HOWARD G. SNYDER CHAPTER

NATIONAL JR. HONOR SOCIETY 

A Jr. National Honor Society Chapter was activated during the 1997-1998 school year at Lisbon Central School.The criteria and selection process will be the same as for the National Honor Society.Membership will be limited to grades 7, 8, and 9.A cumulative average of 90.0 will be required for consideration for membership for this organization.  A cumulative average of 90.0 is required to maintain membership in good standing.

SELECTION PROCESS

Students who achieve honor roll status consistently will be considered for membership in the honor society.  Other areas of consideration besides scholarship are leadership, service, and character.  A faculty committee will review the credentials of potential members to determine their eligibility.

FACULTY COUNCIL

The faculty council will be randomly selected by the Advisors to develop and follow fair selection and dismissal procedures.  This council will consist of five staff members with the advisor(s) acting as ex-officio members of the council.

SELECTION

The selection process will be public information available upon request to the parents and student.  It will, heretofore, be published in the student handbook. Their current teachers will evaluate students who qualify scholastically for selection to an honor society.  The council members will evaluate all the students eligible for selection to the honor society.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTION

Students must be in the school the equivalent of one semester to be considered for membership. Students may be qualified as a sophomore, junior and senior for the National Honor Society, and seventh, eighth and ninth for the National Jr. Honor Society.

EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR HONOR SOCIETY SELECTION

The criteria found on the rating sheet will be used for evaluation of all candidates eligible for selection.NOTE: No candidate has a right to be selected for membership in the National Honor Society/National Jr. Honor Society.  Schools are not required to share with parents and students, information concerning the nonselection of a candidate.  If there are questions regarding the nonselection of a candidate, the candidate and/or parents may request a conference with the principal.Parents and candidates must understand that it is a privilege to be selected for membership in a chapter of the NHS/NJHS and that the faculty council alone is entrusted with making selection decision. 

REVIEW OF PROCEDURES

1)   A list of eligible candidates will be posted on the Advisor's door after the 3rd marking

      period.

2)   Parents will be notified of student eligibility for the National Honor Society / National

       Jr. Honor Society.

3)   The student must acquire an application packet from the Advisor.

4)   The student must complete the application and submit it to the Advisor by the

      deadline date indicated.

5)   The student will complete the essay requirement.

6)   Recommendation sheets will be distributed to two teachers and one other person

       (Non-relative).  The persons making the recommendations will return these to the

       Advisor.

7)   Rating sheets will be distributed to six current teachers.  The teachers will return these

       to the Advisor. 

8)   A faculty council will make the selections.

Leadership.  The leadership criterion is considered highly important for membership selection.  Some faculty councils may wish to interpret leadership in terms of number of offices a student has held in school or community organizations, although it is important to recognize that leadership also exists outside elected positions including effective participation in other cocurricular activities offered on campus. Other faculty councils may define leadership in less objective terms.  Leadership roles in both the school and community may be considered, provided they can be verified.

The student who exercises leadership:

• is resourceful in proposing new problems, applying principles, and making suggestionsdemonstrates initiative in promoting school activities

• exercises positive influence on peers in upholding school ideals

• contributes ideas that improve the civic life of the school

• is able to delegate responsibilities

• exemplifies positive attitudes

• inspires positive behavior in others

• demonstrates academic initiative

• successfully holds school offices or positions of responsibility; conducts business effectively and efficiently; demonstrates reliability and dependability

• is a leader in the classroom, at work, and in other school or community activities

• is thoroughly dependable in any responsibility accepted

• is willing to uphold scholarship and maintain a loyal school attitude

•  

Service.  Service is generally 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 to the individual performing the service.  In considering service, the contributions this candidate has made to school, classmates, and community, as well as the students attitude toward service can be reviewed.

The student who serves:

• volunteers and provides dependable and well organized assistance, is gladly available, and is willing to sacrifice to offer assistance

• works well with others and is willing to take on difficult or inconspicuous responsibilities

• cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any requested service to the school

• is willing to represent the class or school in inter-class and inter-scholastic competition

• does committee and staff work without complaint

• participates in some activity outside of school; for example, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, church groups, volunteer services for the elderly, poor or disadvantaged

• shows courtesy by assisting visitors, teachers, and students

Character.  Character is probably the most difficult criterion to define.  The faculty council should consider the positive as well as the negative aspects of character. All judgments in this and other selection criteria should be free of speculation and rumor.

National Honor Society is a member of the Character Counts (SM) Coalition.  Through this activity, the society supports and recommends the use of a multi-faceted definition of character known as the Six Pillars of Character.  A person of character demonstrates the following six qualities:  respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and citizenship.  Schools are encouraged to take this model, modify it to meet their local needs, and utilize it frequently in the work of their chapter.

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

• takes criticism willingly and accepts recommendations graciously

• consistently exemplifies desirable qualities of behavior cheerfulness,  friendliness, poise, stability)

• upholds principles of morality and ethics

• cooperates by complying with school regulations concerning property, programs, office, halls, etc.

• demonstrates the highest standards of honesty and reliability

• regularly shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others

• observes instructions and rules, is punctual, and faithful both inside and outside the classroom

• has powers of concentration, self-discipline, and sustained attention as shown by perseverance and application to studies

• manifests truthfulness in acknowledging obedience to rules, avoiding cheating in written work, and showing unwillingness to profit by the mistakes of others

• actively helps rid the school of bad influences or environment