National Honor Society

Activity:	National Honor Society
Adviser:	Rob Epler
Officers for 2009-2010:	Arturo Schultz  (President) Chase Mlnarik  (Vice-President) Monica Shaffer  (Secretary)

All monthly meetings are mandatory for all NHS members.

NHS general meetings will be held monthly on the second available Wednesday.
Our May meeting, however, will fall on a THURSDAY!


NHS General Meetings for the 2009-2010 School Year:

More NHS Calendar Items:

On Monday, Nov. 2, 93 new members were inducted into BSM's NHS. Read more >>



The National Honor Society is an organization of students selected for membership based on outstanding scholarship, leadership, character, and service. To be eligible for consideration for membership, candidates must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better, must have spent at least one semester at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School, and must be members of the junior or senior class. Once selected, active members must maintain a cumulative GPA of no lower than 3.4, and must continue to uphold the Society’s high standards for leadership, character, and service.

Selection to NHS is a privilege, not a right. Students do not apply for membership in NHS; instead, they provide information to be used by the Faculty Council to support their candidacy for membership. Membership is granted only to those students selected by the Faculty Council at BSM. This is not an election, nor is membership automatically conferred simply because a student has achieved a specified level of academic performance.

NHS meets once a month, as per national standards. These monthly meetings are mandatory for active members. NHS members must also participate actively in NHS-sponsored events, activities, and service projects. NHS offers many opportunities for active participation and service; an active member should have little difficulty meeting these obligations.

SELECTION

The selection of each member is made by a majority vote of the Faculty Council. The Faculty Council consists of five (5) voting members appointed by the Principal. The chapter advisor is an ex officio non-voting member of the Faculty Council. Selection will take place once a year in the fall.

The Faculty Council, when considering a student for membership, will evaluate the student in the areas of leadership, character, and service (the scholarship criterion having been established by the student’s GPA). Eligible students present themselves as candidates for selection by providing documents outlining their leadership, character, and service. A complete and thorough candidate file includes:

1. A personal essay
2. Three (3) character reference forms (letters of recommendation)
3. Student activities form

Eligible candidates should obtain these documents from the chapter advisor upon learning of their eligibility for NHS. These materials should be filled out honestly, with corroborating signatures or other documents (letters, certificates, etc.). Candidates should avoid submitting original or one-of-a-kind documents, as these materials will not be returned to the student. When submitting letters, certificates, etc., photocopies are preferred.

GUIDELINES OF CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP

Candidates for membership are evaluated based on criteria established by the National Honor Society and elaborated in the NHS Handbook. Active members are also expected to live up to these ideals.

LEADERSHIP

The leadership criterion is considered highly important for NHS selection. Leadership roles both within and outside the school community will be considered (provided they can be verified).

The student who demonstrates leadership:

1. successfully holds school offices or positions of responsibility (club officer, team captain, e.g.); conducts business effectively and efficiently; demonstrates reliability and dependability
2. is resourceful in proposing solutions, applying principles, and making suggestions
3. demonstrates initiative in promoting school activities
4. exercises positive influence on peers in upholding school ideals
5. contributes ideas that improve the civic life of the school
6. is able to delegate responsibilities
7. exemplifies positive attitudes
8. inspires positive behavior in others
9. demonstrates academic initiative
10. is a leader in the classroom, at work, and in other school or community activities
11. is thoroughly dependable in any responsibility accepted
12. is willing to uphold scholarship and maintain a loyal school attitude.

CHARACTER

In general, a person of character demonstrates these six qualities, defined as the “Six Pillars of Character” by the Character Counts! Coalition: respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and citizenship.

In addition, it can also be said that the student of character:

1. takes criticism willingly and accepts recommendations graciously
2. consistently exemplifies desirable qualities of behavior (cheerfulness, friendliness, poise, stability)
3. upholds principles of morality and ethics
4. cooperates by complying with school regulations concerning property, programs, office, halls, etc.
5. demonstrates the highest standards of honesty and reliability
6. regularly shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others
7. observes instructions and rules, is punctual, and faithful both inside and outside the classroom
8. has powers of concentration, self-discipline, and sustained attention as shown by perseverance and application to studies
9. manifests truthfulness in acknowledging obedience to rules, avoiding cheating in written work, and showing unwillingness to profit by the mistakes of others
10. actively helps rid the school of bad influences or environment.

SERVICE

Service is generally considered to be those actions undertaken altruistically, i.e., with or on behalf of others, without any direct financial or material compensation. Service contributions to the school, classmates, church, and community at large will be considered.

The student who serves:

1. participates in school organizations whose primary goal is service (e.g., PRIDE, Red Knight Volunteer Corps, etc.)
2. participates in some activity outside of school (e.g., Boy or Girl Scouts, church groups, 4H, hospital volunteer, volunteer groups for the elderly, poor, or disadvantaged, etc.)
3. volunteers and provides dependable and well-organized assistance, is gladly available, and is willing to sacrifice to offer assistance
4. works well with others and is willing to take on difficult or inconspicuous responsibilities
5. cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any requested service
6. is willing to represent the class or school in interclass and interscholastic competition
7. does committee and staff work without complaint
8. mentors persons in the community or students in other schools
9. shows courtesy by assisting visitors, teachers, and students

TIPS FOR CANDIDATES

First and foremost, since the Faculty Council is looking at your candidate materials through the filter of the nationally-established selection criteria, you would be wise to familiarize yourself with these criteria (found under the heading GUIDELINES OF CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP). In order to best present yourself as a candidate, you should try to address as many of these criteria as possible in your materials, without exaggeration or fabrication.

Here are a few more tips for NHS candidates:

1. DO NOT MISS THE DEADLINE. It is absolutely firm; no late materials will be accepted.
2. Please do not submit original documents as corroboration. You will not get this stuff back, so make copies instead.
3. Be sure to sign your student activity forms (the pink one).
4. Make sure your character references sign their forms (the yellow ones).
5. You must get three recommendations. It’s a good idea to have at least one of them come from someone other than a classroom teacher. Coaches, advisors, work supervisors, etc., can offer a perspective different from your classroom teachers.
6. Avoid asking persons of new acquaintance to assess your character. Your new teachers this year might only have known you for a few weeks--hardly enough time to make meaningful comments about your character and leadership abilities. Give your recommendation forms to adults who know you well enough to make meaningful observations.
7. Get signatures to substantiate all your claims. There are spaces on all the forms for adult signatures.
8. Your parents should only sign items they were directly involved in (i.e., if mom or dad was a coach or advisor). Otherwise, parent signatures might make is seem like you couldn’t be bothered to get the real signatures
9. Under no circumstances should you forge signatures! If someone is totally unavailable (e.g., your former coach moved to Texas), write an explanatory note. Otherwise strong candidates will be disqualified for forgery.
10. Remember--the H in NHS stands for HONOR. All your materials should give the Faculty Council an honest and accurate portrait of you, free of exaggeration or invention.

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