The National Honor Society: an Overview
The National Honor Society (or NHS) is not merely a prestigious group designed to recognize the merits of its members. According to the website for the parent/national organization, the purpose of the NHS is to “elevate a school’s commitment to the values of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.” These are lofty goals, indeed, and they are shared by our local chapter in Colchester. In order to be selected to the National Honor Society in our school district, a student must prove that they have demonstrated an affinity for each of the four pillars mentioned above.
“Scholarship” is the only readily quantifiable category, and thus serves as something of a gatekeeper to eligibility in our chapter of the NHS. The language in the rules of the national organization indicate that a student may be eligible to join if they achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher. That minimum threshold may be raised, however, at the discretion of each local chapter. At the time of posting this overview, the minimum GPA in Colchester is 4.0. At the beginning of each school year, any junior or senior who has reached or surpassed that threshold will be sent an invitation to submit materials promoting their candidacy for membership in our chapter
The other three categories cannot be reduced to a simple number. For further information regarding the demonstration of these categories, you may access the eligibility letter and the application instructions which are sent every year. Those two documents have been appended to this overview, both for convenience and for transparency. Our chapter bylaws might also prove instructional, and they can also be found on the district website by accessing the Bacon Academy page and choosing “National Honor Society.”
It should be mentioned that, according to anecdotal evidence, the most difficult category for a student to “prove” is that of leadership. Keep this in mind if you are hoping that you (or your child) will be selected to the National Honor Society in the future, and start planning ahead. Leadership opportunities may not abound, so a proactive approach is advised.
And finally, it should be noted that upon successful selection to our chapter of the NHS, a student is still required to spend time in service to others, whether at Bacon Academy or in the community at large. The details regarding this requirement (and other mandatory obligations) can be found in the bylaws, along with an explanation of some of the potential perquisites and benefits of membership.
Questions regarding the Colchester chapter of the National Honor Society may be addressed to the faculty advisor: Chelsea Salafia ( [email protected] )
Additional Materials:
Eligibility Letter, Other Materials & Sample Application