Constitution and Bylaws 

NHS CONSTITUTION

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 ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1.  The name of this chapter shall be the Pennsbury Chapter of the National Honor Society.

Section 2.  The purpose of this organization 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 Pennsbury High School.  

ARTICLE II: DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms shall have the definitions set forth in this article:

·         Board shall refer to the Pennsbury Board of School Directors

·         District shall refer to the Pennsbury School District

·         Student Activity Accounts (SAA) shall include the financial accounts of Pennsbury’s National Honor Society.  Such accounts shall be separate from the District’s General Fund (Budget) Account.

·         Organization shall refer to the group named in Article 1 of these bylaws.

·         Majority of members shall refer to a majority of the members present at the time a vote is taken, unless expressly provided otherwise.

ARTICLE III: THE 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 community. 

Section 2.  The chapter adviser shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transactions. 

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. 

Section 5.  The chapter adviser shall be an ex officio, nonvoting, sixth member of the Faculty Council in matters of discipline and dismissal and shall facilitate all meetings of the council. 

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

ARTICLE IV: THE FACULTY COUNCIL 

Section 1.   The Faculty Council shall consist of five (5) voting faculty members appointed annually by the principal. The chapter adviser shall be an ex officio, nonvoting, sixth member of the Faculty Council in matter of discipline and dismissal. 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 nonselection, dismissal, other disciplinary actions, and warning cases. 

Section 4.   The Faculty Council will develop and revise, when necessary, all chapter procedures for selection, discipline, and dismissal of members, all of which must remain in compliance with this Constitution and NHS policies.

ARTICLE V: MEMBERSHIP 

Section 1.   Membership in this chapter is an honor bestowed upon a student. Selection for membership is by the adviser and 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.  The selection of each member to the chapter shall be by a majority vote of the Faculty Council. Prior to notification of any candidates, the chapter adviser shall review with the principal the results of the Faculty Council’s deliberations.

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

Section 3.  Active members will be selected during their junior year by the adviser and the Faculty Council, providing they meet required standards established in this chapter’s application.  All juniors with a 5th term minimum 3.5 weighed cumulative GPA are eligible to petition for membership upon invitation.  The petitioner will verify 

·         a minimum of 15 hours of acceptable community service from freshman to junior year

·         leadership within the school and the community from freshman to junior year

·         involvement within the school and the community from freshman to junior year

The school establishment will verify 

·         student's character has not come into question (within the school) from freshman to junior year 

There must be a minimum of two different organizations represented in the above three criteria.

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

Section 5.   Members who are seniors in good standing are eligible to apply and compete in the National Honor Society Scholarship program. 

Section 6.   An NHS member who transfers to another school and brings a letter from the principal or chapter adviser to the new school adviser shall be accepted automatically as a member in the new school’s chapter. Transfer members must meet the new chapter’s standards within one semester in order to retain membership. 

Section 7.   Members who resign or are dismissed are never again eligible for membership or its benefits.

Section 8.  The Faculty Council shall support the school leader in creating and sustaining a school environment in which each student is known, accepted and valued, trusted and respected, cared for and encouraged to be an active and responsible member of the school community. As such, the Faculty Council shall reserve the right to award honorary membership to students who warrant special consideration—including those who receive accommodations for a disability, 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. The Faculty Council might also award honorary membership to school officials, principals, teachers, NHS advisers, or other adults. Honorary membership grants to the recipient all of the privileges of membership without the obligations associated with active member status. 

Section 9.  The annual dues for this chapter are $20.00.  Dues are payable at induction.  

ARTICLE VI: DISCIPLINE AND DISMISSAL 

Section 1.   The Faculty Council, in compliance with the rules and regulations of the National Honor Society, shall determine the procedure for dismissal. A written description of the dismissal procedure shall be available to interested parties.

Section 2.   Members who fall below the standards that were the basis for their selection shall be promptly warned in writing by the chapter adviser and given a reasonable amount of time to correct the deficiency, except that in the case of flagrant violation of school rules, the school conduct policy, or the law, a member does not have to be warned. 

Section 3.   The Faculty Council shall determine when an individual has exceeded a reasonable number of warnings. 

Section 4.   In all cases of pending dismissal, a member shall have a right to a hearing before the Faculty Council. (Note: This hearing is required and is considered “due process” for all members.) 

Section 5.   For purposes of dismissal, a majority vote of the Faculty Council is required. 

Section 6.   A member who has been dismissed may appeal the decision of the Faculty Council to the principal and thereafter under the same rules for disciplinary appeals in the school district. 

Section 7.   NASSP shall hear no appeals in dismissal cases.

ARTICLE VII:  ACTIVITIES

Section 1.   This chapter offers numerous service opportunities for each year. 

Section 2.   All members shall regularly participate in these opportunities. 

Section 3.   These opportunities shall have the following characteristics: Fulfill a need within the school or community; have the support of the administration and the faculty; be appropriate and educationally defensible; be well planned, organized, and executed. 

Section 4.   Each member shall have the responsibility for choosing and participating in an individual service opportunities that reflect his or her particular talents and interests. This is in addition to the chapter projects to which all members contribute.

ARTICLE VIII: TUTORING

Section 1:  All members shall participate in tutoring.

Section 2:  Tutoring cannot be fulfilled by tutoring a family member (i.e., a sister, brother, etc.).

 ARTICLE IX: CHAPTER OFFICERS

Section 1.   The officers of this chapter will be elected by a majority vote of the NHS students.  

Section 2.  The officers of this chapter are president, vice president, secretary, treasurer

Section 3.  Officers must be members of the organization.

The role of the president is extremely important.  You must be a natural leader, display decision making skills, and support your fellow officers and membership fully.  You should have excellent people skills, a strong work ethic, organizational skills, and the ability to speak to a large audience.  You must keep yourself aware of the many events and activities in which the NHS participates and be present at most events. You will be in charge of taking pictures and putting them on social media/adding them to our Google Drive. Additionally, the president helps organize Fall and Spring Induction. Lastly, you will be a point person for current members and a liaison between the advisors and officers.  

The duties of vice president are both time consuming and rewarding.  As vice president, you will work with Mrs. Daley to effectively run the tutoring program.  You need to have good people, speaking, and organizational skills, as well as a strong work ethic. The vice president is required to attend events and assist the president with finding additional opportunities for service and charity. 

The position of secretary requires a significant amount of time.  The secretary is responsible for handling members’ points.  You must be very organized; you will maintain an Excel spreadsheet of member points and communicate to the entire membership through group emails.  The secretary has frequent contact with the membership.  Organization, time, and an ability to resist peer-pressure are important to this position. 

The treasurer will assist the adviser with counting money, collecting dues, and budgeting issues that may arise.  The treasurer is often called upon on short notice when other officers are unable to attend events.  You will help promote the bi-annual Blood Drive and run sign-ups. Lastly, you will organize any additional fundraising events that the group wants to hold. 

Section 1.   The executive committee shall consist of the officers of the chapter and the chapter adviser. 

Section 2.   The executive committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the chapter between its business meetings, make recommendations to the chapter, and determine and perform such other duties as are specified in the chapter bylaws. All actions and recommendations of the executive committee shall be subject to the review of the chapter membership. 

Section 3.   The executive committee shall have the responsibility for ensuring that chapter activities and procedures follow school policy and regulations.

 ARTICLE XI: SUPERVISION

Section 1.  The activities of this chapter shall be subject to the approval of the high school principal and/or the adviser of the chapter.