Chapter Bylaws

Cedarburg High School National Honor Society Honor Society

Chapter Bylaws


ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1- Name

The name of this chapter shall be the Cedarburg High School Chapter of the National Honor Society.


Section 2 – Purpose

The purpose of this chapter shall be to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote worthy leadership, and to encourage the development of character in students of Cedarburg High School.


ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 - Membership Type

Membership in this chapter shall be known as active or graduate. Active members become graduate members at graduation. Graduate members have no voice or vote in chapter affairs.


Section 2 – Membership Criteria

Membership in this chapter is an honor bestowed upon deserving students by the faculty, and shall be based on the criteria of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.


Section 3 – Eligibility

  1. Candidates eligible for election to this chapter must be members of the junior or senior class.

  2. To be eligible for selection to membership in this chapter, the candidate must have been in attendance for a period of one semester at Cedarburg High School.

  3. Candidates eligible for selection to the chapter shall have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4. This scholastic level of achievement shall remain fixed, and shall be the required minimum level of scholastic achievement for admission to candidacy. All students who can rise in scholarship to or above such standard may be admitted to candidacy for selection to membership.

  4. Upon meeting the grade level, attendance, and GPA standard requirements, candidates shall then be considered based on their service, leadership, and character.

  5. Candidates must sign the Athletic Code at the beginning of their junior year and abide by it.


ARTICLE III: SELECTION OF MEMBERS

Section 1 – Faculty Council

The selection of members to this chapter shall be by a majority vote of the Faculty Council consisting of five faculty members appointed by the advisor. The chapter advisor(s) shall be additional, nonvoting, ex officio member(s) of the Faculty Council.


Section 2 – Membership Selection Procedure

  1. Students' academic records shall be reviewed to determine scholastic eligibility.

  2. Students who are eligible scholastically ("candidates") shall be notified and asked to complete and submit the Student Activity Information Form and write a Letter of Self Recommendation for further consideration for selection.

  3. The faculty shall be requested to evaluate candidates determined to be scholastically eligible using the official evaluation format provided by the chapter advisor.

  4. The Faculty Council shall review the Student Activity Information Form, Letter of Self Evaluation and faculty evaluations in order to determine membership.


Section 3 – Membership Timeline

The selection of new active members shall be held twice per year, once during second semester of junior year and again during first quarter of senior year.


Section 4 – Induction

Candidates become members after they are inducted at a special ceremony and have accepted and signed the Cedarburg Chapter Bylaws.


Section 5- Rights to the NHS Emblem

Each member of this chapter who is in good standing with regard to the membership standards and member obligations shall have the privilege of wearing the emblem adopted by the National Honor Society.


Section 6— Expectations

Once selected and inducted, all members are expected to maintain the standards by which they were selected and maintain all obligations of membership. (See Article IV)


Section 7 – Transfer of Membership

  1. An active member of the National Honor Society who transfers from this school will be given a letter indicating the status of his or her membership and signed by the principal or chapter advisor.

  2. An active member of the National Honor Society who transfers to this school will be automatically accepted for membership in this chapter. The Faculty Council shall grant to the transferring member one semester to attain the membership requirements and, thereafter, this member must maintain those requirements for this chapter in order to retain his or her membership. Note: The selection process used at the local level may vary from the procedure outlined above; however, such variations must still conform to the national constitution.



ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Meetings


Section 1 -Meetings of this chapter shall be monthly.


Section 2 – Organization of Meetings

This chapter shall conduct its meetings according to Robert’s Rules of Order

(www.robertsrules.org). All officers will be trained in this Order.


Section 3 – Attendance at meetings

All chapter members are expected to attend all regularly scheduled chapter meetings. Members who will be absent need to fill out the excused absence form available in attendance office. This form must be given no later than the day before a scheduled meeting. Please refer to Article V. section 1 regarding Infractions.


B. Activities SECTION 4 PENDING!

Section 4 – Service Hours

Each member is required to perform a minimum amount of service hours.

These hours shall come from group projects and individual service projects.

Members are to complete a minimum of 5 service hours for the Spring semester following induction. Returning senior members are also to complete a minimum of 10 service hours during each semester of their senior year. Hours are to be completed and turned in by the deadline given. See Article V. section 3 regarding service hour infractions.

Section 4a – Type of hours

Service hours must be from both group projects and individual projects.


Section 5 – Projects

The chapter shall determine one or more service projects for each year. All members shall regularly participate in these projects.


Section 6 – Group project(s)

This project(s) shall have the following characteristics: fulfill a need within the

school or community; have the support of the administration and the faculty

council; be appropriate and educationally defensible; and be well planned, organized, and executed by NHS members.


Section 7 – Individual service projects

Each member shall have the responsibility for choosing and participating in an

individual service project that reflects his or her particular talents and

interests and as approved by the chapter advisor(s). This is in addition to the chapter projects to which all members contribute.


Article V. Infractions


Section 1 – Attendance

Attendance is mandatory at monthly meetings. Members who will be absent need to fill out the excused absence form available in attendance office. This form must be given no later than the day before a scheduled meeting. The form must be completely filled out and signed by both member and parent (regardless of age of member). If this form is not turned in or turned in too late, the member shall not be excused from the meeting. After two unexcused absences from meetings, members will receive a written warning, and following a third unexcused absence, members will be subject to dismissal as outlined in Article VI.


Section 2 – Tardies

Tardies of more than 10 minutes at monthly meetings without an excuse (communicated

orally with advisor after meeting) will be noted and considered by Faculty Council should

additional infractions occur. Two tardies will be considered the equivalent of one unexcused

absence.


Section 3 – Service hours

Completed service hours are to be written down on service report (available in attendance office) and turned in by the due date. Signatures must accompany this form in the spaces provided. Service hours must be from both group and individual service projects. Refer to Article VI.


Section 4 – Violation of the law or student discipline

Please refer to student discipline as outlined in the student handbook. Any Disciplinary referral will be reviewed by advisor(s) and faculty council and may result in a warning or consideration for dismissal.


ARTICLE VI: DISCIPLINE AND DISMISSAL

Section 1 – Maintenance of selection criteria

Any member who falls below the standards of scholarship, leadership, character, or service may be considered for dismissal from CHS chapter of the National Honor Society. A member of the NHS is expected to maintain his or her academic standing and take an active role in service and leadership to his or her school and community.


Section 2 – Failure to Maintain Scholarship

If a member’s cumulative GPA falls below the standard in effect when he or she was selected (9.2 GPA), he or she will be given a written warning and a time period for improvement. If

the cumulative GPA remains below standard at the end of the warning period, the student will be subject to further disciplinary action by the Faculty Council, which may include consideration of dismissal from the chapter. Members’ cumulative GPA will be checked at the end of each semester.



Section 3 – Failure to Meet Membership Obligations and Responsibilities

If a member fails to perform any of the published obligations and responsibilities of membership, he or she will be given a written warning and a time period for improvement. If the obligation remains unmet at the end of the warning period, the student will be subject to further disciplinary action by the Faculty Council, which may include dismissal from the chapter.


Section 4 – Legal and Student Discipline Violations

Violation of the law or student discipline (as stated in the student handbook) or CHS NHS bylaws (see Article IV) will receive written warning notification, or can result in dismissal. A conference may be requested by any party (Faculty Council, student, or parent).


Section 5 – In All Cases of Pending Dismissal:

  1. The member will receive written notification indicating the reason for possible dismissal from the advisor(s). The member and advisor(s) will discuss the written notification in a conference. Situations that involve flagrant violations of school rules or the law can warrant disciplinary action without a written warning although a hearing must still be held.

  2. The member will be given the opportunity to respond to the charge against him or her at a hearing before the Faculty Council prior to the vote on dismissal. The Faculty Council will then vote on whether to dismiss. A majority vote of the Faculty Council is needed to dismiss any member.

  3. The results of the Faculty Council vote will be reviewed by the principal and then, if confirmed, expressed in a letter sent to student, parents, and principal. Dismissed members must surrender any membership emblems to the advisor.

  4. The Faculty Council’s decision may be appealed to the building principal.

  5. When a student is dismissed or resigns, he or she is no longer a member and may not be reconsidered for membership in National Honor Society nor claim any membership to National Honor Society.

  6. Any member who withdraws, resigns, or is dismissed from the chapter shall return all NHS paraphernalia to the chapter.


Section 6 – Alternatives to Dismissal

In lieu of dismissal, the Faculty Council may impose disciplinary sanctions upon a member as deemed appropriate.


ARTICLE VII: OFFICERS

Section 1 – Officer Positions

The officers of the chapter shall be president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, public relations officer and tutor coordinator.


Section 2 – Election of Officers

  1. Student officers for the upcoming school year shall be elected during second semester of Junior year. All new members are eligible to run for a position as an officer. All active members of the chapter are eligible to vote.

  2. A majority vote shall be necessary to elect any officer of this chapter. If the first vote does not yield a majority, a second vote shall be taken of the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes.

  3. Section 3- Officer Responsibilities

  4. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at the meetings for this chapter.

  5. The vice president shall preside in the absence of the president and shall also keep a record of members' contributions to leadership and service.

  6. The secretary shall keep the minutes of meetings and be responsible for all official chapter correspondence.

  7. The treasurer shall keep the record of chapter expenses, dues, and all other financial transactions of the chapter. The treasurer is also responsible for coordinating any fundraising done by the chapter.

  8. The public relations officer is responsible for advertisement of chapter events to the public as needed i.e. through the newspaper, posters or internet.

  9. The Tutor Coordinator recruits members for tutoring during school hours, schedules tutors on a monthly basis and responds to tutor needs regarding changes in scheduling while working closely with the adult tutor coordinator at CHS.


Section 4 – Replacement of Officers

If the advisors deem an officer is failing to complete his or her duties, the advisor may issue a warning, which could lead to dismissal from the position. Officers are also subject to removal from their positions in the event that they commit an infraction. In the event that an officer is removed from his or her position or steps down, a new election will take place to fill the position.

ARTICLE VIII: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1 – Executive Committee Members

The executive committee shall consist of the faculty advisor and the chapter officers.


Section 2 – Responsibilities

The executive committee shall have general charge of the meetings and the business of the chapter, but any action by the executive committee is subject to the review of the chapter members.


ARTICLE IX: POWERS

Section 1– Advisor(s)

The chapter advisor is given the authority to supervise the administration of chapter a activities, as delegated by the school principal.


Section 2 – Faculty Council

The Faculty Council must approve all major policy and membership changes.


Section 3 – Principal

The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter.


Section 4 – National Organization

These bylaws are designed to amplify provisions of the national constitution and cannot contradict any components thereof. The chapter is obligated to adhere to the provisions of the national constitution in all activities it undertakes.


ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS

Section 1 – Amendment Provisions

These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the chapter president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, public relations officer, tutor coordinator, advisor(s) and Faculty Council. The school principal has final authority regarding changes to the bylaws.


Section 2 – National Constitution

Bylaws and amendments must be consistent with the constitution of the National Honor Society.


Date: September 5, 2007


Updated: September 24, 2015

Amendments were made to this document on September 24, 2015. The highlighted parts of this document reflect changes which were made after a majority vote from the Faculty Council, NHS Student Officers, and advisors. The Principal Jeff Nelson gave final approval to these amendments on September 24, 2015.