Mt. Ararat High School
National Honor Society
Selection Procedure
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.
More detailed information regarding NHS selection and the NHS Chapter Bylaws are available at: /chapter-bylaws.html