National Honor Society (NHS)

Santa Cruz Cooperative School Chapter

Bylaws and Regulations

The following documents contain the bylaws and regulations by which the Santa Cruz
Cooperative School (SCCS) Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) operates.
I. Selection of Members
A. The selection of process for NHS members begins at the end of the third
quarter.
B. Eligible members must meet all the following requirements:
1. Current freshman, sophomore, or junior student.
2. Accumulated average of 89 percent or 87 if taking 3 AP courses.
3. No Under Satisfactory conduct grade.
4. Attended one semester at SCCS
C. Exceptions:
1. New students who are deemed “fit candidates” by the faculty council and
the Principal can be allowed to join NHS after one semester of study at
SCCS.
2. Students who enter SCCS from other schools that are either members of
NHS already can be accepted into NHS after proving it to the Principal and
NHS Advisor.
D. Deadline:
1. The deadline for handing in completed applications is established by the
executive committee and made known to eligible members.
2. The deadline should be at least one week after handing out applications.
3. Any eligible student who does not turn in his or her application before the
established deadline is not considered a candidate for NHS membership.
No exceptions.
E. Interview:
1. After completion of application, eligible members are scheduled an
interview with the NHS advisor and a member of the executive
committee.
2. The executive committee and NHS advisor must create a list of interview
questions and randomly ask 5 to each eligible member.
3. During the interview the NHS advisor and executive committee member
must take notes. After the interview they might discuss their impression
to write down a concise paragraph about the eligible student, secretary
must type it.
4. Punctuality is required and if an eligible student does not show up to the
interview, the student is immediately not considered a candidate for NHS
membership. However, an eligible student may complete an Excused
absence form. The Excused Absence letter must meet all requirements
stated in the Excused Absence form. The eligible student will be then
informed if he or she may schedule another interview.
 F. Selection:
1. After the interview is held, the student becomes a candidate for NHS
membership.
2. The paragraph written between the NHS adviser and the NHS officer
present at the interviews will be shown to the Faculty council before their
decision.
3. All candidacies are brought at a scheduled Faculty Council meeting for
selection
4. The Council may decide to accept a candidate, decline the candidate’s
membership, or accept a candidate under probation for the first semester
of the following school year.
5. The NHS secretary is responsible to hand out letters informing the
candidate’s acceptance, declination or probation.
6. The letters must be signed and approved by the NHS advisor and NHS
President.
7. Students who are not selected for membership in NHS one year may
reapply the following year for NHS.
8. If a candidate is accepted on probation:
i. He or she will receive a letter by the NHS secretary
informing their acceptance on probation.
ii. The Faculty Council may accept a member on probation
based on their own criteria.

II. Selection of NHS Officers

A. The executive committee consists of the chapter adviser and the NHS officers
(President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer).
B. Officers are elected for one-year terms.
C. The officers may not hold office in their class or any other school-sponsored
club during the term.
D. Elections are held in late April of the school year.
E. Eligible officers for Vice- President, Secretary and Treasurer must meet all of
the following requirements:
1. Member who has been in NHS at SCCS for at least the last full
semester or an officer of a school-sponsored club at SCCS for at least
one full semester.
2. May not be an NHS member with on probation.
3. Eligible officer for president must meet the following requirements:
4. Must have been appointed to NHS officer for at least one year.
5. May not be an NHS member currently on probation.
III. NHS Officer Requirements
A. NHS officers have all the obligations of NHS members, but they report
directly to the adviser.
B. If an adviser sees that an NHS officer is not meeting his or her obligations,
the adviser may put the officer on probation with a verbal warning.
C. Dismissal of an officer:
1. If an officer is dismissed he or she is no longer an officer or NHS
member.
2. The Vice-President will be delegated the dismissed officer’s tasks
until an election takes place.
3. In case of the Vice-President’s dismissal, the Secretary will be
delegated the dismissed officer’s tasks until an election take place.
4. Elections follow the same criteria.

IV. NHS Attendance

A. Punctuality is necessary.
B. Tardy: Less than 15 minutes late. – Absence: More than 15 minutes late.
C. All members are allowed one unexcused tardy.
D. All members are allowed one unexcused absence, but only for meetings.
(Including committee meetings).
E. A schedule of meetings is set by the Executive Committee at the beginning of
each semester.
F. Meetings must be announced by the NHS secretary via school loudspeaker
announcements, posted on the bulletin outside the Dean’s office, and posted
on the social media Facebook website NHS group.
G. Attendance will be taken by the NHS Secretary at the beginning of each
meeting or NHS activity.
H. If a member is absent from a meeting or NHS activity:
1. The member must provide legitimate reasons when completing an
Excused Absence Letter.
2. The Omission Letter must be turned in to the NHS secretary within 48
hours of the member’s return to school.
3. An Excused Absence Form will be handed out to all members at the
beginning of the year.
I. Dates and times for other NHS activities are agreed upon during the meetings.
J. Members are responsible for all deadlines and assigned task agreed to in
meetings regardless of whether or not the member was in attendance.
V. Service
A. NHS members are expected to be of service to the community. Each member
must complete a minimum of forty hours of service per academic year. These
hours are to be completed outside the NHS activities.
B. Service Hour Documentation
1. A Service Hour Documentation form will be handed out to all
members at the beginning of the year. This is way all members will
confirm their service hours.
2. The executive committee establishes deadline for documented service
hours.
3. Documented service hours must be handed in by established deadline.
C. Second Chance Documentation:
1. If a member does not hand in a Service Hour Documentation he or she
will have the opportunity to turn in his or her hours.
2. The executive committee will establish a deadline for the Second
Chance Documentation.
3. Members must turn in their Second Chance Documentation by the
established deadline.
D. All members of NHS must attend all NHS mandatory activities.

VI. Character and Fulfillment of Duties

A. NHS members are expected to show respect at all times.
1. Behave in an orderly manner during all meetings and events.
2. Expected to fulfill all duties assigned to them and their committees.
3. Pay all dues in a timely manner

VII. Academics
A. NHS members are held to high academic standards:
1. Members must have an overall average of 89 each quarter.
2. If the member is taking 3 AP courses or more, their grade can be no
lower than 87.
3. No grade can be lower than 60.
4. The member cannot have unsatisfactory (U) conduct in any classes.
VIII. Probation
A. A Member placed on probation for any reason will receive a letter of
warning. The member will be notified in writing by the NHS secretary
B. A student may be placed on probation by one of the following:
1. Absences
i. After an unexcused absences to an NHS activity.
ii. After one unexcused absences to meetings.
iii. Two unexcused tardies.
iv. If the Excused Absence Form doesn’t meet all requirements stated
in the Excused Absence form.
2. Service Hours

i. NHS member does not turn in documented hours by deadline

established.

ii. Member’s documented hours do not add up to 10 hours.

iii. Falling below the academic requirement.

4. Responsibility:

i. Fail to pay fee by deadline.

5. Character

i. Less than satisfactory conduct in any class.

ii. If it is brought to the attention to the executive committee that

a member’s character or fulfillment of duties is not satisfactory
the executive committee can vote on the matter.

iii. Voting by the executive committee can only take place if the
member has violated at least three rules stated in the
handbook.
iv. A majority vote of the executive committee means the student
is placed on probation for the remainder of the semester.
v. The adviser will only cast a vote in the case of a tie.
vi. Member has received two Referrals
IX. Dismissal
A. Regardless of the reason the student was placed on probation, he or she will
be immediately dismissed from NHS if any time during the probation period,
one of the following occur:
1. The member accumulates another unexcused absence for an NHS
activity
2. The member accumulates another unexcused absence to meetings.
3. The executive committee determines through a majority voting that
the student’s inappropriate character, based on not following at least
three rules stated in the school handbook, is not permitted in the
NHS chapter.
4. Grades falling below the academic requirement.
5. Less than satisfactory conduct in any class.
6. Fail to turn in Second Chance Documentation hours by second
chance probation deadline.
7. Fail to pay fee by deadline.
8. Qualifies to receive two probation letters and therefore directly
receives an expulsion letter.
B. The student is no longer considered an NHS member the day the student
receives his or her letter of dismissal.
C. Appealing:
1. A student may request a Faculty Council hearing regarding his or her
dismissal.
2. Can be requested within 48 hours after receiving a dismissal letter.
3. The student must present a letter requesting the hearing written by
himself or herself in proper Standard English.
4. In that case, the student is considered an NHS member pending
dismissal and is held accountable for all obligations of an NHS
member from the day the student presents his or her request for an
appeal.
The bylaws stated in this document go into effect when approved by the current SCCS Faculty
Council and the current NHS executive committee, and is valid until a new version is written and
approved y the SCCS Faculty Council and the NHS executive committee.

The NHS Advisor can make modifications to these bylaws without rewriting the entire document,
with written approval from the NHS Officers and the SCCS Faculty Council.