National Honor Society

Chickasaw High School

National Honor Society

The Chickasaw High School Chapter of the National Honor Society recognizes students who demonstrate excellence both in and out of the classroom. Membership in NHS is an honor that reflects academic achievement, leadership, service to others, and strong personal character.

What Is the National Honor Society?

The National Honor Society is a nationwide organization that recognizes high school students for outstanding scholarship, leadership, service, and character. At Chickasaw High School, NHS members work to improve our school and community through service projects, peer support, and leadership opportunities.

Our Pillars

Scholarship

Members maintain a strong academic record and value learning as a lifelong pursuit.

Leadership

NHS students lead by example in the classroom, school, and community.

Service

Members give back through meaningful service projects that support our school and local community.

Character

Integrity, responsibility, and respect guide everything we do.

 

Chapter Bylaws

of the

Chickasaw High School Chapter

of the

National Honor Society

 

ARTICLE I:  NAME 

The name of this chapter shall be the Chickasaw High School Chapter of the National Honor Society.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

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 Chickasaw High School.

ARTICLE III: POWERS

Section 1: This chapter operates under the direction of and in full compliance with the National Constitution of NHS. See www.nhs.us/constitutions. In addition, this chapter will maintain active affiliation with the national organization on an annual basis.

Section 2. The chapter adviser is given the authority to supervise the administration of chapter activities, as delegated by the school principal.

Section 3: Final authority on all activities and decisions of the chapter resides with the school principal.

Section 4: Nondiscrimination. Our chapter of the NHS maintains policies and practices that are designed to prevent discrimination against any qualified candidate or member on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability. This policy of nondiscrimination applies to all practices, including the chapter administration and the selection, discipline, and dismissal of members.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.  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 2.  Membership in this chapter shall be known as active, honorary, and alumni.  Active members become alumni members at graduation. Alumni and honorary members have no voice or vote in chapter affairs.

Section 3.  Eligibility:

1. Candidates eligible for selection to this chapter must be members of the sophomore, junior, or senior class. 
2. To be eligible for selection to membership in this chapter, the candidate must have been enrolled for a period equivalent to one semester at Chickasaw High School.
3. Candidates eligible for election to the chapter shall have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
4. Upon meeting the grade level, enrollment, and GPA standards, candidates shall then be considered based on their service, leadership, and character.

ARTICLE V:  SELECTION OF MEMBERS  

Section 1.  The selection of members to this chapter shall be by a majority vote of the faculty council which consists of five faculty members appointed by the principal. The chapter adviser shall be the sixth, nonvoting, ex officio member of the faculty council.

Section 2.  The selection of active members shall be held once a year during the second semester of the school year. 

Section 3.  Prior to the final selection, the following shall occur:

1. Students who are eligible for membership will be notified and invited to complete and submit the candidate information form.
2. Academic records of students who applied will be reviewed to confirm scholastic eligibility.
3. Faculty members will be invited to provide evaluations of eligible candidates using the official input form provided by the chapter adviser.
4. The faculty council will review the candidate information forms, faculty evaluations, and other relevant materials to determine which candidates fully meet the criteria for membership 

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 an official letter indicating the status of his/her membership.

Section 6.  An active member of the National Honor Society who transfers to this school will be automatically accepted for membership in this chapter.  The faculty council shall grant to the transferring member one semester to attain the membership requirements and, thereafter, this member must maintain those requirements for this chapter in order to retain his/her membership.

ARTICLE VI: OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS 

Section 1.  Annual dues for this chapter shall be twenty dollars. Dues will be payable to the chapter within 30 days of induction. 

Section 2.  Each member of this chapter who is in good standing with regard to the membership standards and member obligations shall be entitled to wear the emblem adopted by the National Honor Society.

Section 3.  Any member who withdraws, resigns, or is dismissed from the chapter shall return the emblem to the chapter.

Section 4. Chapter members who are seniors in good standing shall be granted the privilege of wearing the honor cords at graduation.

ARTICLE VII:  OFFICERS

Section 1.  The officers of the chapter shall be president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.

Section 2.  Student officers shall be elected at the last meeting of each school year.  All returning members in good standing with the chapter are eligible to run for a position as an officer. Any active member can nominate an eligible member as a candidate for office.

Section 3.  Voting shall be by secret ballot. 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 of the chapter and serve as the official representative of the chapter at school and community functions.

Section 5.  The vice president shall preside in the absence of the president and shall also keep a record of members’ contributions to leadership and service.

Section 6.  The secretary shall keep the minutes and attendance records for meetings and be responsible for all official correspondence.

Section 7.  The treasurer shall keep the record of business expenses, dues, and all other financial transactions of the chapter.

Section 8.  Officers and the faculty adviser(s) shall collectively be known as the chapter’s executive committee. The executive committee shall establish annual goals for the chapter and 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 VIII:  MEETINGS

Section 1.  Regular meetings of this chapter shall be monthly. Special meetings can be called by the president with approval of the adviser.

Section 2.  This chapter shall conduct its meetings according to Robert’s Rules of Order.

Section 3. Members are expected to attend all chapter meetings.

ARTICLE IX:  ACTIVITIES

Section 1.  The chapter shall determine one or more service projects for each 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.  Each member shall have the responsibility for choosing and participating in an individual service project which reflects his or her particular talents and interests and as approved by the chapter adviser. This is in addition to the chapter projects to which all members contribute.

Section 5.  The chapter shall publicize and promote its projects in a positive manner.

ARTICLE X:  DISCIPLINE and DISMISSAL of MEMBERS

Section 1.  Any member who falls below the standards of scholarship, service, leadership, or character  may be considered for discipline or dismissal from the Chickasaw High School 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 cumulative grade point average falls below the standard in effect, 3.5, when he/she was selected, he /she will be given a written warning and a reasonable time period for improvement.  If the cumulative grade point 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 includes consideration of dismissal from the chapter.

Section 3.  Violations of the law or school regulations can result in immediate consideration of the dismissal of a member (see Section 5 below).  These violations include, but are not limited to DWI, stealing, destruction of property, cheating, truancy, or possession, selling, or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at school or school-related activities or in the community.

Section 4.  Offenders of the school conduct code (such as use of profanity, failure to comply, unexcused absences, 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 considered for dismissal.

Section 5.  Chapter officers, as representatives of the chapter, can be removed from their positions as a consequence of disciplinary action taken by the faculty council.

Section 6. In all cases of pending dismissal:

1. The member will receive written notification from the adviser/faculty council indicating the reason for consideration of dismissal. 
2. The member has the right to respond to the charge(s) against him/her at a hearing before the faculty council prior to any vote on dismissal (in accordance with due process identified in Article X of the National Constitution). The member has the opportunity to present his/her defense either in person or via a written statement presented in lieu of the face-to-face hearing. Following the hearing, the faculty council will then vote on whether to dismiss. A majority vote of the faculty council is needed to dismiss any member.
3. The results of the faculty council vote will be presented to the principal for review, and then stated in a letter sent to the student and parents. Dismissed members must surrender any membership emblems to the adviser.
4. The faculty council’s decision may be appealed to the building principal and afterwards according to provisions of the school district discipline policies.
5. A member who is dismissed or resigns may never again be considered for membership in the National Honor Society.

Section 7.  In lieu of dismissal, the faculty council may impose disciplinary sanctions upon a member as deemed appropriate.

 

ARTICLE XI: RATIFICATION, APPROVAL, and REVIEW. 

Section 1: These bylaws will be approved upon receiving a two-thirds affirmative vote of all active members of the chapter, a majority affirmative vote of the faculty council, and approval by the administration.

Section 2: These bylaws shall be reviewed and if necessary, revised within five years from the date of approval noted on this document. 

ARTICLE XII: AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the chapter, provided notice of the proposed amendment has been given to members at least one month prior to the vote. The exceptions are Articles IV, V, and X, which are developed by the faculty council with the approval of the principal.
 

Approved on December 10, 2025 

 

 

NHS Selection Procedure Description

The Chickasaw High School chapter of the National Honor Society is a duly chartered and affiliated chapter of the National Honor Society.

Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in four areas of evaluation: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Students are selected for membership by majority vote of a 5-member Faculty Council, appointed annually by the principal, which bestows this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school each year.  The chapter adviser, Mr. Zachary Gotlib is also appointed by the principal and facilitates all selection procedures and chapter activities during the year.

Students in tenth through twelfth grades are eligible for membership. For the scholarship criterion, a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale. Those students who meet this criterion are invited to complete an application 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 obtains additional professional input. First, official school disciplinary records are reviewed. Second, members of the faculty are requested to provide their professional reflections on a candidate’s service activities, character, citizenship, and leadership. These forms and the Candidate Forms are carefully reviewed by the Faculty Council to determine whether each candidate meets the criteria for membership.  A majority vote of the Council is necessary for selection.  Following a review of the results of the Faculty Council voting by the principal, candidates are notified regarding selection or non-selection according to a predetermined schedule. 

Once the notification process is completed, 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 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).  Students or parents who have questions regarding the selection process or membership obligations can contact the chapter adviser, Mr. Zachary Gotlib, in room 31 or by email at zgotlib@chickasawschools.com.

 

Applications are now open for invited students for the School Year of 2025 - 2026 and can be downloaded by clicking the link below.

Applications are Due: Friday, February 13, 2026 by 3:00 PM to Mr. Gotlib

CHSNHSApplication.pdf

TeacherReference1.pdf