about the chapter activities, reports directly to the president.

            Office of Student Representatives -  one male and one female, junior/senior, who are in good standing, will represent the NHS in our local student government organization, must attend all stucco meetings, reports directly to president.

ARTICLE IX

Meetings

            Meetings will be held throughout the school year. A committee composed of chapter advisor, president, and vice-president will determine dates and times of these meetings.

ARTICLE X

Activities

            The Stroud Chapter will determine one or more service projects for each school year. All members shall regularly participate in these projects. These projects shall have the following characteristics: fulfill a need within the school or community, have the support of the administration and faculty, be appropriate and educationally defensible, and be well-planned, organized, and executed.

            Each member will be required to perform eight (8) service hours per semester. Individual students may select which type of service they wish to perform.