DOMINION HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL
HONOR SOCIETY BYLAWS
ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1:
The name of the chapter shall be the Dominion High School Chapter of the National Honor
Society.
Section 2:
The purpose of this 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 all students at Dominion High School.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1:
Membership in this chapter shall be known as active and graduate. Active members become
graduate members. Graduate members have no voice or vote in chapter affairs.
Section 2:
Membership in this chapter is an honor bestowed upon deserving students by the faculty, and
shall be based on the criteria of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
Section 3:
Candidates eligible for selection to this chapter must:
(a) Be members of either the junior or senior class.
(b) Have been in attendance for a period of one semester at Dominion High School
(procedures for exceptions are described in the National Honor Society Handbook).
(c) Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.
Upon meeting the grade level, attendance, and GPA requirements, candidates for selection shall
be considered based on their service, leadership, and character.
Transferring memberships from other established chapters of the National Honor Society will be
accepted once the Dominion High School Chapter sponsor has verified the transferee’s
membership.
ARTICLE III: SELECTION OF MEMBERS
Section 1:
The selection of members into this chapter shall be by majority vote of the NHS Faculty
Selection Committee, hereafter known as the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee
shall consist of five Dominion High School faculty members appointed annually by the principal.
The NHS sponsor shall be the sixth member, nonvoting, of the Selection Committee.
Section 2:
Prior to selection, the following shall occur:
(a) Student academic records will be reviewed by the NHS sponsor to determine academic
eligibility.
(b) Each student who is eligible scholastically shall be notified, in writing, and asked to
declare whether he/she intends to apply for selection into NHS.
(c) Those students who declare they wish to apply for selection, known as candidates, will be
given a candidate selection packet to complete.
(d) All faculty members at Dominion High School will be provided with a spreadsheet
containing the names of all the candidates. Faculty members will be asked to evaluate
each candidate they know and make a recommendation regarding selection for the
Selection Committee to consider.
(e) The Selection Committee will review all faculty recommendations and candidate
application packets. Then, the Selection Committee will vote on each candidate to
determine who will be selected for membership in the chapter.
(f) The principal will review the results of the selection process.
(g) Each candidate for selection will be personally notified of the results of the selection
process.
(h) Candidates who are not selected may appeal the result to the principal.
Section 3:
The selection of new active members shall be held once a year, in the fall. New candidates will
be eligible and selected from the current junior and senior classes.
Section 4:
Candidates become official members when inducted at a special ceremony which is held
annually in the fall of the current school year.
Section 5:
Once selected and inducted, all members are expected to maintain the standards by which they
were selected and fulfill all obligations of membership as follows:
(a) Attend all scheduled meetings related to the chapter as well as specific committee
meetings.
(b) Bring a canned food item to every meeting. Two canned food items are required for a
missed meeting.
(c) Pay dues prior to, or on, the established deadline.
(d) Join and participate in at least one committee of the DHS National Honor Society.
(e) Participate in activities that are sponsored by the DHS chapter.
(f) Complete the required number of community service and tutoring hours as established by
the chapter officers. The due dates and window for accumulating hours will also be
established by the chapter officers.
(g) All current members and candidates who are being inducted are required to attend the
Induction Ceremony. New candidates are not official members until inducted into the
chapter.
Section 6:
An active member of the National Honor Society who transfers from this school will be given a
letter indicating the status of his/her membership. The letter shall be signed by either the
principal or chapter sponsor.
Section 7:
An active member of the National Honor Society who transfers into this school will be
automatically accepted for membership in this chapter. The Selection Committee shall grant the
transferring member one semester to attain the membership requirements and, thereafter, this
member must maintain those requirements for this chapter in order to retain his/her membership.
NOTE: The guidelines for selection stated above conform to the national constitution of the
National Honor Society.
ARTICLE IV: DISCIPLINE AND DISMISSAL
Section 1:
Any member who falls below any of the standards of scholarship, leadership, character, or
service may be considered for dismissal from the Dominion High School chapter of the National
Honor Society. A member of the National Honor Society is expected to maintain his/her
academic standing, exemplify the highest levels of behavior and character, and take an active
role in service and leadership to his/her school and community.
Section 2:
Disciplinary issues will be heard by and consequences determined by a majority vote of the NHS
Faculty Disciplinary Committee, hereafter known as the Disciplinary Committee. The
Disciplinary Committee shall consist of five Dominion High School faculty members appointed
annually by the principal. The NHS sponsor shall be the sixth member, nonvoting, of the
Disciplinary Committee.
Section 3:
If a member’s cumulative GPA falls below the standard 3.5 which was in effect when he/she was
selected, then he/she will be given a written warning and a time period of one semester for
improvement. If their cumulative GPA remains below the standard at the end of the warning
period, then the member will be subject to further disciplinary action by the Disciplinary
Committee, which may include consideration for dismissal from the chapter.
Section 4:
If a member fails to perform any of the obligations of membership (Article III, Section 5), he/she
will be given a written warning and a time period of one quarter for improvement. If the
obligation remains unmet at the end of the warning period, then the member will be subject to
further disciplinary action by the Disciplinary Committee, which may include consideration for
dismissal from the chapter.
Section 5:
Violation of the law, school regulations, or the Dominion High School Academic Integrity
Policy will result in an automatic disciplinary hearing in front of the Disciplinary Committee.
The result of the hearing may include dismissal from the chapter.
Section 6:
For cases which will involve a hearing before the Disciplinary Committee, the following steps
shall be taken:
(a) The member, and his/her parents, will receive written notification of the violation for
which the member is suspected.
(b) The date and time for the hearing will be stated in the letter.
(c) The member and his/her parents will acknowledge receipt of the notification letter by
signing a copy and returning it to the NHS sponsor.
(d) The member is advised that the hearing is an opportunity to present his/her case before
the Disciplinary Committee.
(e) The member is also advised that he/she may have a parent, or guardian, present for moral
support.
(f) The Disciplinary Committee may choose to interview other students and faculty involved
in the case. All interviews are conducted individually and in private.
(g) After all interviews have been completed and the member has been able to present all
his/her information, the Disciplinary Committee will discuss options for consequences.
(h) The consequences available to the Disciplinary Committee to select range from dismissal
of the case to dismissal of the member from the chapter. This means the Disciplinary
Committee can also impose probation and extra hours of either service or tutoring.
(i) A vote will be taken to determine the consequence that should be imposed. A majority
vote is needed to impose any consequence.
(j) The result of the Disciplinary Committee vote will be reviewed by the principal, and
then, if confirmed, expressed in a letter sent to the member and his/her parents.
(k) The Disciplinary Committee’s decision may be appealed to the principal and then under
the school district’s policies governing disciplinary appeals.
Section 7:
When a member is dismissed or resigns, he/she is no longer a member and may not be
reconsidered for membership in the National Honor Society.
ARTICLE V: OFFICERS
Section 1:
The officers of the chapter shall be; President, Vice President for Community Service, Vice
President for Tutoring, Secretary, and Historian.
Section 2:
Officers shall be elected during the last meeting of each school year from members who are in
the junior class. All members who are juniors are eligible to run for a position as an officer. All
members who are juniors are eligible to vote.
Section 3:
A majority vote shall be necessary to elect any officer of this chapter. If the first vote does not
yield a majority, a second vote shall be taken of the two candidates receiving the highest number
of votes.
Section 4:
The president shall preside over the meetings of the chapter and the executive committee.
Section 5:
The vice-president for community services shall keep a record of members’ community service
hours. This officer is also responsible for helping the chapter sponsor organize, post, and
advertise community service requests and opportunities that are received by the chapter.
Section 6:
The vice-president for tutoring shall;
(a) Keep a record of members’ tutoring hours.
(b) Consolidate, organize, and create an electronic spreadsheet of all members and the
subject areas in which they are willing to tutor.
(c) Assist the NHS sponsor with advertising and filling tutoring requests that are received
from either Dominion students or families outside of Dominion.
Section 7:
The secretary shall:
(a) Keep a record of members’ attendance at meetings.
(b) Keep a record of members’ payment of dues.
Section 8:
The historian shall:
(a) Document special events/activities undertaken by the chapter.
(b) Create an annual scrapbook for the chapter.
ARTICLE VI: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1:
The executive committee shall consist of the chapter officers and the chapter sponsor.
Section 2:
The executive committee shall have general charge of the meetings and the business of the
chapter. But, any action taken by the executive committee is subject to review by the members
of the chapter.
ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS
Section 1:
Meetings of this chapter shall be monthly. Additional committee and/or event preparation
meetings will be held as needed.
Section 2:
Executive committee members will be required to meet for one additional meeting per month to
plan the general membership meeting or other times as needed.
Section 3:
All chapter members are expected to bring a canned food item labeled with his/her name as proof
of attendance. If a member misses a meeting, then he/she must bring an extra canned food item
to the next meeting.
ARTICLE VIII: ACTIVITIES
Section 1:
The chapter shall undertake one or more service projects for each year.
Section 2:
All members shall participate in service projects adopted by the chapter.
Section 3:
These projects shall have the following characteristics:
(a) Fulfill a need within the school or community.
(b) Have the support of the administration and the faculty.
(c) Be appropriate and educationally defensible.
(d) Be well planned, organized, and executed.
Section 4:
Each member shall have the responsibility for choosing and participating in individual service
projects that reflect his/her particular talents and interests. This is in addition to the chapter
sponsored projects to which all members contribute.
Section 5:
The chapter service requirements and documentation deadlines shall be established by the
chapter officers and publicized at every chapter meeting. Members shall accurately document
their service hours using the chapter generated service hours log sheet.
Section 6:
The chapter shall publicize its projects in a positive manner.
ARTICLE IX: TUTORING
Section 1:
The chapter shall provide tutoring services to both Dominion High School students and students
in the surrounding community.
Section 2:
All members are required to participate in the tutoring program.
Section 3:
Tutoring services offered by the Dominion High School chapter are designed to be short-term
services that help a student through a specific topic or prepare for a test. These services are not
meant to be long-term services that replace services provided by a commercial tutoring service.
Section 4:
Each member shall have the responsibility of participating in the tutoring program. In addition
to chapter sponsored tutoring services, members may choose to offer their services to students
either in, or out of, Dominion.
Section 5:
The chapter tutoring hour requirements and documentation deadlines shall be established by the
chapter officers and publicized at every chapter meeting. Members shall accurately document
their tutoring hours using the chapter generated tutoring hours log sheet.
Section 6:
The chapter shall publicize its tutoring services in a positive manner.
ARTICLE X: EMBLEM
Section 1:
Each member of this chapter who is in good standing with regard to the membership standards
and member obligations shall have the privilege of wearing the emblem adopted by the National
Honor Society.
Section 2:
Any member who withdraws, resigns, or is dismissed from the chapter shall return the emblem
to the chapter. If the member purchased such emblems the chapter is obligated to reimburse the
student for said expense.
Section 3:
Chapter members who are seniors in good standing shall be granted the privilege of wearing the
honor collar adopted by the chapter at graduation.
ARTICLE XI: DUES
Section 1:
Annual dues for this chapter shall be $20.00.
Section 2:
Dues will be payable to the chapter sponsor by the date posted on the chapter web site.
ARTICLE XII: POWERS
Section 1:
The chapter sponsor is given the authority to supervise the administration of chapter activities as
designated by the school principal.
Section 2:
The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter.
Section 3:
These bylaws are designed to amplify provisions of the national constitution and cannot
contradict any components thereof. The chapter is obligated to adhere to the provisions of the
national constitution in all activities it undertakes.
ARTICLE XIII: AMENDMENTS
Section 1:
These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the chapter, provided notice of the
proposed amendment has been given to the members at least one month prior to the vote. The
exceptions are Articles III and IV (selection and discipline), which are developed by the
Selection Committee and the Disciplinary Committee with approval of the principal.
Section 2:
Bylaws and amendments must be consistent with the constitution of the National honor Society.