For many students, selection as a member of the National Honor Society is the pinnacle of their achievements in school. This honor, recognized throughout the nation, is both the public recognition of accomplishment and the private commitment to continued excellence on the part of the new member. 

Selection to NHS is a privilege, not a right. Students do not apply for membership in the National Honor Society. Instead, they provide information to be used by the local selection committee to support their candidacy for membership. Membership is granted only to those students selected by the Faculty Council in each school on the condition of their having met the standards for selection established at the local level and based on the provisions of the national constitution. This is not an election, nor is membership automatically conveyed simply because a student has achieved a specified level of academic performance. NHS is more than just an honor roll; it emphasizes leadership, service, and character as the other leading components in the selection process.  

Summary of Membership Procedure for Christian Life Preparatory School
This section includes a summary of the steps to membership in the Christian Life Preparatory School chapter of the National Honor Society.  For a more detailed description of the membership process, continue to the following sections.

The National Honor Society chapter of Christian Life Preparatory 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. Standards for selection are established by the national office of NHS and have been revised to meet our local chapter needs. 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 fall semester. Students in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grades are eligible for membership.

For the scholarship criterion, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 90% or better. Those students who meet this criterion are invited to complete a Student Activity Information Form that provides the Faculty Council with information regarding the candidate’s leadership and service. A history of leadership experiences and participation in school or community service is also required.

To evaluate a candidate’s character, the Faculty Council uses two forms of input. First, school disciplinary records are reviewed. Second, members of the faculty are solicited for input regarding their professional reflections on a candidate’s service activities, character, and leadership. These forms and the Student Activity Information Forms are 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 according to a predetermined schedule.

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 held monthly during the school year, and participation in the chapter service projects(s).  Annual membership dues shall not exceed $10 per member. Students or parents who have questions regarding the selection process or membership obligations can contact the chapter adviser, Carla Holiday, by email choliday@christianlifeprep.org, or by phone at 817-293-1500.

Prerequisite Conditions for Membership
According to the constitution, only those students who have attended the school the equivalent of one semester may be considered for membership. This period is necessary for students to establish themselves academically and involve themselves in various service and leadership activities, and for the faculty to get to know them and the quality of their character. Even after a semester, however, it may be necessary to contact a transfer student’s former school for additional information. The National Council does not support local eligibility requirements that exceed this one semester provision of the constitution. Some candidates may be ineligible for induction because of the semester ruling. Many students, including students of military parents, are required to move with their family when parents or guardians have been transferred to new locations. The present school principal or adviser should seek a recommendation from the previous school principal pursuant to the candidate’s selection. Based on the recommendation of the previous principal, counselor, or chapter adviser, the Faculty Council may waive the semester regulation.

Membership may be open to qualified sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The Faculty Council may decide to choose only one or a combination of these classes, according to local needs, conditions, or traditions.

Whatever classes are eligible in a given school, academic requirements must be the same for all candidates in all classes. For example, you may not have a different GPA requirement for sophomores than you have for juniors and seniors. The National Council considers different academic requirements for the various classes to be inappropriate.

Similarly, there can be no specific quota or percentage of members per class. All students who meet the criteria for selection should be inducted regardless of the number. If it is necessary to limit chapter size, the academic requirement for all candidates can be raised. Regarding those classes that are eligible for membership, schools with a 9–12 grade structure may not include ninth graders as members of the NHS chapter. However, when considering candidates for selection, it is appropriate to use grades earned and activities undertaken during the ninth- grade year. Also, schools with this 9–12 structure may not have a separate, ninth-grade-only chapter of NJHS on their high school campus, a restriction that has been in existence since September 1983.

Criteria for Membership
The Faculty Council of the chapter selects students who demonstrate outstanding performance in all four criteria of NHS--scholarship, leadership, service, and character. According to the principles outlined in Article IX, Section 2, the Faculty Council should first identify students with the prerequisite GPA and then evaluate the candidates' performance in the areas of leadership, service, and character. Although the academic criterion is important and should be considered first, membership should never be considered on the basis of grades alone, even though a Faculty Council may consider scholarship as the most important of the four criteria. Schools that select members solely on the basis of scholarship are violating the constitution and placing their charters in jeopardy. The Faculty Council may wish to survey academically eligible students to determine interest in membership and to obtain information regarding service and leadership activities. Students so surveyed should understand that such surveys are not applications for membership, and that the review of information gathered does not guarantee selection.

Scholarship
The scholarship requirement set by the National Council is based on a student’s cumulative GPA. Cumulative GPA refers to the total academic performance as demonstrated by the grades received by the student while in attendance at the school where the chapter is found. For example, in a high school containing grades 9-12, even when students are selected during their junior year, grades from the ninth grade on should be used to compute the scholastic average. Obtaining grades from a student's middle school would be inappropriate and only complicate the selection process as well as present a problem of verification for the Faculty Council. Wherever possible, chapters are encouraged to use the same standard for computing GPA that is currently used within the school because that is the system most easily recognized and understood by the students and their parents. Using a nontraditional cumulative GPA calculation or scholarship average requires both additional time for the adviser or Faculty Council to complete the calculations, and additional explanation to be added to the written description of the selection process. The minimum GPA allowable is 90% for the Christian Life Chapter of the NHS.  A failing grade is not an acceptable reason to automatically eliminate a student’s candidacy (unless such markings have caused the cumulative GPA to fall below the established standard).

Leadership
The leadership criterion is considered highly important for membership selection. A Faculty Council may wish to interpret leadership in terms of the number of offices a student has held in school or community organizations; however, it is important to recognize that leadership also exists outside elected positions including effective participation in positions of responsibility in other activities. Leadership roles in both the school and community may be considered, provided they can be verified.  Chapters can consider the following descriptors as they develop their local definition and standard for leadership. This list is for consideration purposes only and should not be thought of as a checklist for this criterion. The student who exercises leadership:

• Is resourceful in proposing new problems, applying principles, and making suggestions
• Demonstrates initiative in promoting school activities
• Exercises positive influence on peers in upholding school ideals and spirit
• Contributes ideas that improve the civic life of the school
• Is able to delegate responsibilities
• Exemplifies positive attitudes
• Inspires positive behavior in others
• Demonstrates academic initiative
• Successfully holds school offices or positions of responsibility
• Conducts business effectively and efficiently
• Demonstrates reliability and dependability
• Is a leader in the classroom, at work, or in other school or community activities
• Is dependable in any responsibility accepted.

Service
Service is generally 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. In considering service, the contributions a candidate has made to school, classmates, and community as well as the student’s attitude toward service can be reviewed. Chapters can consider the following descriptors as they develop their local definition and standard for service. This list is for consideration purposes only and should not be thought of as a checklist for this criterion. The student who serves:

• Volunteers and provides dependable and well-organized assistance, is gladly available, and is willing to sacrifice to offer assistance
• Works well with others and is willing to take on difficult or inconspicuous responsibilities
• Cheerfully and enthusiastically renders any requested service to the school
• Is willing to represent the class or school in interclass and interscholastic competition
• Does committee and staff work without complaint
• Participates in some activity outside of school (e.g., Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, religious groups, volunteer services for the elderly, poor, or disadvantaged)
• Mentors persons in the community or students at other schools
• Shows courtesy by assisting visitors, teachers, and students.

Character
Character is probably the most difficult criterion to define. The Faculty Council should consider the positive as well as the negative aspects of character. All judgments in this and other selection criteria should be free of speculation and rumor. A person of character demonstrates the following six qualities: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Chapters can consider the following descriptors as they develop their local definition and standard for character. This list is for consideration purposes only and should not be thought of as a checklist for this criterion. The student of character:

• Takes criticism willingly and accepts recommendations graciously
• Consistently exemplifies desirable qualities of behavior (e.g., cheerfulness, friendliness, poise, stability)
• Upholds principles of morality and ethics
• Cooperates by complying with school regulations concerning property, programs, office, halls, etc.
• Demonstrates the highest standards of honesty and reliability
• Regularly shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others
• Observes instructions and rules, is punctual, and faithful both inside and outside the classroom
• Has powers of concentration, self-discipline, and sustained attention as shown by perseverance and application to studies
• Manifests truthfulness in acknowledging obedience to rules, avoiding cheating in written work, and showing an unwillingness to profit by the mistakes of others
• Actively helps rid the school of bad influences or environment.

The National Council has approved the following recommendations for use when considering the character of candidates:

A candidate will be able to demonstrate an outstanding record of conduct and behavior with regard to school and community rules, guidelines, and policies or be able to demonstrate sufficient growth and improvement to compensate for previous inadequacies. The Faculty Council is encouraged to document, for purposes of their own decision-making or if questioned by the principal, any substandard performance in the area of the character criterion. Such documentation might include such sources as:

• Administrative records of the school
• Counseling records from the guidance office
• Conduct or behavior grades or ratings (including comments) on report cards
• Professional records of individual faculty members (grade books, etc.)
• Comments, based on professional evaluation and action, of individual faculty members on candidate evaluation forms.

It is left to the discretion of the local principal, faculty adviser, and/or Faculty Council as to how much of this information is to be shared with the candidate not selected for membership (or his or her parents).

The Selection Process
As the first step in the process, students’ academic records are reviewed to determine students who are scholastically eligible for membership, i.e., students who meet the required cumulative GPA standard. The GPA used at the local level cannot fall below the national minimum standard outlined in the national constitution, and, once set, must be applied fairly and consistently to all candidates.

Students who are eligible scholastically (i.e.,“candidates”) should be notified and informed that for further consideration for selection to the chapter, they may complete the Student Activity Information Form. This form should not be referred to as an application. This form outlines the candidate’s accomplishments in the areas of Service and Leadership. Care should be taken to follow the established guidelines and time schedule for completing and submitting the forms. It is further recommended that both students and parents sign these forms when submitting them, indicating that the content is both complete and accurate.

If additional faculty input would be beneficial, all faculty members can be invited to make comments on candidates. It is important to note that the actual selection of members must be made by the five appointed members of the Faculty Council. Consequently, point totals or averages of the faculty ratings are not to be considered as votes or the sole determinants of membership, but should instead be reported to the Faculty Council to add to their information when considering selections.

The Student Activity Information Form should be reviewed by the Faculty Council, along with any other verifiable information about the candidates relevant to their candidacy. Some Faculty Councils may wish to interview candidates personally. The leadership, service, and character of all candidates should be reviewed carefully. Faculty Council members are encouraged to deliberate in order to guarantee that their decisions are based on accurate and complete understandings of all information presented for review. With the vote on each candidate, those candidates receiving a majority vote of the Faculty Council should be invited to be inducted into the chapter. All nonselected candidates (i.e., those who do not receive the majority vote of the Faculty Council) should be listed and have those criteria not met by the individual candidate next to their name to assist the adviser and principal in handling inquiries regarding nonselection.

Prior to notification of any candidates, the adviser should report to the principal the results of the Faculty Council’s deliberations for approval. Lists of selected and nonselected students as well as reasons for nonselection may be incorporated in this report. This will ensure the support of the administration prior to any notification.

Tools for Completing the Selection Process

Missed Deadlines and Nonselection
Missing deadlines can be cause for nonselection when defined as a reflection of a student’s level of responsibility that is one aspect of character, which is one of the four key elements considered in the selection process. Meeting deadlines is one portion of meeting the responsibility, which is merely one-sixth of the total definition of character. To imply that a student’s total character is substandard for having not met less than one-sixth of the criterion can be viewed as an extreme consequence. It is true that a single incident of proven cheating, for example, can keep a student out of the Honor Society or lead to his or her removal, it is more difficult to provide the rationale for taking a single incident of late submission as the sole reason for nonselection or dismissal.

To conclude, deadlines are a part of the real world as much as they are standards of excellence. The Honor Societies are viewed by many as the most prestigious organizations for student recognition in the nation. As you examine your policies regarding deadlines, we hope these suggestions will assist in creating a reasonable policy that can be applied fairly and consistently in all circumstances to help maintain the reputation of the national organization.

Nonselection
Not selecting a student who has already been identified as being academically eligible can present a difficult situation for the principal, chapter adviser, and Faculty Council. The situation is bound to arise, however, given the necessarily subjective nature of some of the requirements for membership. The NHS constitution requires that a description of the selection procedure be published in an official school publication widely available to all students and their parents. In cases of nonselection, special efforts should be made to explain the selection process to those students who are unhappy about the results of the selection process.

Appeals in Cases of Nonselection
Chapters are not generally obligated by the law or the national constitution to share with parents and students information concerning specific students not selected for membership in the Honor Society. It is, however, a common or traditional expectation of school personnel to be able to explain how decisions regarding the growth and development of a student on campus were made and, furthermore, to provide effective direction to such students to assist them in reaching their goals despite the existence of a specific setback.

Students who wish to appeal a decision of nonselection should notify the chapter adviser within 10 days of notification of nonselection.  The chapter adviser will provide feedback when questions arise regarding nonselection.  Should students or parents still not be satisfied, the next level of discussion should take place with the principal. The principal should, of course, listen to the concerns of students not selected, or from the parents of such students. Following such discussions, if the principal believes that some kind of technical or procedural mistake has been made, the principal may ask the Faculty Council to reconvene to review the situation.

Usually, however, nonselected students wish to question the judgment of the Faculty Council. Parents and students must understand that no student has a right to be selected for membership in a chapter of the National Honor Society. Reconsideration of a Faculty Council’s decision must be a rare occurrence if the Council is to be expected to take its assignment seriously. It is important to uphold the integrity of NHS standards and to recognize the potential danger of yielding to pressure tactics. If a nonselected student or his or her parents wish to challenge or appeal the principal’s decision, they should follow the local school system complaint procedures. The National Council and NASSP have no authority to review or overturn the judgment of the Faculty Council regarding selection of individual members to local chapters.