By-Laws

Official By-laws of the

Hillsboro-Deering Chapter 

of the 

National Honor Society 

(Revised April 2013)

ARTICLE I 

Name and Purpose

Section 1: The name of this organization shall be the Hillsboro-Deering Chapter of the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools. 

Section 2: The purpose of this chapter 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 Hillsboro-Deering High School. 

Section 3: The National Honor Society shall be under the sponsorship and supervision of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. 

Article II

The Principal

Section 1: The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter.

Section 2: The principal shall annually appoint a member of the faculty as chapter Adviser and appoint a five-member Faculty Council.

Section 3: The principal shall receive appeals in cases of non-selection of candidates, and the disciplining or dismissal of members.

Article III

Chapter Adviser 

Section 1: The chapter adviser shall be responsible for the direct, day-to-day supervision of the chapter and act as liaison between faculty, administration, students and the community.

Section 2: The chapter adviser shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transactions. The chapter adviser shall send the annual report to the national office.

Section 3: The chapter adviser shall regularly review each member for compliance with Society standards and obligations.

Section 4: The chapter adviser shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties, including planning and organizing all chapter activities.

Section 5: The chapter adviser shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Faculty Council.

Section 6: The chapter adviser shall be a member of the faculty, appointed annually by the principal, and may serve consecutive terms. 

Section 7: In the event that the principal appoints two or more faculty members, the co-chapter advisers will share all of the responsibilities of the position.

Article IV

The Faculty Council

Section 1: The Faculty Council shall consist of five voting faculty members appointed annually by the principal. The chapter adviser shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Faculty Council. No principal or assistant principal may be included on the Faculty Council. 

Section 2: The term of the Faculty Council shall be one year. Members may be appointed to consecutive terms. 

Section 3: The Faculty Council shall meet at least once a year to review the procedures of the chapter, select members, and to consider non-selection, dismissal, other disciplinary actions and warning cases.

Article V

Membership

Section 1: Membership in this chapter is an honor bestowed upon a student. Selection for membership is by the Faculty Council and is based on outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, and service. Once selected, members have the responsibility to continue to demonstrate these qualities.  

Section 2: Membership shall be known as active, honorary, and graduate. Active members shall become graduate members at graduation. Graduate members shall have no voice or vote in chapter affairs. 

Section 3: The Faculty Council shall reserve the right to award honorary membership to school officials, principals, teachers, advisers, adults, students with disabilities, or foreign exchange students in recognition of achievement and/or outstanding service rendered to the school in keeping with the purposes of the National Honor Society. Honorary members shall have no voice or vote in chapter affairs. 

Section 4: Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony.

Section 5: A National Honor Society member who transfers from another school and brings a letter from the principal or chapter adviser of their old school shall be accepted automatically as a member in the chapter. Transfer members must meet the chapter’s standards within one semester in order to retain membership.

Section 6: Members who resign or are dismissed are never again eligible for membership or its benefits.

Article VI

Selection of Members

Section 1: A candidate eligible for selection must be a member of the sophomore or junior class. Sophomores only become eligible during the second semester of the year. Candidates must have attended Hillsboro-Deering High School for at least one semester.

Section 2: Candidates must have a cumulative scholastic average of at least a 3.4 grade point average to be invited to apply for membership. All eligible students will be invited to apply once a year by the chapter adviser. 

Section 3: Candidates must apply for membership by responding to their invitation to apply with a letter of intent to the chapter adviser. Candidates then must complete an application, consisting of, but not limited to an activities form, activity narrative sheets, an essay and a parent signature page.

Section 4: The final selection of members to this chapter shall be by a majority vote of the Faculty Council, following a review of each candidate’s application and any additional comments from the full staff of the high school. The Faculty Council may not consider scholarship as a factor in their decision if the candidate has met the grade point average requirement.

Section 5: Membership candidates may appeal a decision of the Faculty Council. Candidates must submit a letter of appeal to the chapter adviser. Candidates may request the current Faculty Council to reconsider their decision or may request a new, temporary Faculty Council to make a separate evaluation. Additional appeals from that point are to be addressed to the principal and thereafter under the same rules for disciplinary appeals in the school district.

Article VII

Member Obligations

Section 1: Members must maintain a grade point average of 3.4.

Section 2: Members must maintain the National Honor Society character standard, both inside and outside of school at all times. 

Section 3: Members must complete three hours of community service every month of the school year. Hours must be independent of required community service hours for graduation and excess hours cannot be applied to another month. 

Section 4: Members must sign and abide by all stipulations of the school’s extracurricular contract. Any violations of this contract will make the student ineligible to participate in chapter activities. 

Section 5: Members must attend all meetings of the society during days that they are in attendance at school. Members who are unable to attend meetings must notify the chapter adviser no later than four hours before the meeting. Members are personally responsible for any information missed during meetings. Members may not exceed two unexcused absences.   

Section 6: Members must pay dues to the chapter, totaling ten dollars, within the first month of each school year. Inability to pay dues, due to extenuating circumstances, to be discussed with the chapter advisor, cannot result in probation or dismissal. 

Section 7: Members must participate in the chapter’s mandatory service activities. The chapter adviser will classify service activities as being mandatory at least one month prior to the scheduled activity.

Article VIII

Chapter Activities

Section 1: The Hillsboro-Deering National Honor Society chapter shall hold at least four mandatory service projects during the school year to benefit the community. 

Section 2: All projects of the society must fulfill a need within the school or community; have the support of the administration and the faculty; be appropriate and educationally defensible; and be well-planned, organized and executed.

Section 3: The Hillsboro-Deering National Honor Society chapter shall conduct two character development outings during the school year to support member growth within the standards of the Society. All outings must have the support of administration; be appropriate and educationally defensible; and be well-planned, organized and executed.

Section 4: The National Honor Society shall award one Senior member a book award scholarship at the end of the school year in the amount of $250. Any member may nominate any senior in good standing at the meeting before the annual induction ceremony. The membership will then vote on the scholarship recipient via secret ballot. 

Section 5: The chapter shall publicize its projects in a positive and timely manner.

Article IX

Executive Committee

Section 1: The Executive Committee of the chapter shall consist of four elected officers, namely, President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer-Historian. 

Section 2: Officer elections shall be conducted at the meeting prior to the annual induction ceremony. Officer candidates must be nominated by current members. Newly elected officers will be installed at the annual induction ceremony.

Section 3: A plurality among those voting shall be necessary to elect any officer of this chapter. Voting shall be conducted by secret ballot. If the first vote does not yield a majority, a second vote must be taken on the two candidates receiving the largest number of votes. Abstentions shall have no part in determining the majority.  

Section 4: The Executive Committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the chapter between its meetings, make recommendations to the chapter and determine and perform such other duties as are specified in the chapter bylaws. All actions of the Executive Committee shall be subject to the review of the chapter adviser and chapter membership. 

Section 5: The Executive Committee shall meet weekly with the chapter adviser to plan meeting agendas, organize chapter activities and review chapter membership status. The Executive Committee shall meet once annually with the chapter adviser before the start of school to develop the chapter’s agenda for the year. The Executive Committee shall meet once annually with the principal to discuss the chapter’s agenda for the year.

Section 6: The Executive Committee may appoint committees or houses as necessary to carry on its work.

Section 7: The President’s obligations include, but are not limited to, a. maintaining the chapter as an organized and active group; b. supervising the Executive Committee officers; c. overseeing committee operation; d. leading regularly scheduled meetings; e. serving as a liaison with the chapter advisor and chapter membership; f. overseeing at least one major house or committee; g. reviewing the community service and attendance of all senior members; h. attending all Executive Committee meetings. 

Section 8: The Vice President’s obligations include, but are not limited to, a. assuming any duties of any other officer if absent or unable to perform their responsibilities; b. overseeing at least one major house or committee; c. reviewing the community service and attendance of all junior and sophomore members; d. responsible for all public relations of the society with the school and local newspapers, as well as with the school board student representative; e. conducts all official correspondence of the society, including emailing members and managing announcements; f. keeping orderly conduct at all chapter meetings; g. continually presenting ideas for group and individual community service activities; h. attending all Executive Committee meetings. 

Section 9: The Secretary’s obligations include, but are not limited to, a. keeping accurate minutes during all chapter and Executive Committee meetings; b. presenting typed copies of Executive Committee meetings to chapter adviser within 24 hours and typing minutes of all chapter meetings and putting them up on chapter website within 24 hours; c. maintaining a binder of minutes/notes to be kept in the NHS classroom as a reference for all members and the adviser; d. overseeing at least one major house or committee d. maintaining chapter website in a timely fashion; e. maintaining lists of all volunteers for activities at chapter meetings; f. receiving attendance records of all chapter meetings from the Treasurer-Historian and maintaining accurate member attendance records for the year; g. following up with any members absent at chapter meetings; h. attending all Executive Committee meetings. 

Section 10: The Treasurer-Historian’s obligations include, but are not limited to, a. collecting, counting and depositing all monies of the chapter; b. overseeing at least one major house or committee; c. taking attendance at each chapter meeting and reporting attendance to the Secretary; d. managing and reporting on the financial status of the chapter at meetings, including communicating with school accountant; d. preparing all check requests and deposits for chapter monies; e. collecting and following up with all members regarding dues; f. updating the chapter bulletin board once a month; g. maintaining chapter website in a timely fashion; h. maintaining a scrapbook or log of chapter activities for the year to be presented to the adviser at the close of the school  year; i. continually presenting ideas for fundraising activities; h. attending all Executive Committee meetings. 

Section 11: Officers can be removed by a 2/3 majority of the chapter membership if an officer is not fulfilling their duties. A motion to remove must be introduced and debated at a chapter meeting.

Section 12: If an officer is dismissed, removed or is unable to fulfill their duties, as decided by a 2/3 majority vote of the chapter members, the chapter adviser will appoint another officer to replace them on a temporary basis. An election will be held to permanently fill this position at the next scheduled chapter meeting. 

Article X

Disciplinary Action

Section 1: If a member fails to meet any of the obligations mentioned within Article VII, they may be subject to disciplinary action. Members who fall below the four standards of membership shall be placed on probation by the Faculty Council, as recommended by the chapter adviser.

Section 2: Any member who falls below the G.P.A. scholarship standard will be placed on probation for one semester. Any member who falls below the character, leadership or service standards will be placed on probation for one month. Any member who fails any subject for the quarter will be placed on probation for the subsequent quarter. 

Section 3: The probation process shall include, but not be limited to, written notification of both the member and their parent or guardian explaining the reason for and terms of the probation and an improvement plan developed by the student and adviser at a meeting to discuss the reason for and terms of the probation.

Section 4: If the member successfully remediates the reason for probation by the end of the probationary period, they will be restored as members in good standing. Failure to remediate will result in a recommendation for dismissal by the chapter advisor to the Faculty Council.

Section 5: A majority of the Faculty Council makes all final decisions on probation and dismissal of members. Flagrant violations of school laws or civil and/or criminal statutes may result in immediate dismissal. Repeated violations of membership standards or the student handbook may also result in dismissal. 

Section 6: In all cases of impending dismissal, members have a right to a hearing before the Faculty Council. 

Section 7: A member who is dismissed may appeal the decision to the principal and thereafter under the same rules for disciplinary appeals in the school district.

Article XI

Amendments

Section 1: These bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the chapter at any chapter meeting, provided notice of the amendment has been given to the members at least one meeting prior to the vote. 

Section 2: These bylaws are themselves to be considered amendments to and therefore must be consistent with the National Constitution of the National Honor Society.

Section 3: These bylaws are to be reviewed annually by the Executive Committee and chapter adviser. 

Section 4: All members must sign that they have read and understand these bylaws annually.

The Hillsboro-Deering High School Chapter of the National Honor Society is governed by the NHS National Constitution.