High Technology High School National Honor Society Chapter Bylaws (2015)
The High Technology High School National Honor Society Chapter will conform to the constitution of the National Honor Society as set forth by the National Council.
Article I
NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1. The name of this chapter is the High Technology High School Chapter of the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools.
Section 2. The purpose of this chapter is to encourage scholarship, service, leadership and personal character growth.
Article II
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership is an honor bestowed upon a student, based on outstanding scholarship, service, leadership and character. Once selected, members have the responsibility to continue to demonstrate these qualities.
Section 2. Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony.
Section 3. Members who are seniors in good standing are eligible to be nominated to compete in the National Honor Society Scholarship Program.
Section 4. The faculty council reserves the right to award honorary membership to school officials, principals, teachers, National Honor Society advisor, or adults in recognition of outstanding service rendered to the school in keeping with the purpose of the National Honor Society.
Section 5. Membership is known as active and graduate. Active members become graduate members at graduation. Graduate members have no vote or voice in chapter affairs.
Section 6. To be eligible for selection to membership in this chapter, the candidate must be a junior or senior and have attended High Technology High School for a minimum of one year.
Article III SELECTION OF MEMBERS
Section 1. Candidates must have a cumulative scholastic average of 92.00 or better. The academic threshold is 92.00 exactly (an average of 91.99 would fail this threshold). A student's average includes freshman and sophomore grades from the High Technology High School for junior candidates and freshman, sophomore and junior grades for senior candidates. Transfer student's grades, which are in letterform, are converted to the mid- numerical equivalent grade of their school. If no numerical scale is provided, the letter grade is converted to match the corresponding mid-numerical grade at the High Technology High School.
Section 2. Juniors and seniors who are eligible scholastically are notified and told they must meet the criteria for service, leadership and character to be elected to the NHS. Membership is never considered on the basis of grades alone.
Section 3. Prior to the final selection, the following shall occur:
I. Students' academic records are reviewed to determine scholastic eligibility.
II. Students who are eligible scholastically are notified and asked to complete Service Hour Verification and Leadership Hour Verification forms for further consideration.
III. The faculty is requested to comment on candidates determined to be scholastically eligible.
IV. The Faculty Council reviews the Service Hour and Leadership Hour forms and faculty comments.
Section 4. The final selection of members is by majority vote of the Faculty Council consisting of five faculty members appointed by the principal. The chapter advisor is the sixth, non-voting, ex-officio member of the Faculty Council.
Section 5. The selection of active members is held once a year during the first semester of the school year.
Article IV CHAPTER OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the chapter shall be president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and historian.
Section 2. Student officers are elected at the end of each school year from chapter members of the junior class. They shall hold office during their senior year. Section 3. Elections are by closed ballot.
- Elections are to be held at a lunch meeting open to juniors and current officers on
a date within May or June. - All members intending to run for an elected position must be present during the
election process. - All members must be present for the vote to take place, except for special
circumstances. - The election process is as follows:
a. Each candidate will have the chance to speak for up to one minute, immediately before the vote for his/her highest intended position.
b. Elections occur in the following order: president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and then historian.
c. If necessary, elections may span two days.
d. In the event of a tie in a given election, the current executive council will vote in order to break the tie. In the event that there is an even number of members on the current executive council, the chapter advisor will also vote alongside the current executive council in order to break the tie.
A president is a motivator, manager and role model. The president's main duty is public relations. The president's role is to organize all of the chapter's service projects. The president is responsible for seeing that everyone does his job and stays on task.
Section 7. Vice President
The vice president is obligated to stay as well informed on chapter affairs as the president. The vice president is responsible for supervising the service projects along with the president. One of the principal duties of the vice president is to document the service hours of all NHS members.
Section 8. Secretary
The secretary keeps minutes of meetings and is in charge of any correspondence, including advertisements for NHS sponsored projects and events.
Section 9. Historian
The historian keeps attendance records to make sure that members attend all required meetings and service projects. The historian is also responsible for keeping accounts, descriptions, and/or pictures of functions and activities conducted by or in conjunction with the National Honors Society.
Section 10. In the event that the president vacates, the vice president will assume the position. All other vacated positions are filled by an open election from members of the conserving body.
Article V EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Section 1. The Executive Council consists of the elected officers of the chapter and the chapter advisor.
Section 2. The Executive Council has general supervision of the affairs of the chapter. It is in charge of the organization and supervision of all chapter projects. The council has the power to appoint members as coordinators of the chapter's service projects.
Section 3. The Executive Council has the responsibility for insuring that chapter activities follow school policy.
Article VI RESPONSIBILITIES AS MEMBERS
Section 1: To be a member in good standing an NHS participant must fulfill the following responsibilities:
1. All members must attend meetings.
2. All members must participate in three service projects each year unless extenuating circumstances exist.
3. All members must participate in and/or attend HTHS Splash.
4. All members must behave appropriately during meetings, service projects, and other NHS functions.
5. All members must perform service hour requirements as delineated in Article IX.
Article VII MEETINGS
Section 1. Meetings are held on an as needed basis under the direction of the Executive Council. All required meetings will be e-mailed to students.
Section 2. All members must arrive at the lunch meeting no later than three minutes of the announced time. Likewise, no one leaves the meeting until dismissed.
Section 3. Inappropriate behavior during meetings will not be tolerated, and any students demonstrating inappropriate behavior will receive 1 demerit.
Section 4. If a member misses a meeting with an unexcused absence he/she will receive two demerits. Four demerits are grounds for probation.
Article VIII SERVICE PROJECTS
Section 1. All group service projects must be approved by the Executive Council.
Section 2. These projects should 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 sound; and be well planned, organized and executed.
Section 3. The project must have a minimum of six people participating in a service role.
Section 4. The required three NHS service projects may not be counted toward monthly hours. However, participation in any additional service projects can be counted towards the monthly hour requirement.
Section 5. A member must participate in three National Honor Society service projects by the Monday following HTHS Splash. A Senior who has not participated in three National Honor Society service projects by this date will not graduate as a member of the HTHS chapter of NHS. A Junior who has not participated in two National Honor Society service projects by this date will receive 4 demerits and be placed on probation for their Senior year.
Article IX SERVICE HOURS
Section 1. All members must submit monthly hours by the 5th of the following month.
Section 2. Extracurriculars/sports will not be considered service hours beginning in July 2016.
Section 3. All members must submit twelve hours total for the months of June, July, and August by the 5th of September.
Section 4. If the hours do not meet acceptable NHS service requirements, the student must complete replacement hours within 30 days of notification.
Section 5. If the hours are not handed in by the 5th an email will be sent to the student and he/she will receive one demerit.
Section 6. If a member does not submit hours by the end of that month he/she will incur an additional demerit.
Section 7. For each successive month in which the hours are not fulfilled the member will receive an additional demerit.
Section 8. Once four demerits accumulate this is grounds for probation.
Section 9. The probation period for a service hour deficiency shall continue indefinitely. If the student receives one other demerit, this is grounds for dismissal.
Section 10. Community service hours can be completed and submitted for a reduction in demerits. 3 community service hours will be sufficient to remove 1 demerit. (Participating in a team or club activity will not be considered as community service for the purposes of removing demerits.)
Article X
CAUSES FOR PROBATION/DISMISSAL
Section 1: Definitions
Probation - a time period in which a student can rectify deficiencies. If this is not accomplished within the proscribed period dismissal procedures will begin. Dismissal - a member is removed from NHS and will not graduate with NHS status.
Section 2. A member may be dismissed if he/she does not fulfill the obligations of National Honor Society.
Section 3. Academics
Members who fall below the NHS academic standards, which were the basis for their selection, are promptly warned by the NHS advisor in writing (copy to parent or guardian) of the nature of the violation, the time period given for improvement, and the possible consequences of non-improvement. During this time the member is placed on probation by the chapter advisor and given one marking period to correct the deficiency. All seniors must have a cumulative average of 92.00 at the end of the third marking period in order to graduate as members of the National Honor Society.
Section 4. Procedures
Members who fall below the NHS procedural standards are promptly warned in writing (copy to parent or guardian) of the nature of the violation, the time period given for improvement and the possible consequences of non-improvement. During this time the member is placed on probation by the chapter advisor and given one marking period to correct the deficiency.
Section 5. Character
Members who fall below the NHS character standards, which were the basis for their selection, will either be placed on probation or will be dismissed from National Honor Society. In the case of character deficiencies, the member will receive a warning letter (copy to parent or guardian) of the nature of the violation, the time period given for improvement and the possible consequences of non-improvement. During this time the member is placed on probation by the chapter advisor and given one marking period to correct the deficiency. In the event of flagrant violation of school rules, civil or criminal laws, members are automatically subject to the dismissal process, without prior warning or notification.
The causes for dismissal shall include, but not be limited to the following:
a. The use, sale, distribution, or possession of dangerous drugs, controlled substances, or alcoholic beverages during school hours.
b. The use of tobacco during school hours
c. Destruction and/or defacing of school property
d. Malicious damage to personal property.
e. Theft
f. Threatening or attacking other students and/or school personnel
g. Willful or continued disobedience
h. Carrying dangerous and/or offensive weapons
i. Leaving the school without permission during the day
j. Truancy
k. Invalid absence from school or assigned place
l. Creating a safety hazard
m. Fighting
n. Cheating/ plagiarism
o. Violations of the HTHS Academic Integrity Policy
p. Open defiance of the authority of any teacher or person having authority q. Violations of the HTHS Accepted Use Policy for the BBS and Internet
Article XI DISMISSAL PROCEDURE
Section 1. Dismissal proceedings will begin for members who fall below the
NHS standards which are the basis for their selection, or who fail to rectify conditions of probation within the prescribed time as delineated in the previous sections.
Section 2: In all cases of impending dismissal, a member will have the right to a hearing before the Faculty Council.
Section 3. The member and parent/guardian will promptly receive a written notification of the commencement of these proceedings from the chapter advisor. The letter will apprise him/her of the reason for possible dismissal, a date for the meeting and the member's right to a hearing before the Faculty Council.
Section 4. A member has the opportunity to present his/her defense, with or without a parent/guardian present.
Section 5. The Faculty Council will meet in executive session and make a decision based on evidence presented and any extenuating circumstances. Dismissal will be by majority vote of the council members.
Section 6. If a member is dismissed, he/she is notified in writing by the building principal within 10 days, with a certified copy of the letter forwarded to his/her parent/guardian.
Section 7. Dismissal may be appealed in accordance with Student Grievance Policy (#510) in the HTHS Student Handbook.
Section 8. If a member is dismissed from the National Honor Society, he/she is expected to surrender the membership card, pin, and certificate to the chapter advisor. When a student is dismissed, he/she is no longer a member and may never again be considered for membership in the National Honor Society.
Article XII RESIGNATION
Section 1: A member who wants to resign from the National Honor Society (NHS) should submit a letter to the NHS advisor that is dated and signed by both him/herself and his/her parent/guardian.
Section 2: A member who resigns from the National Honor Society (NHS) will never again be eligible for NHS membership and must surrender his/her NHS certificate, pin and membership card to the chapter advisor.
Article XIII AMENDMENT
Section 1. These Bylaws will be reviewed and amended as needed by the Faculty Council.
June 2019
