Honor Society Bi-laws
Talladega High School
Theta Sigma Chapter
National Honor Society By-Laws
Article I: Name and Purpose
Section 1. The name of this chapter shall be the Talladega Chapter of the National Honor Society of
Talladega High School.
Section 2. The purpose of this chapter shall be to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate
a desire to render service, to promote worthy leadership, and to encourage the
development of character in students of Talladega High School.
Article II: Membership
Section 1. Membership in this chapter shall be known as active, honorary, and graduate. Active
members become graduate members at graduation. Graduate and honorary members
have no vote in chapter affairs.
Section 2. Membership in this chapter is an honor bestowed upon deserving students by the faculty,
and shall be based on the criteria of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character.
Section 3. Eligibility:
sophomore, junior, or senior class.
in attendance for a period of one semester and FULLY enrolled in core AND elective
courses at Talladega High School.
average of 3.4 on a 4.0 scale. This scholastic level of achievement shall remain fixed,
and shall be the required minimum scholastic level of achievement for admission to
candidacy. All students who can rise in scholarship to or above such standard may be
admitted to candidacy for selection to membership.
d. According to the National Honor Society guidelines, students with failing grades ("F's")
are not eligible for membership as they do not meet the required minimum GPA of
3.4 or greater. Students must maintain a generally high academic standard to be
considered for membership and maintenance of membership.
candidates shall then be considered based on their service, leadership, and character.
Article III: Selection of Members
Section 1. The selection of members to this chapter shall be by a majority vote of the Faculty Council
consisting of five faculty members appointed by the principal. The chapter advisor shall
be the sixth, non-voting, ex-officio member of the Faculty Council.
Section 2. Prior to selection, the following shall occur:
for selection before or by the deadline.
eligible using the evaluation form provided by the chapter advisor(s).
order to determine membership.
for induction.
Section 3: The selection of new, active members shall be held once a year during the first semester
of the school year.
Section 4. Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony.
Section 5. An active member of the National Honor Society who transfers from this school will be
given a letter indicating the status of his/her membership and signed by the advisor(s).
Section 6. An active member of the National Honor Society who transfers to this school will be
accepted for membership in this chapter upon providing proof of membership. The
Faculty Council shall grant to the transferring member one semester to attain the
membership requirements and, therefore, this member must maintain those
requirements for this chapter in order to retain his/her membership.
Article IV: Discipline and Dismissal
Section 1. Any member who falls below the standards of scholarship, leadership, character, or
service may be dismissed from the Talladega Chapter of the National Honor Society. A
member of the National Honor Society is expected to maintain his/her academic standing
and take an active role in service and leadership to his/her school and community.
Section 2. If a member’s scholastic average falls below the standard in effect when he/she was
selected, he/she will be given a written warning and a time period of improvement. If
the scholastic average remains below standard at the end of the warning period, the
student will be subject to further disciplinary action by the Faculty Council that will
include dismissal from the chapter. For example, if a student receives a “C” or below, and
it causes the GPA to fall below a 3.4, students will have approximately 6 weeks to bring
that GPA/grades back to standard.
Section 3. Violation of the law or school regulations can result in dismissal of a member. These
violations include, but are not limited to DUI, stealing, destruction of property, cheating,
truancy, or possession, selling, or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at school
or school-related activities.
Section 4. Offenders of the school conduct code (such as use of profanity, failure to comply,
unexcused absence, excessive tardiness, etc.) will receive written warning notification. A
conference may be requested by either party (Faculty Council or student/parent). If the
member is involved in another violation of the school conduct code, the member may be
dismissed.
Section 5. In all cases of pending dismissal:
from the advisor(s)/Faculty Council. The member and advisor(s) will discuss the written
notification in a conference. Situations that involve flagrant violations of school rules or
the law can warrant disciplinary action without a written warning although a hearing
may be requested.
hearing before the Faculty Council prior to the vote on dismissal. The member has the
opportunity to present his/her defense either in person or in writing. The Faculty Council
will then vote on whether to dismiss. A majority vote of the Faculty Council is needed to
dismiss any member.
c. The results of the Faculty Council vote will be reviewed by the principal, and then if
confirmed, expressed in a letter sent to the student, parents, and principal. Dismissed
members must surrender any membership emblems to the adviser.
d. The Faculty Council’s decision may be appealed to the building principal.
e. When a student is dismissed or resigns, he/she is no longer a member and may never
again be considered for membership in the National Honor Society.
Section 6. In lieu of dismissal, the Faculty Council may impose disciplinary sanctions upon a
member as deemed appropriate.
Article V: Officers
Section 1. The officers of the chapter shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer,
Parliamentarian, and Historian.
Section 2. Student officers shall be elected at the last meeting of the school year. For the 24-25
school year, this will take place before inductions. Also for the 24-25 school year, only
current seniors may run for president. All returning active members are
eligible to run for a position as an officer. All active members of the chapters are eligible
to vote.
Section 3. A majority vote shall be necessary to elect any officer of this chapter. If the first vote does
not yield a majority, a second vote shall be taken of the two candidates receiving the
highest number of votes.
Section 4. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at the meetings for this chapter. In addition,
the president shall organize and participate in all group projects. The president shall also
maintain regular contact with the advisor(s).
Section 5. The vice-president shall preside in the absence of the president and shall also keep a
record of members’ contribution to leadership and service. In addition, the vice-president
will help the planning of and preparation for the induction ceremony. The vice-president
shall also maintain regular contact with the advisor(s).
Section 6. The secretary shall keep the minutes of meetings and be responsible for all official
chapter correspondence. This officer shall also report all business to the members. In
addition, it is the responsibility of the secretary to keep clear and organized records on
file. The secretary shall also maintain regular contact with the advisor(s).
Section 7. The treasurer shall keep records on all members. In addition, the treasurer is responsible
for keeping accurate financial records concerning fundraisers. The treasurer shall also
help prepare the budget for various group activities. The treasurer shall also maintain
regular contact with the advisor(s).
Section 8. The parliamentarian takes attendance at each meeting and keeps a log. He/she informs
members by formal letter when members miss meetings. The parliamentarian is in
charge of the official Registry Book of all new members at the induction ceremony. It is
also the responsibility of the parliamentarian to inform the advisor(s) of members who
miss meetings. The parliamentarian shall also maintain regular contact with the
advisor(s).
Section 9. The historian records club history by taking pictures and keeping up with memorabilia.
The historian reports club news to the local newspaper and school yearbook staff. The
historian shall also maintain regular contact with the advisor(s).
Section 10. An officer may be recommended for disciplinary action or dismissal for the following
Reasons:
a. Gross neglect of duty
b. Proof of incompetence
c. Conduct unbecoming an NHS officer
d. Absences from meetings and/or activities
Article VI: Executive Committee
Section 1. The executive committee shall consist of the faculty adviser(s) and the chapter officers.
Section 2. The executive committee shall have general charge of the meetings and the business of
the chapter, but any action by the executive committee is subject to the review of the
chapter members.
Article VII: Meetings
Section 1: Meetings of this chapter shall be monthly or otherwise specified by the adviser(s).
Section 2. This chapter shall conduct its meetings according to Robert’s Rules of Order.
Section 3. All chapter members are expected to attend all regularly-scheduled chapter meetings.
Section 4. All absences from meetings should be approved by the adviser(s), prior to the meeting if
possible. Should a member miss a meeting, it is the member’s responsibility to provide a
written explanation for the absence 24 hours before the meeting takes place. Each
member may miss two meetings per academic year if they have been pre-approved.
Repeated absences may result in disciplinary action by the Faculty Council. If a member
accumulate two or more unexcused absences to any function/mandatory service project,
they may be placed on probation. Each member has the right to a hearing before the
committee and the right to an appeal before dismissal.
Article VIII: Activities
Section 1. The chapter shall determine one or more service projects per year.
Section 2. All members shall regularly participate in these projects.
Section 3. These projects shall have the following characteristics: fulfill a need within the school or
community, have the support of the administration and the faculty, be appropriate and
educationally defensible, and be well-planned, organized, and executed.
Section 4. Failure to regularly participate in group and individual projects may result in disciplinary
action.
Article IX: Emblem
Section 1. Each member of this chapter who is in good standing with regard to the membership
standards and member obligations shall have the privilege of wearing the emblem
adopted by the National Honor Society.
Section 2. Any member who withdraws, resigns, or is dismissed from the chapter shall return the
emblem to the chapter.
Section 3. Chapter members who are seniors in good standing shall be granted the privilege of
wearing the NHS stole at graduation.
Article X: Dues
Section 1. Dues for this chapter shall be $40.
Section 2. Dues will be payable to the chapter advisor(s) within 10 days of being tapped/selected.
Article XI: Powers
Section 1. The chapter advisor(s) is given the authority to supervise the administration of chapter
activities, as delegated by the school principal.
Section 2. The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter.
Section 3. These bylaws are designed to amplify provisions of the National Constitution and cannot
contradict any components thereof. The chapter is obligated to adhere to the provisions
of the National Constitution in all activities it undertakes.
Article XII: Amendments:
Section 1. These by-laws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the chapter, provided notice of the
the proposed amendment has been given to members at least one month prior to the vote.
The exceptions are Articles III and IV (selection and discipline), which are developed by
the Faculty Council with the approval of the principal.
Section 2. By-laws and amendments must be consistent with the Constitution of the National Honor
Society.