MTA National Honor Society

The National Honor Society at Mt. Ararat High School is a duly chartered and affiliated chapter of this prestigious national organization. Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in four areas of evaluation: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Students are selected to be members by a five-member Faculty Council, appointed by the principal, which bestows this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school each November. Students in the 11th and 12th grades are eligible for membership. A student must have been enrolled as a full time student (minimum of 5 credits) for at least one full school year prior to selection.

Requirements

• Cumulative GPA of 3.500 or better
• Ten hours of documented school or community service during the calendar year (since January 1) during which the student applies for membership in NHS. Service is considered to be those actions undertaken by the student which are done with or on behalf of others without any direct financial or material compensation.
• Evidence of positive leadership activities and exemplary character

Leadership

The Faculty Council interprets leadership in various contexts, including but not limited to the offices held in school or community organizations, athletic team captains, section leaders in band and chorus, committee chairs in student groups, etc. The Faculty Council will also consider leadership in less objective terms.

Character

The Faculty Council will consider the positive as well as the negative aspects of character. A person of character demonstrates the following six qualities: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. To evaluate a candidate’s character, the Faculty Council uses two primary forms of input. First, school records are reviewed (transcripts, attendance data, disciplinary records, etc). Second, members of the faculty are solicited for input regarding their professional reflections on a candidate’s qualifications relative to the NHS selection criteria.

Applications for membership may be submitted by eligible students and will be carefully reviewed by the Faculty Council to determine membership. A majority vote of the Council is necessary for selection. Candidates are notified regarding selection or nonselection by November 1.

Following notification, a formal induction ceremony is held at the school to recognize all the newly selected members. Once inducted, new members are required to maintain the same level of performance (or better) in all four criteria that led to their selection. This obligation includes regular attendance at chapter meetings, and participation in chapter service projects as well as continuing individual service projects.

Article I - Name

The name of this chapter shall be the Mt. Ararat High School Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS).

Article II - Purpose

The Mt. Ararat High School National Honor Society exists to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of Mt. Ararat High School.

Article III - Selection Procedure

Section 1 - Selections to the Mt. Ararat High School Chapter of the National Honor Society are made by the Faculty Council which consists of five voting faculty members appointed annually by the principal. The chapter adviser shall be an ex officio, nonvoting, sixth member of the Faculty Council. In order to be selected, a student must demonstrate outstanding performance in all four criteria of NHS-scholarship, leadership, service, and character. All deliberations of the Faculty Council are strictly confidential. 

Section 2 - The adviser will identify students in grades 11 and 12 with the prerequisite GPA of 3.500 or better and then survey those students to determine interest in membership and to obtain information regarding service and leadership activities. Students so surveyed should understand that such surveys are not applications for membership, and that the review of information gathered does not guarantee selection. In order to qualify, students must have been enrolled at Mt. Ararat as a full-time student (minimum of 5 credits) for at least one full school year prior to selection and be a full-time student during the year of selection.

Section 3 - Students who meet the scholarship criterion are invited to complete a Student Activity Information Form that provides the Faculty Council with information regarding the candidate’s leadership and service. Documented participation in ten hours of school or community service in the current calendar year is also required and will be submitted by the student along with the Student Activity Information Form. 

Section 4 - The Faculty Council will then evaluate the candidates' record of leadership, service, and character. Although the academic criterion is important and will be considered first, membership will never be considered on the basis of grades alone, even though the Faculty Council may consider scholarship as the most important of the four criteria. 

Section 5 - To evaluate a candidate, the Faculty Council uses various criteria, including evaluations from faculty and administration, a review of a candidate’s academic record, and a review of the rigor of the candidate’s academic schedule. In addition, school disciplinary records are reviewed. This information along with the Student Activity Information forms and any other pertinent sources of information will be carefully reviewed by the Faculty Council to determine membership. All faculty input is confidential.

Section 6 - A majority vote of the Council is necessary for selection. Candidates are notified regarding selection or nonselection by November 1. 

Section 7 - Following notification, a formal induction ceremony is held at the school to recognize all the newly selected members. Once inducted, new members are required to maintain the same level of performance (or better) in all four criteria that led to their selection. This obligation includes regular attendance at chapter meetings held the first and third Tuesday of the month during the school year, other meetings as called by the President or the adviser, and participation in chapter service projects.

Section 8 - Appeals Process for Non-Selection:  The procedures outlined below must be followed in sequential order for a student's appeal to be considered by the Faculty Council or the school administrator.

i.  Consult first with the Chapter adviser(s). The student will need to provide in writing an appeal to the Chapter advisor(s) within five (5) school days of notification of non-selection as dated on the denial letter. This email should request a meeting either before or immediately after school. A parent may attend this meeting with the student, however, as leadership is a pillar of the National Honor Society, the student is expected to be their own advocate.

ii.  At this meeting, the advisor(s) will hear the student's appeal and provide the student with feedback based on the Faculty Council's  reasoning for their decision.   The National Honor Society advisor(s) does not have the authority to overturn the Faculty Council’s decision. After the appealing student has met with the NHS advisor(s), if they choose to file a formal appeal, the advisor(s) will submit a report to the principal.  No evidence omitted from the application the student originally submitted will be accepted at this time.  After this meeting, parents and students should refrain from contacting teachers at Mt. Ararat High School in matters related to the National Honor Society. Any violation of this will result in the appeal facing administrative rejection.

​iii.  A student may make a formal appeal by writing an email to the principal.

• No appeals will be heard by the principal without taking the prior steps to the official notification of non-selection.
• The request for an appeal must state the reason for the appeal with specific emphasis on the feedback provided by the chapter advisor(s) regarding the Faculty Council's decision.
• A formal appeal must be filed to the principal within two (2) weeks of the notification of non-selection. Appeals submitted after that time will not be heard.
• The principal will notify the Chapter advisor(s) that an appeal has been filed.
• The principal will schedule a meeting for the appeal, hear the case, and may at their discretion: reject the appeal, request the Faculty Council reconsider the case, or overturn the Faculty Council decision.

​Article IV - Meetings

Section 1 - Regular meetings are held Wednesday mornings throughout the school year. Additional meetings may be called by the President or adviser as needed.

Section 2 - Members are expected to attend all NHS meetings. Members missing a meeting without prior approval from the adviser or another valid reason may be required to appear before the Faculty Council for a hearing.

Section 3 - Meetings will be run according to Robert’s Rules of Order

Article V - Chapter Projects

Section 1 - All members are expected to take part in all chapter activities including serving refreshments at parent/teacher conference night in November, serving on a committee for the annual NHS Variety Show in March, organizing and running spirit rallies, fundraising for scholarships, and all other chapter projects.

Section 2 - All members are expected to carry out individual service activities throughout the year. At the end of each marking period, members will submit a Service Log to the Vice President. The Service Log should list all service activities performed during that quarter. Service is considered to be those actions undertaken by the student which are done with or on behalf of others without any direct financial or material compensation.

Article VI - Chapter Leadership

Section 1 - The officers of the chapter shall be President and Vice President.

Section 2 - Student officers shall be elected at the last meeting of the school year. All returning active members are eligible to run for a position as an officer. All active members of the chapter are eligible to vote.

Section 3 - A majority vote shall be necessary to elect any officer of the chapter. If the first vote does not yield a majority, a second vote shall be taken of the two candidates receiving the highest vote totals.

Section 4 - The following duties reflect the responsibilities of the each office for the Mt. Ararat High School NHS.

• The president shall call, develop an agenda for, and preside over meetings for the chapter.
• The vice president shall preside in the absence of the president and shall also keep a record of members’ service activities.

Article VII - Discipline and Dismissal of Members

Section 1 - Any member who falls below the standards of scholarship, leadership, character or service may be considered for dismissal from the Mt. Ararat High School chapter of the National Honor Society. A member of the National Honor Society is expected to maintain his or her academic standing and take an active role in service and leadership to his or her school and community.

Section 2 - If a member’s cumulative GPA falls below the standard in effect when he or she was selected (a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale), the adviser will give the member a written warning and a time period for improvement. If the cumulative GPA remains below standard at the end of the warning period, the member will be subject to further disciplinary action by the Faculty Council, which may include dismissal from the chapter.

Section 3 - If a member fails to perform any of the published obligations, the adviser will give the member a written warning and a time period for improvement. If the obligation remains unmet at the end of the warning period, the member will be subject to further disciplinary action by the Faculty Council, which may include dismissal from the chapter.

Section 4 - Violation of the law or school regulations may result in dismissal of a member. These violations include, but are not limited to: OUI; stealing; cheating; truancy; any drug or alcohol related offenses.

Section 5 - Members are expected to abide by all school rules as stated in the Mt. Ararat High School Student Handbook. Failure to do so may result in a written warning from the adviser or a hearing with the Faculty Council. A pattern of school rule violations will be cause for dismissal.

Section 6 - In all cases of pending dismissal:

• The member will receive written notification indicating the reason for possible dismissal from the adviser. The member and the adviser will discuss the written notification in a conference. Situations that involve flagrant violations of school rules or the law can warrant disciplinary action without a written warning although a hearing will still be held.
• The member will be given the opportunity to respond to the charge against him or her at a hearing before the Faculty Council prior to the vote to dismiss. A majority vote of the Faculty Council is needed to dismiss any member.
• The results of the Faculty Council vote will be reviewed by the principal and then, if confirmed, expressed in a letter sent to the student, parents, and principal.
• The Faculty Council’s decision may be appealed to the building principal.
• When a student is dismissed or resigns, he or she is no longer a member and may not be recommended for membership in the National Honor Society at a later date.

Section 7 - In lieu of dismissal, the Faculty Council may impose disciplinary sanctions on a member as deemed appropriate.

Article VIII - Powers

Section 1 - The chapter adviser is given the authority to supervise the administration of chapter activities, as delegated by the school principal and serve as a liaison to the Faculty Council.

Section 2 - The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter.

Article IX - Amendments

Section 1 - These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Faculty Council.

Section 2 - Bylaws and amendments must be consistent with the constitution of the National Honor Society.