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Subject: National Honor Society,
How Students Can Prepare for Candidacy
Dear Parents of High School Students,
We’ve been asked by some of our parents
to please provide further information about the National Honor Society and
how to best prepare their teenager for candidacy to this educationally elite
organization. The attached information is written in response to this
request.
We hope that this will be of help to
you.
Sincerely,
Erinn Magee
High School Principal
Balboa Academy
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HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
The National Honor
Society (NHS) was founded in 1921 in the United States by the NASSP
(National Association of Secondary School Principals). It was the
first nationwide organization of its kind. NHS is the leader among
organizations and societies that promote appropriate recognition for
students who reflect outstanding accomplishments in the areas of
scholarship, character, leadership and service.
Far from being
simply a reward for high academic achievement, the National Honor Society is
a functioning, active group whose members seek to be outstanding leaders and
role models for the school community and to promote the ideals of
Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service among all students.
Selection for NHS membership is truly the highest honor a student can
receive while in high school. College admissions officers often look
for Honor Society membership as a valid indicator that the applicant will
succeed at the collegiate level of post secondary education.
Serving one
another and the community is expressed in the motto of the National Honor
Society, “Noblesse Oblige.” Members of the National Honor Society are
obligated to fulfill the motto with behavior that is honorable, responsible,
and generous to others. The NHS member is willing to use talents and
skills for the improvement of society.
LOCAL SCHOOL
CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
In 2002, Balboa
Academy applied for membership to belong to NHS. Our local school
chapter organization is one of thousands throughout the U.S. and American
schools abroad. The day-to-day administration of NHS national concerns
is handled by the NASSP Department of Student Activities, headquartered in
Reston, Virginia. NASSP appoints a National Council which establishes the
national standards for all NHS chapters.
Balboa Academy’s
local chapter created its own by-laws which are consistent with and comply
with the NHS National Constitution. Any student at BA who is a
Sophomore, Junior or Senior is eligible for consideration for membership in
NHS. All membership selection is handled through the local school
chapter. Only those students who demonstrate outstanding Character,
Leadership and commitment to Community Service, in addition to outstanding
Scholarship, are considered for membership. These four criteria for
selection form the foundation upon which the organization and its activities
are built.
FOUR CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
Scholarship:
A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 at the completion of the
First Semester (December) must be achieved in order to qualify.
Students who have not achieved this average, no matter how well qualified in
other areas, are not eligible for selection.
(Eligible students must complete
and submit a formal application outlining their accomplishments in
predominantly school-related activities.
Application forms must be
submitted by 2:52 PM
on the specified date. A receipt is issued to the student at the time
of submission. There are no
exceptions to this deadline. Students who do not submit an application
form are omitted from the list.)
Students who meet the deadline and the
scholarship requirement for membership will then be eligible for
consideration on the basis of leadership, service and character.
Leadership:
The
student who exercises leadership
Is
resourceful in solving new problems, applying principles, and making
suggestions
Demonstrates initiative in promoting school activities
Exercises influence on peers in upholding school ideals
Is
able to delegate responsibilities
Exemplifies positive attitudes and inspires positive behavior in others
Demonstrates academic initiative and intellectual curiosity (i.e., takes
A.P. courses; shows interest in subject area beyond the prescribed
curriculum)
Successfully holds school offices or positions of responsibility, conducting
business effectively and efficiently, and without prodding, demonstrates
reliability and dependability
Is
a forerunner in the classroom, at work, and in the school or community
activities
Is
thoroughly dependable in any responsibility accepted
Service:
The student who serves:
Participates in some outside activity: service
organizations; church groups; volunteer services for the aged, poor, or
disadvantaged; family duties
Is
willing to represent the class or school in inter-class and inter-scholastic
competition .
Character:
Students
will demonstrate good character by
Upholding principles of morality and ethics
Demonstrating high standards of honesty and reliability
Upholding scholarship and maintaining a loyal school attitude
Volunteering dependable and well-organized assistance, being gladly
available, and being willing to sacrifice to offer assistance
Cheerfully and enthusiastically rendering any requested service to the
school
Showing courtesy, concern and respect by assisting visitors, teachers and
students
Any student who has any documented violation of these principles or school
policies by the teaching staff or administration
may be in jeopardy of not
being admitted into NHS.
Students who are selected for membership will be expected to maintain their
high academic and character standing, as well as continue to serve as
leaders in the school community. They will be expected to regularly
attend NHS meetings and to actively participate in all NHS sponsored
programs.
Ineligible Applicants
Students
may be denied acceptance
into NHS for the following reasons:
Handing in an application after the designated deadline
Omitting sections of the application
Violating a school policy as stated by the Student Handbook and determined
by the
Balboa
Academy
administration
By-Laws
of the Chapter
Membership
Section 1.
Membership in Balboa Academy Honor Society (BAHS) Chapter is an honor
bestowed upon a student. Selection for membership is by the BAHS 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 BAHS Chapter affairs.
Section 3.
The BAHS Faculty Council shall reserve the right to award honorary
membership to school officials,
principals, teachers, BAHS advisers, adults, or students with disabilities,
for achievement and/or outstanding service rendered to the Academy in
keeping with the purposes of the National Honor Society. Honorary
members shall have no voice or vote in BAHS Chapter
affairs.
Section 4.
Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony held each
semester.
Section 5.
Members who are seniors in good standing are eligible to be nominated by the
BAHS Chapter to compete in the National Honor Society Scholarship Program.
Section 6.
A National Honor Society member who transfers from another school and brings
a letter from the school principal or chapter adviser to the BA Chapter
Adviser shall be accepted automatically as a member in the BAHS Chapter.
Transfer members must meet the BAHS Chapter 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.
Selection of Members
Section 1.
To be eligible for membership the candidate must be a member of the
Sophomore, Junior, Senior classes
(tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders).
Freshmen (ninth graders) are not eligible. Candidates must have been
in attendance at the Balboa Academy the equivalent of one full semester.
Some candidates may be ineligible for induction because of the semester
ruling. Many students, including students of military and State Department
parents, are required to move with parents or guardians who have transferred
in their work. The Director should seek a recommendation from the previous
school principal pursuant to the candidate's selection. Based on the
recommendation of the previous principal, the BAHS Faculty Council may waive
the semester regulation.
Section 2.
Candidates must have a cumulative scholastic average of at least a
3.5 on the BA 4.0 scale. The Faculty Council shall evaluate each
Candidate on the basis of service, leadership, and character.
Section 3.
Candidates who meet the
eligibility and scholastic requirement will be requested to complete a
Student Activity Information Form.
(This is an information form and not an application for membership).
The Student Activity Information Forms will be submitted to the
Faculty Council by the end of the second week of school following the end of
each semester.
Section 4.
Faculty Evaluations will be used to
support the strength of a student’s candidacy in the areas of service,
leadership and character. Faculty Evaluation Forms will be submitted to the
Faculty Council by the end of the third week of school following the end of
each semester.
Section 5.
The selection of each Candidate for membership in the chapter shall be by a
majority vote of the Faculty Council at a formal meeting during the fourth
week of school following the end of each semester.
Section 6.
The nomination and selection procedure shall be published in the official
school newspaper and WebPages and made available in a timely fashion to all
students and parents of the Academy. The selection procedure shall be
determined by the Faculty Council and shall be consistent with the rules and
regulations of the National Honor Society.
Section 7.
There
is no appeal
of non-selection of candidates.
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