Activities: NHS
Sutton Chapter of the National Honor Society
By-Laws
January 01, 2008
Sutton Public Schools
National Honor Society By-Laws
Section 1 Name and Purpose
1. The name shall be the Sutton Chapter of the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools (hereafter referred to as “NHS”).
2. The purpose of this organization shall be to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to serve, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of Sutton Public Schools.
3. The NHS shall be under the sponsorship and supervision of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (hereafter referred to as “NASSP”) and the Sutton School District.
Section 2 Faculty Representation
1. A Faculty Council of five members shall be appointed annually by the
principal. They may serve consecutive terms.
2. The Faculty Council will meet as necessary for the purpose of reviewing procedures and for selecting, disciplining, and dismissing members should these situations arise.
3. The principal shall not be included on the council but has the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter.
4. The principal will receive appeals in cases of non-selection of candidates and in discipline and dismissal of members.
5. The NHS sponsor, the sixth member of the faculty council, is a non-voting member whose responsibility is to provide information to the faculty council on matters of selection, discipline, and dismissals.
6. The NHS sponsor approves the chapter activities, maintains chapter records, and attends all meetings and functions of the organization and the faculty council.
Section 3 Selection of Members
1. Members of the NHS must be of the current sophomore, junior, and senior
class.
2. The student to be considered for selection must have been in attendance at
Sutton Public schools for at least one semester: if less than one semester, a
recommendation from the previous school can waive this requirement if
approved by the principal.
3. Candidates must have a cumulative GPA of at least 86%.
4. Criteria for selection will be published in the student handbook and a complete selection procedure will be made available to parents and students upon request.
5. Steps for selection:
A) All candidates must meet GPA requirement and state their desire to become a member by returning letter of intent sent to them by the sponsor.
B) Candidates must fill out all forms describing their leadership, service, and character experiences and qualities.
C) The candidate must select 8 teachers to evaluate them in these areas. These teachers will receive copies of these forms for use in their evaluation of each candidate.
D) Teachers will evaluate on a scale of 1-4. The high and low evaluation scores will be discarded and the remaining 6 will be used for an average. An average score of 3.7 is needed to be selected for final approval by the faculty council.
E) The final selection of each member to the Sutton chapter of NHS shall be a majority vote of the faculty council.
Section 4 Appeals in cases of non-selection
1. The parent(s) and the student not selected to NHS should visit with the NHS sponsor for clarification on the selection procedures.
2. Should parent(s) and student still not be satisfied, the next level of discussion should be with the principal who will determine if there may be a technical or procedural problem with the non-selection.
3. The parent(s) and student may then make a request for a review in writing.
4. The faculty council and the principal will then consider the need for a review.
5. If a non-selected student and his/her parent(s) wish to challenge the principal’s decision, they should follow the local school system’s compliant procedure.
6. The National Council and the NASSP have no authority to review or overturn the judgment of the faculty council regarding selection of members.
Section 5 Meetings and Activities
1. Meetings will be held on an “as needed” basis throughout the school year.
2. It is vital that all members attend these meetings to help the local chapter and its activities.
3. Support for all chapter activities is mandatory by all members.
4. All projects are to be structured to fulfill needs within the school and community.
5. Individual members are encouraged to choose and carry out an individual service project each year that reflects their particular talents and interests.
6. Meetings will be conducted using Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section 6 Officers
1. The Sutton chapter of the NHS shall have the following offices:
President, Vice-President, and Secretary/Treasurer.
2. These officers will form the executive committee of the NHS.
3. New officers shall be elected each year by a majority vote of the members at the first meeting of the new school year.
4. The officers will conduct all meetings in the appropriate manner.
5. The executive committee will ensure that all chapter activities and procedures follow school policy and regulations.
Section 7 Discipline and Dismissal Procedures
1. The Sutton chapter of the NHS will follow all school rules that are subject to the laws of the state of Nebraska. All decisions regarding the enforcement of the rules of conduct shall be enforced with the provisions of the Student Discipline Act, LB 1250.
2. NHS members are expected to demonstrate the qualities of scholarship, service, leadership, and character that were the basis of their selection as well as follow the code of conduct printed in the Sutton Student Handbook.
3. Due-process procedures shall govern all alleged violations of rules and policies of the Sutton Public School, Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA), and the constitution as well as those rules and policies of the NHS.
4. Should a member fall below the scholastic GPA of 86%, the sponsor will provide a written warning. The student will be given until the end of the quarter to correct the deficiency.
5. The procedure for dismissal shall be determined by the faculty council in compliance with the rules and regulations of the NHS and Sutton Public School’s code of discipline. A written description of this dismissal procedure shall be available to interested parties upon request.
6. Members who fall below the standards which were the basis for their selection shall be promptly warned in writing by the chapter sponsor and given a reasonable amount of time to correct the deficiency. A warning will automatically be given in the case of illegal activities.
7.
A. The following disciplinary actions will be carried out by the NHS and faculty council regarding these illegal activities:
1. Driving While Intoxicated (DUI/DWI) will result in automatic dismissal from NHS.
2. Use/abuse of illegal drugs will result in automatic dismissal from NHS.
3. Use of alcohol/tobacco –A student who is cited for possession of alcohol/tobacco will be dismissed from NHS.
8. With the exception of alcohol use/abuse, drug use/abuse, tobacco, use of illegal drugs, the faculty council determines any other activities that warrant dismissal.
9. In all cases of impending dismissal, a member shall have a right to be notified in writing of the offenses and have a hearing before the faculty council before any action is taken. The faculty council will investigate before any action is taken. The member will be allowed to appear before the faculty council and explain the situation. A parent or guardian may be present, but the primary focus is to allow the member to present his/her own case.
10. A member who has been dismissed may appeal the decision of the faculty council following the normal channels of an appeals process.
11. Once a member is dismissed, written notice of the decision will be sent to the member, his/her parents, and the principal. The member must then surrender all NHS certificates, emblems, membership cards to the chapter sponsor. If the member is unwilling to do so, the matter shall be treated as a school disciplinary matter.
12. Those students who resign from or are dismissed from the NHS will never again be eligible for membership or its benefits.
13. The National Council and the NASSP shall hear no appeals in dismissal cases.
Section 8 Procedures for Amending the By-Laws
1. Proposed changes to these By-Laws must be submitted to the chapter sponsor in writing.
2. Once the draft is prepared, the members of the chapter are given copies to review and discuss before a final vote is taken.
3. Proposed changes, amendments, or revisions require a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the NHS membership.
4. Once the change is passed by the NHS membership, the faculty council must approve the changes in the By-Laws. A majority vote by the faculty council will finalize the change in the By-Laws.
