Today, it is estimated that over one million students participated in activities of NHS and its middle level counterpart, the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). NHS chapters are fount in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rica, Canada and many U.S Territiories. Chapter membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishment but challenges them to develop further through active invovlement in school activities and community service.
In 1921, the NASSP officially established the National Honor Society. Though many local and regional honor societies existed prior to 1921, no nationwide organization had been founded. Under the leadership of Dr. Edward Rynearson, principal of the Fifth Avenue High School, Pittsburg PA, the organization grew from the original Alpha Chapter at the Fifth Avenue High School to more then 1,000 chapters by 1930. Equipped with a constitution, an emleml and motto and a group of dedicated principals as coordinators, the NHS organization quickly developed into one of the country's leading advanced educational groups.
Four main purposed outlined in the NHS constution have guided chapters from the beginning: "To create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate desire to render service, to promote leadership and to develop character in the students of secondary schools." These purposes also translate into the criteria used for membership selection in each local chapter.
In 1929, NASSP turned its attention to younger students and expanded the scope of its concern for recognizing outstanding students by establishing the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). With its own constituion and handbook, NJHS has established criteria that parallel the emphasis found in the NHS with an added purpose to encourage citizenship.
Both the NHS and NJHS are sponsored and supervised by NASSP which appoints a National Council--the controlling body of NHS. In addition, National Council members serve as the selection comittee for the prestigious NHS scholarship, which has been administered annually in schools with NHS chapters since 1946.
Once selected by local selection comittee, known as the Faculty Council, a student is awarded memebership in the local chapter at the special induction ceremony. With induction, a member assumes certain obligations. The chapter must conduct a service project for the school or community, and see the development of an individual service project for each member. Chapters may choose to sponsor fundraising projects or involve themselves with the school to reach the chapters goals. In addition, regular meeting of the chapter are to be held to conduct chapter business and communicate with members. All active NHS chapter members are excepted to support these and other chapter activities.
Any student in grades 10 through 12 in a school with both an official chapter of the National Honor Society and an affiliation with the NASSP department of Student Activities is eligible for consideration for membership in the National Honor Society. All membership selection is handled through the local school chapter.
NHS is more then just academic recognition. The NHS chapter establishes guidelines for selection that are based upon a candidate's outstanding performance in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. These four criteria form the foundation upon which the organization and its activities are built.
Students who have a cumulative grade point average of 85%, B, 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or equivalent standard of excellence or a higher cumulative average set by the school's faculty council meet the scholarship requirement for membership. These students are then eligible for consideration on the basis of servic, leadership and characters. (NHS Constitution, Article IX Section 2)
This quality is defined through the voluntary contributions made by a student to the school or community, done with a positive, courteous and enthusiastic spirit but without compensation.
Student leader are those who are resourceful, good problem solvers, promoters of school activities, idea contributers, dependable and persons who exemplify positive attitudes about life. Leadership experiences can be drawn from school or community activity while working with or for others.
The student of good character upholds principles of; morality and ethics is cooperative, demostrative high standards of honesty, reliability shows courtesy, concern and respect for others and generally maintains a good and clean lifestyle.
Information Taken from The NHS Brochure.