Download Report

DAHLSTROM MIDDLE SCHOOL
NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY BY LAWS
Buda, Texas
The by-laws of the National Junior Honor Society are a constitutional mandate (Article XVI). Therefore,
be it known that these bylaws conform to the guidelines of the National Constitution of the National
Junior Honor Society of Secondary Schools.
Article I: Name and Purpose
Section 1:
The name of this organization shall be the Dahlstrom Middle School Chapter of the National Junior
Honor Society.
Section 2:
The purpose of this organization shall be to create enthusiasm for scholarship to stimulate desire to
render service, to promote leadership, to develop character, and to encourage citizenship in students of
Dahlstrom Middle School.
Section 3:
The NJHS shall be under the sponsorship and supervision of the National Association of Secondary
School Principals (NASSP), 1904 Association Drive, Reston , VA 20191.
Article II: 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 many serve
consecutive terms.
Section 3:
The principal shall receive appeals in cases of non-selection candidates, and the disciplining or dismissal
of members.
Article III: The Chapter Advisor
Section 1:
The chapter advisor(s) 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(s) shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial
transactions.
Section 3:
The chapter advisor(s) shall regularly review each member for compliance with the NJHS standards and
obligations.
Section 4:
The chapter advisor(s) shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties.
Article IV: Faculty Council
Section 1:
The Faculty Council shall consist of five voting faculty members appointed annually by the principal. No
principal may be included on the Faculty Council.
Section 2:
The term of the Faculty Council shall be one year.
Section 3:
The chapter advisor(s) shall be an ex-officio, non-voting, sixth member of the Faculty Council.
Section 4:
The Faculty Council shall meet at least once a year to select members and to consider dismissals, nonselection, warning cases, and any other situations that would require an appeal for membership.
Article V: Membership
Section 1:
Membership is an honor bestowed upon a student. Selection for membership by a Faculty Council is
based on outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, service, and citizenship. Once selected,
members have the responsibility to continue to demonstrate these qualities.
Section 2:
Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony.
Section 3:
A National Junior Honor Society member who transfers from another school and brings a letter from the
former principal and NJHS advisor shall be accepted automatically as a member into the new school’s
chapter. Transfer members must meet Dahlstrom’s chapter standards within one semester in order to
retain membership.
Section 4:
Members who resign or are dismissed are never again eligible for membership or its benefits at DMS.
Article VI: Selection of Members
Section 1:
To be eligible for membership the candidates must be a member of the following: second semester sixth
grade, seventh, or eighth grade.
Section 2:
The minimum standard for scholarship shall be a cumulative scholastic average of 93 or better.
Candidates shall then be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership, character, and citizenship.
Section 3:
Candidates behavior must be in good standing. The following discipline actions can eliminate candidates
for consideration of membership: ISS or OSS in the previous semester/year prior to the selection
semester; however student may be initiated as a member on probation and will be dismissed if one
additional infraction occurs within the probation semester.
Section 4:
Candidates who meet class membership and cumulative average requirements whose behavior is in
good standing will be invited to complete an NJHS Membership Application. This form allows the
candidate to play a crucial role in the evaluation process by giving the Faculty Council members more
information about him/herself. The NJHS Membership Application forms must be returned promptly
(due dates will be specified on the form.) If applications are failed to be returned by the due date
specified then the application will not be considered. No late paperwork will be accepted, due dates
are final.
Section 5:
A description of the selection procedure shall be published on the DMS webpage.
Section 8:
All students (selected and non-selected) will be notified.
Section 9:
The National Council and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) shall not
review the judgment of the Faculty Council regarding selection of individual members to the local
chapters.
Article VII: Discipline/Dismissal
Section 1:
The faculty council, in compliance with the rules and regulations of the National Junior Honor Society
has developed the following dismissal procedures:
Members who fall below the grading standards that were the basis for their selection shall be promptly
warned in writing by the Chapter Advisor. A copy of the warning shall be signed by the member and his
or her parent and returned to the Chapter Advisor. The member shall be placed on probation and given
one semester to correct the deficiency. Note: Grades for the Fall semester are checked in the Spring and
students have the remainder of that Spring semester to bring up their average to the NJHS standards.
Grades from the Spring will be checked at the beginning of the next school year and students will have
the remainder of the Fall semester to bring their average up to NJHS standards. At the end of the
probation period, if the deficiency is not corrected, the member will be dismissed.
Dismissals and probations include:
Probations include falling below the designated 93 cumulative GPA per semester
Dismissals include not bringing grades up after the one semester of probation
Behavior including In School Suspension and Out of School Suspension in a 9 week grading period after a
probationary semester has been established
Not returning paperwork or dues by the designated due dates
Not completing the required 3 hours of community service per selection year
Section 2:
In the case of flagrant violation of school rules or the law, a member does not necessarily have to be
warned.
Section 3:
It is expected that National Junior Honor Society members will maintain the highest standard of
behavior. Behavior referrals resulting from any violation of school code/policy are subject to review
from the Faculty Council each grading period. Members will be dismissed from the National Junior
Honor Society based on referrals that are inappropriate to the integrity of the National Junior Honor
Society.
Section 4:
Violation of the law or school regulation will result in dismissal of a member. These violations include,
but are not limited to, stealing, assault, destruction of property, cheating, truancy, or possession, selling,
or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at school or school-related activities.
Section 5:
A member who has been dismissed may appeal a decision of the Faculty Council to the school Principal.
The appeal process has a deadline of one week after the notification to the student. The Principal’s
decision is final.
Section 6:
The National Council and the NASSP shall hear no appeals in dismissal cases.
Article VIII: Nomination and Election of Officers
Section 1:
The officers of this chapter shall be president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and historian.
Section 2:
Officers shall be elected at a regular meeting of this chapter. Interested members will complete an
application for office. The chapter will vote by secret ballot and the candidate with the most votes for
each position will be elected. New officers will be elected each year. Only eighth grade members can
run for office, but all current members have the opportunity to vote.
Article IX: Officer’s Duties and Responsibilities
Section 1:
The duties of the president are as follows:
A good president is a motivator, an inspirer, a manager, and a teacher. The president must
communicate well with the other officers, committees, and the faculty at Dahlstrom Middle School. The
president will also assist in the NJHS induction ceremony.
Section 2:
The duties of the vice president are as follows:
The vice president shows responsibility for supervising the operations of the entire organization. It is
important that the vice president be as informed as the president. The vice president should be
prepared to assume more responsibility if needed, such as taking on the responsibilities and duties of
the president in his/her absence. The VP will also assist in the NJHS induction ceremony.
Section 3:
The duties of the secretary are as follows:
The secretary will keep attendance at chapter meetings and other chapter events, write any thank you
cards on the behalf of the Dahlstrom Middle School Chapter, takes meeting minutes, carries on all
necessary correspondence, organizes files (if needed) and pictures.
Section 4:
The duties of the treasurer are as follows:
The treasurer is responsible for accurate, complete accounts and plans. The treasurer will work closely
with the chapter advisor completing forms when necessary.
Section 5:
The duties of the historian are as follows:
The historian is responsible for keeping a list of all members inducted into the Dahlstrom Middle School
Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. The historian will coordinate all of the NJHS activities and
events, coordinates with yearbook advisor for coverage of NJHS events, provide information for any
items that need to be added to school webpage or newsletter that pertains to NJHS.
Section 6:
In the case that a position becomes vacant during the school year, the president will call a meeting to
nominate and create a ballot for all members to vote on the replacement.
Article X: Executive Committee
Section 1:
The executive committee shall consist of the officers of the chapter and the chapter advisor.
Section 2:
The executive committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the chapter between its
business meetings, make recommendations to the chapter, and determine and perform such other
duties as are specified in the chapter by-laws. All actions and recommendations of the executive
committee shall be subject to the review of the chapter membership.
Section 3:
The executive committee shall have the responsibility for ensuring that chapter activities and
procedures follow school policy and regulations.
Article XI: Meetings
Section 1:
The Dahlstrom Middle School chapter will hold regular meetings every month or as needed.
Section 2:
Special meetings approved by the executive committee may be called by the Chapter Advisor.
Article XII: Activities
Section 1:
All members are required to participate in a service project during the school year. Members are
required to obtain three hours of community service which will need to be approved by the chapter
advisor. Failure to complete the three hours of community service will result in dismissal. The chapter
will announce service opportunities as they arise, but the member is primarily responsible for finding
their own projects. Community service hours will be due in December. The sponsors will provide the
December deadline for the community service hours, failure to submit the form by the specified
deadline will result in dismissal.
Section 2:
Each member will have the responsibility of choosing and participating in an individual service project
that reflects his or her particular talents and interests. These projects need to fulfill a need within the
school or community.
Section 3:
Each member shall complete a service log form for every hour completed up to the 3 required hours.
The required form must be turned in to the advisor by the designated due date in December or this will
result in dismissal of the member since they are not meeting the requirement of their responsibilities
within the chapter. The service log must be submitted to the chapter advisor with a description of the
activities completed, amount of time spent, and a signature of an adult who supervised the event.
Article XIII: Dues
Section 1:
Dues shall be $10.00 per year and must be paid by designated due date or failure to do so will result in
dismissal of member.
Article XIV: Amendments
Section 1:
The Faculty Council and Advisors will meet annually for amending by-laws; however amendments to the
by-laws can be made at any time at the discretion of the faculty council and principal of Dahlstrom
Middle School.
Section 2:
Any member of the Faculty Council, principal, or the chapter advisor may request a meeting to amend
by-laws.