Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools (NHS).
Section 2. The purpose of this organization shall be to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of secondary schools.
Section 3. The NHS shall be under the sponsorship and supervision of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), 1904 Association Dr., Reston, Va. 22091.
Article II The National Council
Section 1. The control of this organization shall be vested in the National Council.
Section 2. The National Council shall consist of seven members appointed by the Board of Directors of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The executive director of NASSP shall be a member ex-officio of the National Council and shall serve as treasurer of NHS. The director of NASSP's Division of Student Activities shall serve as secretary of the National Council.
Section 3. The seven members shall be appointed for a three-year term.
Section 4. Four members shall constitute a quorum of the National Council.
Article III State/Regional Organizations
Section 1. Local chapters may choose to organize state or regional associations.
Section 2. Any state or regional association of National Honor Society chapters shall conform to this constitution and shall work with the NASSP Division of Student Activities in furthering the purposes of this organization.
Article IV Local Chapters
Section 1. Secondary schools accredited by state departments of education or by accrediting agencies approved by the National Council are eligible to apply for a charter for a local chapter.
Section 2. Each chapter shall pay a one-time charter fee determined by the National Council.
Section 3. The annual chapter dues, if any, shall not exceed five dollars. The exact amount shall be determined by the executive committee of the chapter and shall be subject ot the approval of the chapter membership.
Section 4. Duly chartered local chapters shall conform to this consitution as set forth by the National Council. Failure to do so may result in the loss of the charter.
Article V The Principal
Section 1. The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapters.
Section 2. The principal shall annually appoint a chapter adviser, who may serve consecutive terms.
Article VI The Chapter Adviser
Section 1. The chapter adviser shall be responsible for the direct, day-to-day supervision of the chapter and act as liasion between faculty, administration, students, and community.
Section 2. The chapter adviser shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transactions. The chapter adviser shall send the annual report to the national office.
Section 3. The chapter adviser shall regularly review each member for compliance with Society standards and obligations.
Section 4. The chapter adviser shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties.
Article VII Faculty Council
Section 1. The faculty council shall consist of five faculty members appointed annually by the principal.
Section 2. The term of the faculty council shall be one year. Members may be appointed to consecutive terms.
Section 3. The chapter adviser shall be an ex-officio member of the faculty council.
Section 4. The faculty council shall meet at least once a year to select members and to consider dismissal, nonselection, and warning cases.
Article VIII Membership
Section 1. Membership in local chapters is an honor bestowed upon a student. Selection for membership is by a faculty council and is based on outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, and service. Once selected, members have the responsibility to continue to demonstrate the qualities of scholarship, leadership, service, and character.
Section 2. Membership shall be known as active and graduate. Active members shall become graduate members at graduation. Graduate members shall have no voice or vote in chapter affairs.
Section 3. The faculty council shall reserve the right to award honorary membership to school officials, principals, teachers, NHS advisers, or citizens in recognition of outstanding service rendered the school in keeping with the purpose of the National Honor Society.
Section 4. New members shall be inducted at a special ceremony.
Section 5. Members who are seniors in good standing are eligible to be nominated by their chapters to compete in the National Honor Society Scholarship Program.
Section 6. A National Honor Society member who transers fo another school and brings a letter from the former principal or chapter adviser to the new school adviser shall be accepted automatically as a maber in the new school's chapter. Transfer members must meet the new chapter's 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.
Article IX Selection of Members
Section 1. To be eligible for membership the candidate must be a member of those classes (sophomore, junior, senior) designated as eligible in the chapter bylaws. (Freshmen [ninth graders] are not eligible.) Candidates must have been in attendance at the school the equivalent of one semester.
Section 2. Candidates must have a cumulative scholastic average of at least 85 percent, B, or 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or the equivalent standard of excellence for that school. Candidates shall then be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership, and character.
Section 3. The selection of members to the chapter shall be by a majority vote of the faculty council.
Section 4. A description of the selection procedure shall be published in an official school publication which is widely available to all students and parents in the school. The selection procedure shall be determined by the faculty councial and shall be consistent with the rules and regulations of the National Honor Society.
Section 4. The National Council and the NASSP shall not review the judgement of the faculty council regarding selection of individual members to local chapters.
Article X Dismissal
Section 1. The procdure for dismissal shall be determined by the faculty council in compliance wiht the rules and regulations of the National Honor Society. A written description of the dismissal procedure shall be available to interested parties.
Section 2. Members who fall below the standars which were the basis for their selection shall be promptly warned in writing by the chapter adviser and given a resonable amount of time to correct the deficiency, except that in the case of flagrant violation of school rules or civic laws a mamber does not necessarily have to be warned.
Section 3. The faculty council shall determine when an individual has exceeded a reasonable number of warnings.
Section 4. In all cases of impending dismissal, a member shall have a right to a hearing before the faculty council.
Section 5. A member who has been dismissed may appeal the decision of the faculty council under the same rules for disciplinary appeals in the school distrit.
Section 6. The National Council and the NASSP shall hear no appeals in dismissal cases.
Article XI Chapter Officers
Section 1. The officers of the chapters, their duties, and the method of their election shall be determined by the members of the chapter and be described in the chapter bylaws.
Section 2. A majority of the votes cast shall be necessary to elect any chapter officer.
Section 3. New officers shall be installed at a special ceremony.
Article XII Executive Committee
Section 1. The executive committee shall consist of the officers of the chapter and the chapter adviser.
Section 2. The executive committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the chapter between its business meetings, make recommendations to the chapter, and determine and perform such other duties as are specified in the chapter bylaws. All actions and recommendations of the executive committee shall be subject to the review of the chapter membership.
Section 3. The executive committee shall have the responsiblity for ensuring that chapter activities and procedures follow school policy and regulations.
Article XIII Meetings
Section 1. Each chapter shall have regular meetings during the school year on days designated by the executive committee and in accordance with school regulations.
Section 2. The regularity of the meetings (i.e., weekly, monthly, bimonthly) shall be designated in the chapter bylaws.
Section 3. Special meetings approved by the executive committee may be called by the president.
Section 4. Chapters shall conduct meetings according to Robert's Rule of Order, Newly Revised in all points not expressly provided for in this constituion or the chapter bylaws.
Article XIV Activities
Section 1. Each chapter shall determine one or more service projects for each year.
Section 2. All members shall regulary participate in these projects.
Section 3. These projects shall 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 defensible; and be well planned, organized, and executed.
Section 4. Each member shall have the responsibility for choosing and participating in a service project which reflects his or her particular talents and interests. This in in addition to the chapter projects to which all members contribute.
Section 5. Each chapter shall publicize its projects in a positive manner.
Article XV Official Insignia
Section 1. This organization shall have an official emblem selected by the National Council. The emblem shall be uniform.
Section 2. The distribution of the emblem and the rules for its use shall be under the exclusive control of the National Council.
Section 3. Each active, graduate, or honorary member shall be entitled to wear this emblem.
Section 4. Any member who resigns or is dismissed shall return the emblem to the chapter adviser.
Section 5. All insignia must be procursed from the national secretary of the National Honor Society, 1904 Association Dr., Reston, Va. 22091. All insignia are registered in the United States Patent Office and may not be copied by anyone.
Section 6. The motto of the National Honor Society shall be Noblesse Oblige.
Section 7. The official colors of the National Honor Society shall be blue and gold.
Section 8. A graduate member may replace a lost emblem by verifying membership to the national office.
Article XVI Amendments
Section 1. This consitution may be ammended at any meeting of the National Council or by mail by any affirmative vote of four members of the National Council.
Article XVII Bylaws
Section 1. Each chapter shall write bylaws to amplify sections of this consitution and to clarify operating procedures of the chapter. Bylaws do not need the approval of the National Council but must be consistent with this consitution.
Section 2. The bylaws shall contain information concerning the election and duties of officers, the schedule of meetings, member obligations, dues, and the like.
