NHS Bylaws

TRINITY CHRISTIAN CHAPTER BYLAWS

ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Trinity Christian Chapter of the National Honor Society.
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 Trinity Christian High School.
Section 3. The National Honor Society shall be under the sponsorship and supervision of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), 1904 Association Drive, Reston, VA, 22091.

ARTICLE II: THE PRINCIPAL

Section 1. The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter.
Section 2. The principal shall annually appoint a chapter adviser, who may serve consecutive terms.
Section 3. The principal shall be a part of the appeal process for non-selection or dismissal cases.

ARTICLE III: THE CHAPTER ADVISER

Section 1. The chapter adviser shall be responsible for the direct, day-to-day supervision of the chapter and act as a liaison 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 activity 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 IV: FACULTY COUNCIL

Section 1. The faculty council shall consist of five voting faculty members appointed annually by the principal. No principal or assistant principal may be included on the faculty council.
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, non-voting, sixth member of the faculty council.
Section 4. The faculty council shall meet at least once a year to select members and to consider dismissal, non-selection, and probation cases.

ARTICLE V: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership in local chapters is an honor bestowed upon a student. Selection for membership is by the faculty council and is based on outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, and service. Once selected, members have the responsibility to demonstrate these qualities.
Section 2. Membership shall be known as active and graduate. Active members shall become graduate members upon 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 adults in recognition of outstanding service rendered to the school in keeping with the purpose of the National Honor Society.
Section 4. Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony.
Section 5. Members who are seniors in good standing are eligible to be nominated by their chapter to compete in the National Honor Society Scholarship Program.
Section 6. A National Honor Society member who transfers to another school and brings a letter from the former principal or chapter adviser to the new school adviser shall be accepted automatically as a member in the new school’s chapter. Transfer members must meet the new chapter’s standard 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 VI: SELECTION OF MEMBERS

Section 1. To be eligible for membership the candidate must be a member of the sophomore, junior, or senior class. Candidates must have been a full-time student at the school the equivalent for one semester. Some candidates may be ineligible for induction because of the semester ruling. Some students, including students of military parents, are required to move with parents or guardians that have been transferred in their work. The present school principal should see a recommendation from the previous school principal pursuant to the candidate’s selection. Based on the recommendation of the previous principal, the faculty council may waive the semester regulation.
Section 2. Candidates must have a cumulative scholastic average of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale), excluding physical education and competitive athletics classes and teacher’s aid. A candidate also must be enrolled in at least one Honors class at all times. Additionally, a candidate may not have failed a class during high school. Candidates who were members of the TCS 9th grade NJHS the previous year must have completed 5 hours of community service during their sophomore year to be considered for candidacy.
Section 3. The selection of each member shall be determined 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 in a timely fashion to all students and parents of the school. The selection procedure shall be determined by the faculty council and shall be consistent with the rules and regulations of the National Honor Society.
Section 5. The National Council and the NASSP shall not review the judgment of the faculty council regarding the selection of individual members to the local chapters.

ARTICLE VII: DISMISSAL

Section 1. The procedure for dismissal shall be determined by the faculty council in compliance with 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 standards which were the basis for their selection shall be promptly warned in writing by the chapter adviser and given a reasonable amount of time to correct the deficiency, except that in the case of flagrant violation of school rules or civil laws a member does not necessarily have to be warned.
Section 3. Members may also be subject to dismissal for being suspended from school, having 3 detentions in 1 semester, failure to pay dues, failure to complete service hours by the designated date, and failure to attend at least one-half of the NHS meetings.
Section 4. The faculty council shall determine when a student has exceeded a reasonable number of warnings.
Section 5. In all cases of impending dismissal, a member shall have a right to a hearing before the faculty council.
Section 6. A member who has been dismissed may appeal the decision of the faculty council under the same rules for disciplinary appeals in the school handbook.
Section 7. The National Council shall hear no appeals in dismissal cases.

ARTICLE VIII: CHAPTER OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of the chapter shall consist of a president, vice-president, secretary/treasurer, and project coordinators. The president shall preside at meetings and participate in the Induction Ceremony of new members. The vice-president shall preside in the absence of the president. The secretary/treasurer shall keep records/minutes of all meetings and track monetary spending on behalf of the Chapter. Project coordinators shall help co-ordinate the service projects with the chapter adviser.
Section 2. The election for each office will be made from the faculty council. A majority of votes cast shall be necessary to elect any chapter officer.

ARTICLE IX: 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 the general supervision of the affairs of the chapter between business meetings, make recommendations to the chapter, and determine and perform such other duties as are specified in the chapter by-laws. 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 responsibility of ensuring that the chapter activities and procedures follow school policy and regulations.

ARTICLE X: MEETINGS

Section 1. Meetings shall be held four to eight times per academic calendar year, as deemed by the Executive Committee. Members must attend one-half of the business meetings to remain eligible.
Section 2. Special meetings approved by the Executive Committee may be called by the president.

ARTICLE XI: ACTIVITIES

Section 1. Each chapter member is responsible for ten (10) hours of community service in a project submitted by the Executive Committee and approved by the advisor of the chapter.
Section 2. These projects, both individual and chapter, shall have the following characteristics: fulfill a need within the local community; have the support of the administration and the faculty; be approved by the chapter adviser; be appropriate and educationally defensible; and be well planned, organized, and executed.
Section 3. Local (Lubbock and surrounding areas) off-campus projects (i.e. Missions Week) do fall within the guidelines of chapter service. Foreign missions (more than 60 miles from the city of Lubbock) will not be accepted as NHS service hours.
Section 4. Community service hours shall be earned beginning July 1 of one calendar year to June 30 of the following calendar year. Community service hours earned during the summer will be accepted as long as they meet the criteria of Article XI, Sections 1-3.
Section 5. Dues shall be collected between August 1 and October 15 each academic school year.