Revised 2.25.14
BY LAWS
WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL CHAPTER
OF
THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
PREAMBLE
Participation in the privilege of membership is an honor bestowed upon a student. Once
selected, members have the responsibility to continue to demonstrate the qualities of scholarship,
leadership, service, and character. Participation in the privilege of membership is open to all
students meeting eligibility requirements.
ARTICLE I
NAME
Section 1.
The name of this chapter shall be the Westlake High School Chapter of the
National Honor Society of Secondary Schools, which appears on the charter
granted by the National Council of the National Honor Society, duly signed by
members of the National Council.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE
Section 1.
National Honor Society is a national organization recognizing outstanding, wellrounded high school students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship,
leadership, service, and character. The object of the chapter shall be to create an
enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote
worthy leadership, and to encourage the development of character in students of
Westlake High School.
ARTICLE III
POWERS VESTED IN THE ORGANIZATION
Section 1.
The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the
chapter. This authority extends to the selection or denial of participation in the
privilege of membership. The principal shall annually appoint a chapter advisor,
who may serve consecutive terms. The principal shall be a part of the local
school district appeal process for denial of participation in the privilege of
membership.
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Section 2.
The chapter advisor(s) shall be responsible for the direct, day-to-day supervision
of the chapter and will act as liaison(s) between faculty, administration, students,
and community. The advisor(s) shall maintain files on membership, chapter
history, activities, and financial transactions. The chapter advisor(s) shall send the
annual report to the national office. The chapter advisor(s) shall assess, every
nine weeks, each member’s compliance with Society standards and obligations.
The advisor(s) shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their
duties.
Section 3.
The Faculty Council (Selection Committee) shall consist of voting faculty
members appointed annually by the principal. No principal or assistant principal
may be on the Faculty Council. The term of the Faculty Council shall be one
year. Members may be appointed to consecutive terms. The chapter advisor(s)
shall be ex-officio, non-voting member(s) of the Faculty Council. The Faculty
Council shall meet at least twice a year to select or deny students’ participation in
the privilege of membership and to consider warning cases. The chapter
advisor(s), the principal, and the Faculty Council will cooperate in developing and
periodically reviewing procedures for the selection and denial of students’
participation in the privilege of membership.
ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.
Participation in the privilege of membership in the chapter is an honor, not a right,
bestowed upon an individual. Selection for participation in the privilege of
membership is determined by the Faculty Council and is based on a candidate’s
demonstration of excellence in each of the four areas of scholarship, character,
leadership, and service. Once selected, members have the responsibility to
continue to demonstrate each of these qualities.
Section 2.
Participation in the privilege of membership shall be known as active and
graduate. Active members shall have one vote. Active members become
graduate members at graduation. Graduate members shall have no voice or vote
in chapter affairs.
Section 3.
Candidates shall have spent at least one semester in the Westlake City Schools
and shall be members of the junior or senior class. Eligible candidates shall have a
minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50. This scholastic level of
achievement shall remain fixed and shall be for this chapter. All students who
can raise in scholarship to, or above, such standard shall be admitted to candidacy
for participation in the privilege of membership. Their eligibility shall then be
considered on the basis of their demonstrated excellence in each of the areas of
service, leadership, and character.
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Section 4.
The Faculty Council shall reserve the right to award honorary membership to
school officials, principals, teachers, NHS advisors, or adults in recognition of
outstanding service rendered to the school in keeping with the purpose of the
National Honor Society.
Section 5.
Candidates become participants in the privilege of membership when inducted at
a special ceremony.
Section 6.
An active member of the National Honor Society who transfers from another
school to this school will be automatically accepted for membership in this
chapter. This transfer member must maintain the membership requirements for
the chapter to which he/she transferred in order to retain membership.
Section 7.
The member shall abide by the rules of the Westlake High School Parent/Student
Handbook.
ARTICLE V
SELECTION OF MEMBERS
Section 1.
A. Participants in the privilege of membership shall be selected according to the
following procedures:
1. Junior who have a 3.50 minimum cumulative grade point average for
the first five high school semesters, and seniors who have a 3.50
minimum cumulative grade point average for the first six high school
semesters are scholastically eligible for consideration.
2. These students are notified and informed that for further consideration
of participation in the privilege of membership in the NHS Chapter,
they must attend an introductory meeting and complete and sign all
forms in the application packet. The application packet includes a
disclaimer form (which acknowledges that the candidate is applying
for consideration of participation in the privilege of membership in the
National Honor Society), three letters of recommendation from faculty
and staff members, a service form (for the purpose of listing studentselected, verifiable service activities), and a leadership form (for the
purpose of listing student-selected, verifiable leadership activities).
Failure to meet the publicized due dates for the completed forms will
result in the withdrawal of the candidate’s name from possible
consideration.
3. Names of all NHS applicants will then be submitted to the general
faculty for additional comment. Teachers who have had contact with
the particular student in the preceding years are asked to assess the
candidate in terms of the established criteria for character and
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leadership. The comments from the faculty vote forms will be
forwarded to the Faculty Council for consideration.
5. Using the comments from the faculty ratings feedback forms and the
candidate’s submitted leadership and service activity forms as well as
letters of recommendation, the Faculty Council will evaluate and
determine the membership eligibility of each applicant. The names of
applicants shall remain anonymous. As determined by the Faculty
Council, students showing clear and consistent evidence of exemplary
performance in each of the areas of scholarship, leadership, service,
and character will be selected for induction.
Section 2.
Students who question their non-selection for participation in the privilege of
membership do not have legal right to a hearing, but they and their parents may be
given an opportunity to present their complaints to the principal and/or chapter
advisor. The principal may reconvene the faculty council if this is warranted by a
procedural error. Faculty comments, ranking, and names of other candidates will
not be reviewed by parents, peers, or faculty members.
Section 3.
The National Council and the NASSP shall not review the judgment of the faculty
council regarding selection of individual members to local chapters.
Section 4.
Foreign exchange students who might not meet all requirements are eligible for
honorary membership.
ARTICLE VI
OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS
Section 1.
Participants in the privilege of membership shall continue to demonstrate the
outstanding qualities of scholarship, leadership, service, and character that
resulted in their selection for participation in the privilege of membership in the
National Honor Society.
Section 2.
Each member shall serve on one of the standing committees of the chapter.
Section 3.
Each member shall attend meetings and participate in both the chapter projects
and fundraisers.
Section 4.
Senior National Honor Society members in good standing will wear the NHS
cords at graduation.
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ARTICLE VII
OFFICERS
Section 1.
The officers of this chapter shall be two Co-Presidents, Corresponding Secretary,
and/or Recording Secretary and Treasurer.
Section 2.
A. The officers of the chapter shall be elected at the last regular meeting of the
year.
B. Students submit an intent to run form with the election chairman and are
elected by secret ballot. If no candidate receives a majority vote, the top two
candidates run again.
C. An officer who repeatedly does not perform his/her duties may be asked to
resign the position or procedures for denial of participation in the privilege of
membership will be followed.
D. Upon recommendation and written notification by the advisor(s), the chapter
may, by a two-thirds majority vote, recommend to the principal the removal of
an officer from his/her position. The vacancy shall be filled according to the
procedures of the officer elections.
Section 3.
It shall be the duty of the Co-Presidents to preside at the meetings of the chapter.
Section 4.
Each Co-President will preside in place of the other in his/her absence.
Section 5.
The chapter secretaries shall keep minutes of the meetings, record all business,
and keep all records on file. At the end of the school year, the chapter secretaries
must certify to the National Honor Society the names of new members.
Section 6.
The Treasurer shall receive and disburse all funds of the chapter and shall keep an
accurate account of receipts and disbursements in accordance with school
regulations.
ARTICLE VIII
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1.
The executive committee shall consist of the faculty advisor(s) and officers of the
chapter.
Section 2.
The executive committee shall have general charge of the meetings and business
of the chapter, but any action on the part of the executive committee may be
subject to the review of the local chapter.
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ARTICLE IX
MEETINGS
Section 1.
The regular meetings of the chapter shall be held during the school years on days
designated by the executive committee and approved by the chapter advisor(s).
Section 2.
A. All meetings shall be open meetings and shall be held under the sponsorship
of the chapter advisor(s).
B. National Honor Society meetings:
1. Will be held bimonthly
2. Will be held during designated class time or before school.
3. Will be announced in advance.
C. All meetings must be attended unless:
1. The member has an excused absence from school.
2. The member has a test or must make up for one already missed, or must
finish a lab already in progress.
D. Penalties for unexcused absenteeism:
1. If a member accumulates two unexcused absences, a letter from the
officers shall be sent notifying him/her of the consequences of a third
absence.
2. If a member has three unexcused absences, the member shall be referred
to the principal for denial of participation in the privilege of membership,
and procedures for the denial begun.
ARTICLE X
ACTIVITIES
Section 1.
A. The chapter’s executive committee shall, at the first meeting of the school
year, select one or more service projects for that year.
B. Other service activities and fundraisers shall be selected by the executive
committee and presented to the membership throughout the year.
C. The executive committee will designate and choose committee chairpersons
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and members to serve on the various projects of the chapter.
ARTICLE XI
DENIAL OF PARTICIPATION IN THE PRIVILEGE OF MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.
Denial of participation in the privilege of membership in the National Honor
Society shall be considered for the following reasons: (1) for the student falling
below the standards which were the basis for his/her selection, (2) for an incident
involving cheating (See Article XI, Section 2), (3) for a violation of school rules
which result in a suspension or expulsion, (4) for a conviction from a violation of
a criminal law which carries a possible jail sentence, or (5) for non-attendance of
meetings, non-participation in projects, or failing to fulfill committee
responsibilities.
Section 2.
A. The NHS definition of cheating is:
1. Giving or receiving help on an examination.
2. Taking someone else’s work or ideas and using them as one’s own in a
composition or speech.
3. And/or allowing someone else to use one’s work or ideas and pass them
off as their own in a composition or speech.
B. Upon written notification by the classroom teacher of a member caught in the
act of cheating, the advisor(s) and officers shall recommend to the principal
the denial of participation in the privilege of membership for that member,
and procedures for this denial will begin.
Section 3.
A. Procedures for denial of participation in privilege of membership
1. The student and his/her parents shall be informed by a letter sent by the
advisor(s) and the officers that denial of participation in the privilege of
membership is being considered and the reasons will be given.
2. In the case of a violation of a school rule which results in a suspension or
a conviction from a violation of a criminal law, no warnings are necessary.
3. A conference may be held with the advisor(s) and the student if so desired.
4. The National Honor Society member is given five school days from the
date of the letter in which to reply to the advisor(s) or the NHS president
any reason why he/she should not be denied further participation in the
privilege of membership.
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5. The National Honor Society member may appear before the Faculty
Council.
6. Upon recommendation by the Faculty Council, the principal may choose
to proceed with the denial of participation in the privilege of membership
of this student. The final decision shall be made by the principal.
7. The member, his/her parents, and the advisor(s) shall be informed in
writing of the principal’s decision.
8. The student, at any time in the dismissal process, has the option of
voluntarily withdrawing his/her membership.
9. The member who is denied participation in the privilege of membership
will no longer be a member and may never again be considered for
membership. The student’s name will be removed from the membership
rolls.
ARTICLE XII
Section 1.
These by-laws may be amended by the recommendation of the chapter advisor(s),
the officers, a 2/3 vote of the membership, and approval of the principal.
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