Bylaws of the Alvirne High School Chapter

of the

National Honor Society of Secondary Schools

ARTICLE I:
Name and Purpose
Section 1: The name of the chapter shall be the Alvirne High School Chapter of the National Honor
Society.
Section 2: The purpose for this chapter shall be to create enthusiasm for Scholarship, to stimulate a
desire to render Service, to promote Leadership, and to develop Character among the members of
the student body of Alvirne High School.
 

ARTICLE II:
The Principal, Advisor, and Faculty Council
Section 1: The Principal reserves the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter.
Section 2: The chapter Advisor(s) shall maintain files on membership and financial transactions.
Section 3: The chapter Advisor(s) shall regularly review each member for compliance with chapter
standards and obligations.
Section 4: The chapter Advisor(s) shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties.
Section 5: The Faculty Council shall be comprised of at least five voting members serving on a
voluntary basis.
Section 6: Notices shall be sent out to all faculty members in September to request names of those
faculty members interested in serving on the Faculty Council.
Section 7: A quorum of at least five members shall be necessary to have a meeting in which a vote
takes place.
Section 8: The functions of the Faculty Council are to select qualified applicants for induction and to
hold hearings for NHS members not maintaining the standards by which they were selected.
 

ARTICLE III:
Requirements for Admission
Section 1: National Honor Society members are selected by the Faculty Council based upon
outstanding character, scholarship, leadership, and service. After selection, these members will be
expected to uphold chapter standards.
Section 2: Potential junior class members will need a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher based upon
their academic performance in grades 9 and 10 to be eligible. Potential senior class members will
need a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher based upon their academic performance in grades 9,10,
and 11 to be eligible.
Section 3: All applicants must complete the student information sheet distributed by the Advisor (see
attached). All portions of the application must be completed. The application will address the areas
of leadership, service, and character. Submission of a complete application does not in any way
guarantee induction into the organization.
Section 4: Each applicant is required to sign his/her application to indicate that he/she has read the
bylaws and fully understands the guidelines for NHS membership.
Section 5: A special ceremony to induct new members will be held on a specified date each fall.
 

ARTICLE IV:
Election and Duties of the Chapter Officers
Section 1: An election will be held at the May meeting of each school year to elect the officers for
the following year. Only members in their junior year may vote. In order to hold the election, at least
half of the junior members must be in attendance. The term for new officers will begin immediately
following the election.
Section 2: The President is responsible for aiding the other officers with their affairs, conducting the
monthly meetings and helping to coordinate activities for the club.
Section 3: The Vice President is responsible for tracking each member’s monthly service hours and
assisting the President in the organization and execution of club events.
Section 4: The Recording Secretary is responsible for taking notes at the monthly meetings, making
sure information is in order inside the club, and is responsible for handing out the minutes from the
previous meeting to the members. He/She is also responsible for establishing a meeting schedule for
the club for that year.
Section 5: The Corresponding Secretary is responsible for taking attendance at the monthly meetings,
any correspondence between the club and the community, and to form a committee to review,
and revise if necessary, the by-laws at some point during their term.
Section 6: The Treasurer/Publicist is responsible for the club treasury and the club bulletin board.
Section 7: If the Advisor and/or other officers determine that an officer is unable to fulfill his/her duties
as previously determined above, that member will be suspended or dismissed from that office. If
deemed necessary, a replacement will be elected by the active members of the club in a special
election.
Section 8: The President will absorb the duties of any officer on probation and will delegate these
duties to other officers as needed.
 

ARTICLE V:
Meetings
Section 1: A monthly meeting will be held on the first Tuesday of every month after school.
Section 2: All members are required to attend all monthly meetings unless an excusable reason is
provided for that absence. If a member is unable to attend a meeting, he/she must submit the
reason in writing to the Advisor prior to the meeting. In the event that the reason is not submitted in
writing, the absence will be considered unexcused.
A. Two unexcused absences will result in dismissal.
B. Examples of excused absences are as follows: excused or documented absence from
school, excused dismissal from school, participation in an interscholastic activity, serving
on the executive board of another organization when the two meetings unavoidable
conflict with one another. Other circumstances will be determined at the discretion of
the Advisor on a case by case basis.
C. Members are expected to attend meetings on time. If a member is ten minutes or more
late for a meeting, he/she will be considered tardy. Two unexcused tardies will count
as an unexcused absence in the attendance record.
Section 3: The meetings are to be held in an orderly fashion in which the president presides. Everyone
is expected to act responsibly. If a member is not acting accordingly, he/she will be asked to leave
by the Advisor. In that case, the member will be marked with an unexcused tardy for that meeting.
 

ARTICLE VI:
Activities and Service
Section 1: It is mandatory that all members attend all National Honors Society activities. It is your duty
to commit yourself to the activities put on by the organization.
Section 2: Any profits collected at an NHS event will be used for the goodwill of the organization.
Section 3: Each member will keep a monthly service sheet. Service hours are defined as those
accrued from service which is voluntary, with no monetary gain, and directly or indirectly benefiting
the community, school, group, or individual for which the duties were performed. Babysitting, yard
work, housekeeping, etc., when performed by a member for his/ her immediate family or friends,
does not count towards monthly service hours. Tutoring outside of one’s immediate or extended
family does qualify as service. Members are not permitted to count service hours that were
completed as part of a requirement for an academic course.
The monthly service sheet is to reflect 5 hours of community service
The first offense of having an incomplete service sheet will result in probation. The second offense will
result in dismissal from the organization.
Section 5: Service hours used for the member’s monthly service sheet may not be used to fulfill service
hours for other clubs or organizations. Reference numbers and/or signatures from the person for
whom you performed the service will be required unless stated otherwise by the Advisor.
 

ARTICLE VII:
Discipline, Dismissal, and Non-Selection
Section 1: Members of the National Honor Society are expected to maintain the standards of the
organization at all times, whether within or outside of school.
Section 2: Members must maintain a quarterly GPA of 3.3 at the close of each marking period
beginning from the date of their induction. A member whose quarterly GPA falls below 3.3 will be
required to create an academic improvement plan with the NHS advisor(s). Failure to adhere to the
improvement plan may result in dismissal from the chapter.
Section 3: Any serious breaches of the NHS Pledge taken at the induction ceremony will result in an
appearance before the Faculty Council. The Faculty Council will determine what, if any, action will
be taken.
Section 4: Any member facing suspension from the school will be suspended from the organization
until a meeting with the Faculty Council occurs. The Faculty Council will determine what, if any,
action will be taken.
Section 5: Any graduating senior who is not a member in good standing at the time of graduation will
not be issued an NHS cord.
Section 6: Any applicant who is not selected for admission may write an appeal letter to the Faculty
Council addressing any areas of weakness given to them by the Faculty Council via the Advisor.
Applicants will have ten school days to discuss the areas of weakness, and submit their appeals to
the Advisor. The Faculty Council will then meet to discuss the appeals and make their final decision.
Section 7: Any member who faces dismissal from the National Honor Society may petition the Faculty
Council for an appeals hearing. The petition must be filed with the Advisor within five school days.
The Faculty Council will review the petition, interview the student, and render a decision. This is a
confidential process.
Section 8: The Principal is the final authority in all appeals.

Advisors:

Mrs. Donna Morin dmorin@sau81.org

Mr. David Wilder dwilder@sau81.org

Students who have the following qualifications are invited in the fall 

Scholarship—3.5 and above cumulative grade point average - for Juniors. 

Scholarship—3.3 and above cumulative grade point average - for Seniors 

Once invited  - they need to apply - The standards used for their selection will be demonstrated by their activities, personal qualities, recommendations, and essay.

Leadership

Service

Character