• BYLAWS

    REVISED: JULY 2011

    Article I                                Name and Purpose

                    Section 1. The name of the organization shall be the Russellville Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS).

                    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 Russellville High School.

    Article II               National and State Organization

                    Section 1. NHS is a program of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), 1904 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1537, a 501 (c) (3) association. The Russellville Chapter of NHS shall pay an annual affiliation fee approved by the NASSP Board of Directors.

                    Section 2. RHS chapter is in direct affiliation with the NASSP with no Alabama state chapter affiliation.

                    Section 3. Neither the NASSP nor any future state affiliation, if such state affiliation exists, shall serve as an appeal board for this local chapter non selection or dismissal cases.

                    Section 4. The annual individual member dues paid to this local chapter shall not exceed twenty dollars ($20.00) inclusively. The exact amount shall be determined by the executive committee of the chapter and shall be subject to the approval of the chapter membership.

    Article III             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 member of the faculty as chapter advisor, who may serve consecutive terms.

                    Section 3. The principal shall annually appoint a Faculty Council composed of five members of the school’s faculty who may serve consecutive terms. The Faculty Council may serve dual leadership roles as Departmental Chairs for the school.

                    Section 4. The principal shall receive appeals in cases of non-selection of candidates, and the disciplining or dismissal of members.

    Article IV             The Chapter Advisor

                    Section 1. The chapter advisor shall be responsible for the direct, day-to-day supervision of the chapter and act as liaison between faculty, administration, students, and community.

                    Section 2. The chapter advisor shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transactions. The chapter advisor shall send the annual report to the national office.

                    Section 3. The chapter advisor shall regularly review each member for compliance with NHS standards and obligations.

                    Section 4. The chapter advisor shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties.

                    Section 5. The chapter advisor shall be an ex-officio, non-voting, sixth member of the Faculty Council on all matters associated with the Russellville Chapter of NHS.

                    Section 6. The chapter advisor shall be a member of the faculty, appointed annually by the principal, and may serve consecutive terms.

    Article V              Faculty Council

                    Section 1. The Faculty Council shall consist of five voting faculty members appointed annually by the principal. The Faculty Council may consist of current seated RHS Department Chairs. The chapter advisor shall be an ex-officio, non-voting, sixth member of the Faculty Council. 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 Faculty Council shall meet at least once per year to review the procedures of the chapter, select members, and to consider non-selection, dismissal, other disciplinary actions, and warning cases.

                    Section 4. The Faculty Council will develop and revise, when necessary, all chapter procedures for selection, discipline, and dismissal of members, all of which must remain in compliance with the national constitution and NASSP policies.

    Article VI             Membership

                    Section 1. Membership in the Russellville Chapter of the National Honor Society is an honor bestowed upon a student. In accordance with national policy, membership is a privilege, not a right. Selection for membership is confirmed by the Faculty Council and is based on demonstrated outstanding scholarship, character, leadership and service in accordance with candidacy and induction qualifications, procedures, requirements, and policies listed in subsequent sections of these bylaws. Once selected to candidacy, a student has the responsibility to demonstrate these qualities of scholarship, character, leadership and service or risk dismissal or non-selection for induction.

                    Section 2. Qualifications for Candidacy and Membership.

                                    Paragraph 1. Membership (initial or sustained) and candidacy in the Russellville Chapter of the National Honor Society is open to any qualified student classified as a junior or a senior and who has been enrolled as a student in Russellville High School the equivalent of one semester, at least 89 days on attendance register and have a cumulative scholastic numeric average of at least 90. The cumulative scholastic numeric average will be rounded to the nearest whole integer with 0.5 to 0.9 rounded up and 0.4 and below rounded down. A student transferring to Russellville High School from another Advance-Ed/SACS accredited school having a local chapter of NHS may have their membership transferred to the Russellville local chapter of NHS on the written recommendation from the previous school’s principal. Transfer student members must meet Russellville Chapter requirements within one semester.

                                    Paragraph 2. Members who resign or are dismissed are never again eligible for candidacy or membership at the Russellville chapter of NHS.   

                    Section 3. Selection, Candidacy and Membership Procedures.

                                    Paragraph 1. A roster of all juniors and seniors who meet the initial scholastic requirements shall be collected in the month of January of each school year and presented to the administration and Faculty Council for confirmation before an invitation to candidacy is initiated. Initial confirmation shall be to establish the student’s profile of character based upon teacher recommendations and/or the student disciplinary file. The decision of the Faculty Council for invitation to NHS candidacy is final. Academic grade point averages are checked for senior members in August of the current school year, having attained membership from the previous spring, to ensure continued eligibility of membership. The Faculty Advisors will guide senior members during the fall of their senior year in attaining their individual service hours for the year, in planning and preparation for the spring club service project and in preparation for the spring candidacy, where they will act as mentors for newly selected candidates for NHS membership, assisting new candidates in fulfilling their requirements of individual and club service hours.

                                    Paragraph 2. Juniors and seniors who are confirmed by the Faculty Council for invitation to candidacy shall be notified by letter of their candidacy invitation.   The student must return a letter of intent to pursue membership by the date set in the letter and will then pursue his or her membership obligations as outlined in the letter of invitation and will have all obligations completed by the date set in the letter of invitation.                             

                 Paragraph 3. All candidates for membership shall demonstrate leadership by participating in the NHS induction ceremony and assisting with the club fund-raising project. Appeals for exceptions must be submitted in writing to the Faculty Advisors. If approved, another leadership duty shall be substituted.

                                    Paragraph 4. All candidates for membership must satisfactorily participate in a club service project as prescribed by the Faculty Advisor. In cases of extenuating circumstances, the student may request in writing to the Faculty Advisor an alternative individual service project in lieu of the club service project. The Faculty Advisor must approve the alternative service project in lieu of the club service project based upon the extenuating circumstances provided. If not approved by the Faculty Advisor, the student must participate in the club service project or forfeit all claim to NHS membership.

                                    Paragraph 5.   All candidates for membership must satisfactorily participate in an individual service project as prescribed by the Faculty Advisor of not less than six (6) total hours. Each individual service project must meet prior approval by the Faculty Advisor and the candidate must submit a notice of completion in writing to the Faculty Advisor within fourteen (14) days of completion of the individual service hour project for Faculty Advisor verification. All individual service hour projects must be completed and verified no later than nine (9) weeks from date of invitation.

    In addition to the chapter service project, members are to engage in additional service according to their own talents and interests. Members will be required to organize and participate in a service project of their choice with the plan and participation requirements receiving prior approval of the faculty advisers. Each member will submit both a group and individual participation plan to the faculty advisers prior to and upon completion of the project detailing a minimum of six (6) total hours of individual service by the deadline set.

                                    Paragraph 6. Candidates for NHS membership must have all dues paid before the date of the induction ceremony. Active members shall pay dues no later than two (2) weeks from the first meeting of the current semester.

                    Section 4. Attaining and Maintaining Membership

                                    Paragraph 1. All candidates for membership must have satisfactorily completed all prescribed activities within time constraints as prescribed in Faculty Advisor correspondence and meet all qualifications as set forth in these current articles in order to attain full membership into the Russellville Chapter of the NHS.

                                    Paragraph 2. Candidates and members may lose their privilege of candidacy or membership by allowing their numeric Grade Point Average (GPA) to fall below 90. Grade Point Averages will be checked by the Faculty Advisor in January and August of each school year. If any candidate or member allows their GPA to fall below the minimum standard of 90., he or she will be notified of the failure to maintain appropriate academic standards and may be placed on academic probation for the next subsequent semester or dismissed from membership. If the member or candidate is placed on probation for the subsequent semester and does not bring their academic average to the minimum standard of 90., they will be notified in writing of his or her failure to meet the academic standard within the probationary period and will be dismissed from membership effective immediately.

                                    Paragraph 3.   Candidates and members may lose their privilege of candidacy or membership by failing to adhere to the high standards of character as exhibited through the following qualities: respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Candidate and member disciplinary records will be checked each August and January for adherence to behavioral standards exhibiting the aforementioned qualities of character.   A class II or class III violation, as determined by the school administration at the time of the recorded behavioral incident, may be grounds for behavioral probation or dismissal based on the recommendations of the Faculty Council

                                    Paragraph 4. To maintain membership, active members must also meet the scholarship, leadership, character, and service requirements. Failure to do so shall result in dismissal.

    Article VII            Meetings

                    Section 1. Meetings of the Russellville Chapter of the National Honor Society shall be held a minimum of twice a semester.

                    Section 2. Meetings of the Faculty Council shall be a minimum of once a semester. They shall meet to approve the selected candidates for membership.

                    Section 3. Other meetings shall be called on an as needed basis.

    Article VIII          Officer Selection

                    Section 1. Officer selection shall be based on a vote of the Faculty Council and Advisors.

                    Section 2. Prospective officers shall submit an application to the advisors two weeks before the selection.

                    Section 3. The Faculty Council and Advisors shall meet to choose officers based on the application. The decision of the Faculty Council and Advisors shall be final.

                    Section 4. Vacancies in officer positions shall be filled by the Faculty Council and Advisor appointment.

    Article IX             Duties and Responsibilities

                    Section 1. The President shall be responsible for presiding over the induction and meetings; to assign committees and duties of other officers; to organize information for candidates and other duties deemed necessary by the advisors.

                    Section 2. The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President, chair the fund-raising activity and other duties deemed necessary by the advisors.

                    Section 3. The Secretary shall take minutes at all meetings; take roll at all meetings; be responsible for all correspondence; maintain current files on each candidate and members, and other duties deemed necessary by the advisors.

                    Section 4. The Treasurer shall collect al dues and write receipts for them; be responsible for purchases for service projects, all fund-raising activities, the induction ceremony and other activities, and other duties deemed necessary by the advisors.

                    Section 5. The Project Chairperson shall organize club service projects and assist in the documentation of individual service projects.

                    Section 6. The leadership committee shall be selected by the Faculty Council from the applications for officer positions. The Leadership committee shall assist the officers in their duties and other duties deemed necessary by the advisors.

                    Section 7. The advisors shall approve and promote chapter activities; stimulate positive actions by members; provide information on policies; maintain chapter records; attend all meetings and required functional; and be an exofficio member of the Faculty Council. Neither principal nor assistant principals may serve as chapter advisors.

                    Section 8. The officers shall maintain the standards by which they were selected or risk removal from office and/or dismissal from membership.

    Article X               Dismissal

                    Section 1. Active members who do not maintain the required scholastic average may be placed on probation for the subsequent semester where the minimum academic standard average of 90 should be obtained. If the member fails to meet the minimum academic standard at the end of the probationary period they will be dismissed from membership in the Russellville High School chapter of the National Honor Society; averages are checked in August and January within each school year.

                    Section 2. Active members who do not fulfill their requirements for leadership, character, and service shall be notified in writing by their advisors and risk probation or immediate dismissal.

                    Section 3. In all cases of dismissal, a member shall have a right to a hearing of the Faculty Council. A request for a hearing shall be made both to the principal and the Faculty Advisors in writing by the student within 14 calendar days of dismissal.

                    Section 4 For the purposes of dismissal, a majority vote of the Faculty Council is required. The vote will be on confidential ballot and tallied by the Principal.

                    Section 5. The decision of the Faculty Council is final.