The National Honor Society County Membership Information

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The National Honor Society is the front runner of organizations and societies that promote appropriate recognition for students who reflect outstanding accomplishments in the areas of scholarship, character, leadership and service. There are thousands of NHS chapters in high schools across the nation and in each one of Broward County’s public high schools.

College admissions officers often look for Honor Society membership as a valid indicator that the applicants will succeed at the collegiate level of education. Honor Society members have already demonstrated academic ability, leadership qualities, honorable and admirable charter and a willingness to use their talents and skills to improve their society through service.

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 Honor Society Chapter provides individual members the opportunity to share their talents with the other students, their school and their community.

Adapted from the Introduction to the National Honor Society Handbook.

NATIONAL AND STATE ORGANIZATION

The structure of the individual National Honor Society Chapters in Broward’s public schools is determined to a great degree, by the constitution and the by-laws of both the National Honor Society, sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals through its Division of Student Activities and by the Florida Chapter of the national Honor Society. All of Broward’s public school chapters are encouraged to belong to both organizations.

BROARD COUNTY NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION

PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY
Students may become eligible for membership in the National Honor Society at the beginning of the second semester of their sophomore year.

TRANSFER STUDENTS
In compliance with national requirements, NHS members who transfer into any high school will become members of the receiving school’s NHS Chapter as soon as proof of active NHS member who transfers into a Broward Public High School must be a student at that high school for one semester before they are eligible for membership.

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
The qualifications for membership in the National Honor Society Chapters of all Broward Public High Schools will be in compliance with the general requirements as set forth in the Handbooks of the Florida Chapter of the National Honor Society and of the National Honor Society itself. That is, achievement in the following four areas will be necessary for membership: Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character.

CHARACTER
Students are assumed to be of good character unless there is documentation of disciplinary action taken by the school, community or state for serious or persistent misconduct on the part of the student

SERVICE
It will be necessary for a student to accumulate 30 hours of documented service from the time of the student’s entry into high school to be eligible for NHS membership. Only service hours that apply to The Student Volunteer Service Program and documented on the forms provided for use in that program will be accepted as verification of service rendered.

LEADERSHIP
Achievement in the area of Leadership will be determined by:
1. Documented evidence of election, appointment or experience in two leadership positions in school sponsored organizations or functions. The documentation must be provided by and adult involved with the organization or the function, or a school administrator.
2. Letters of recommendation from a teacher, administrator or other school staff member documenting two specific instances in which the student demonstrated leadership.
3. A combination of on example of leadership from both 1 and 2 above.
4. A combination of none example of leadership from either 1 or 2 combined with a letter of recommendation from a community leader, a religious leader or and employer documenting a specific instance in which the student demonstrated leadership. Receipt of the documentation or letters of recommendation will be considered as proof of leadership. Recommendations will not be accepted from members of the student’s family.

SCHOLARSHIP
The Academic Achievement necessary for membership in the national Honor Society will be a weighted 3.5 cumulative Grade Point Average.

NOTIFICATION
Upon entrance into high school all students will be notified of the requirements for NHS membership. All students attaining the 3.5 GPA within the period of eligibility will be given a membership survey and will be allowed 10 school days to return it.

THE FACULTY COMMITTEE
It will be the job of the faculty committee at each school to verify that the requirements have been met by each applicant. All applicants who meet these requirements will be admitted to the national Honor Society.

PRINCIPAL’S INVOVEMENT
No student may be denied membership in or removed from NHS unless the principal formally agrees of that Action.

MAINTAING MEMBERSHIP
The following standards must be maintained for a student to remain in the National Honor Society.
1. Scholarship- a 3.5 cumulative GPA must be maintained
2. Character- A continued record clear of school disciplinary action.
3. A minimum of sixty (60) hours of service per year (20 of which must be rendered too the school’s NHS chapter.) These hours must be documented through the student volunteer program or by the NHS sponsor. The service hours needed to maintain NHS membership may not be the same as service hours needed to earn recognition in the Student Volunteer Program, particularly if those hours are earned working on NHS projects.
4. If a student becomes a member of the school’s NHS chapter at the end of the first semester of their Senior year, that student must complete at least 30 hours of service (10 of which must be rendered to the NHS chapter0n a period of time ending 10 days prior to the start of senior exams or be removed from membership

PROBATION AND REMOVAL
Schools may use probation as a method of warning members that their grades or service hours are not meeting NHS standards. The period of probation can vary from a marking period to a semester. With regard to character, the seriousness of the disciplinary even (referrals, indication of unsatisfactory conduct on the grade car, suspension or conviction of a crime) should be considered, but documented indications of failings in this area will usually result in removal from the chapter. In all cases of dismissal, the school should follow the steps outline in the nation Honor Society handbook. As per the NHS National Constitution, once a student is removed from the National Honor society they can never rejoin.

MISCELLANEIOUS ITEMS
In all matters not mentioned above Broward County schools will adhere to the policies of the Florida Chapters of the nation Honor Society and the National Honor Society.