Officers and Duties

Officer Roles and Duties

• President: The President is the face of NHS. Theirs is the name that is most closely associated with the group as a whole, both by faculty and by students. Members most often approach the president if they have questions or concerns about membership requirements and the happenings of NHS. It is up to the president to have those answers, or to be able to point them in the right direction. In terms of formal responsibilities, it is their job to facilitate all meetings and events with the aid of the other officers. They must call all of the meetings to order, inform members of what needs to be done, and be able to address any questions. As an officer, they are also responsible for assuring that all of those who attend are accounted for in attendance. Additionally, the president is charged with delivering a speech outlining the criteria for selection to NHS at both the winter and spring inductions. They must be comfortable with sharing their own work in an auditorium filled with spectators. Above all else, the president must be confident in their own ability to simply get things done. They must work to ensure that all things NHS run as smoothly and as efficiently as possible.

• Vice President: The Vice-President assists the president and all other officers with administrative duties. This includes, but it not limited to, helping with attendance records and dues, corresponding with members about questions or concerns regarding NHS, attending/leading NHS events and helping conduct them in an orderly manner. During induction ceremonies, the Vice-President will typically recite the pledge with the inductees and officially welcome the new inductees into NHS. The Vice-President will also be tasked with any of the President's responsibilities in the event of his/her absence.

• Secretary: As secretary, one of the main jobs is taking notes during officer meetings and making sure all absent members are aware of what has been planned. S/he is also in charge of keeping track of the timing of events. The secretary often works in conjunction with the other officers in planning events and their timing, as well as the overall running of the club. Furthermore, the secretary is also responsible for sending emails, buying materials for upcoming events, and other small jobs (sometimes folding programs, distributing boxes, etc.). At the winter and spring induction ceremonies, the secretary starts off the program by welcoming guests to the event and leading them in “Pledge of Allegiance” and the “Star-Spangled Banner” (no singing required). 

• Treasurer: The Treasurer of the NHS manages the collection of membership dues and effectively divides expenses for realizing our service activities. This role requires meticulous organizational skills and proficiency with Google Sheets, used for tracking dues and expenses.

• Community Service Coordinator: The Community Service Coordinator is responsible for planning community service opportunities throughout the year and communicating them to the advisers and to the membership at large. The CS Coordinator will also be responsible for attending all off-site events and documenting the members’ activities and attendance at these events by sending a group photo of all in attendance to the advisers.

• Note: The NHS officers largely work together to coordinate events and meetings and it is a team effort. We often just take on work that needs to be done rather than simply sticking to our "assigned" jobs. You must be collaborative, respectful, patient, responsible, and most importantly, be able to pull your weight on a team. NHS officers are also required to assist in setting up before and cleaning up after the induction ceremonies.

Considering running for office? Here are some things to keep in mind...

Prospective officer candidates should note that officer responsibilities amount to about 5-6 hours of extra work per month and include the following:

• 1-2 meetings with the Adviser per month, which are typically held during W-blocks. Months with service events, fundraisers, and induction ceremonies typically require additional meetings. These meetings are not optional.

• Maintenance of this website

• Management of the BLS NHS Gmail and Instagram accounts

• Creating and regularly updating a shared spreadsheet to track member requirements (services, dues, meetings, etc.)

• Suggesting and creating content for the Instagram page and Bulletin Board outside Rm. 164

• Attendance at any club-sponsored activities, including meetings, fundraisers, and service events

• Planning, developing, and running a service event that serves the entire school community

Additional Notes on Eligibility

• Members who are not in good standing are not eligible to run for office. You are not considered in good standing if your most recent report card has any D/F grades and/or you have had conduct or attendance issues which go against the criteria that formed the basis of your selection. 

• If you did not attend your induction ceremony, you are not permitted to run for office.

• If you are President of the Student Council, you may not run for NHS President. You may run for other officer positions provided that your Student Council obligations will not interfere with the time commitments of an NHS officer.

• If you are a Senior Class Officer, you may not run for any NHS office.

• Officer positions are not necessarily permanent. If you consistently miss meetings and chapter events you are required to attend, or do not perform your duties as outlines and expected, you may be removed from office and replaced.

• Please consider your course load and extracurricular commitments you already have before applying to run for office. Can your schedule handle the additional work of an NHS officer and the time commitment every month?

Typical Timeline

• Early September: Informational email about elections sent. Prospective candidates submit interest to Adviser. Adviser checks academic, attendance, and conduct records.

• Mid-September: 

  • Officer election meeting (after school). Candidates give speeches (2 min. max), followed immediately by Google Form vote. Only students in attendance are permitted to vote. 

  • Once votes are tallied, Adviser emails winners who must accept the position.

• Late September: Election results announced. First Adviser/Officer meeting to establish goals and focus for the year.