• Discipline and Dismissal

    National Honor Society Membership Policy – 

    Members must maintain the minimum GPA as outlined in Article II, Section 4. If a student falls below this standard, they will be given one academic quarter to improve their grades. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from NHS.

    Section 2 – Conduct Expectations

    Students will be dismissed from NHS for any of the following:

    • Suspension or placement in an alternative school

    • Violation of civil or criminal laws

    • Violations of the NHS Code of Ethics, including academic dishonesty (e.g., cheating)

    • Violations of school policy

    Section 3 – Membership Obligations

    Members must meet the following expectations to maintain active status and to be eligible for graduation recognition (e.g., wearing the NHS collar):

    Meetings

    • Attend monthly meetings held the first Thursday of every month at 6:55 AM.

    • If absent, provide a written excuse accepted by KHS attendance policies. Work is not an excuse.

    • Only one unexcused absence is allowed per semester (maximum of two per year).

    • Late arrivals may be dismissed from the meeting and assigned additional service hours.

    Service Hours

    • Complete 20 commnity service hours per semester:

    • All community service hours are set up by the NHS Officer team and advisor/Sponsor. 
    • (No outside service hours will be allowed to count towards NHS requirements) 

    Participation

    • Participate in all mandatory chapter projects and events, or in those you signed up for.

    • Required events apply to all active members 

    Dues

    • Pay $25 yearly dues prior to junior induction. These are non-refundable and will not be returned in the event of dismissal or resignation.

    Online Conduct

    Members may face disciplinary review for online behavior that contradicts NHS values of character, leadership, scholarship, or service. This includes being present at events involving illegal activity, even if not directly involved.

    Section 4 – Probation Policy

    Per Article X of the NHS Constitution:

    • Members who fall below NHS standards will receive a written warning and be placed on probation for one quarter.

    • During probation, members must:

      • Correct all deficiencies

      • Complete an additional five service hours

      • Meet all standard expectations (Section 3), but may not vote

    • Failure to meet these conditions during the probationary period will trigger immediate dismissal procedures.

    • At the end of probation, advisors will review the member’s status. If deficiencies remain unresolved, dismissal proceedings will begin.

    • Members placed on probation more than once, whether consecutively or separately, are subject to disciplinary review.

    • Members have the right to appear before the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) before any final decisions. Students must notify the advisor of their intent to attend within three (3) days of receiving notice.

    Section 5 – Dismissal Procedures

    If a student is dismissed or resigns from NHS:

    • A letter will be sent from the NHS officer or sponsor. Copies may also be sent to parents, the principal, counselor, and registrar.

    • Students may request a hearing before the Faculty Council. Requests must be made within three (3) days of receiving the dismissal notice.

    • If the Faculty Council upholds the dismissal, the student may appeal through the Fort Bend ISD disciplinary appeals process.

    • If dismissal is upheld after appeal:

      • The student must surrender their NHS certificate.

      • Their names will be removed from all NHS records.

  •  

    IH KEMPNER HIGH SCHOOL BY-LAWS OF THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY 

    ARTICLE I NAME AND PURPOSE 

    Section 1. The name of this chapter shall be the National Honor Society of IH Kempner, Sugar Land, Texas. 

    Section 2. The objectives 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 IH Kempner High School. 

    ARTICLE II MEMBERSHIP 

    Section 1. Membership in this chapter shall be known as active and graduate. Active members become graduate members at graduation. The graduate members have no vote. 

    Section 2. Membership and eligibility in this chapter shall be based on Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. 

    Section 3. Candidates eligible for election to the chapter shall have a record of regular attendance at high school, with the last three consecutive semesters attended within the Fort Bend Independent School District. 

    Section 4. In addition to the attendance standard set forth in Section 3 above, each candidate shall be enrolled as an active member of the junior or senior class in his/her high school; and shall maintain a cumulative high school scholastic overall grade point average (GPA) of 85 on a scale of 100. Moreover, each candidate’s eligibility will be based upon his/her service, leadership and character. Any conduct which warrants suspension from school or placement in an alternative school program during a period of eligibility shall automatically deem the student ineligible for membership. 

    ARTICLE III SELECTION OF MEMBERS 

    Section 1. The final selection of members to this chapter shall be by 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 the final selection the following shall occur: 

    1. Students’ academic records shall be reviewed to determine scholastic eligibility (85 cumulative average for class of 2019). b. Students who are eligible scholastically shall be notified and asked to complete the Student Activity Information Form for further consideration for selection. c. The faculty shall be requested to comment on the character of the candidates determined to be scholastically eligible. 

    Section 3. New members shall be selected from a list compiled by the Registrar of all students deemed eligible in accord with the scholastic requirements and conditions set forth in Article III, Section 2, above. A copy of such list and the date of an information session will be given to English or Social Studies teachers to post in the classroom and a copy will also be posted in the library of the high school. All interested students should attend the information session where they will obtain a letter advising them of the procedures and requirements of membership in NHS. This letter must be signed by the parents of the eligible student and returned within five school days of the information session. Upon return of the letter, the students shall receive a Student Activity Information Form, which will be used to evaluate leadership and service. 

    The Faculty Council will render a decision as to the selection of each eligible candidate by majority vote based on scholarship, character evaluation by the faculty, and satisfactory completion by each candidate of the Student Activity Information Form. The vote of the Council shall remain private, and the decision of the Council shall be deemed final. 

    Section 4. The selection of active members shall be held once a year during the first semester of the school year. (Alternative or additional selection periods may be added.) New members shall be inducted into the organization in the spring of each year. 

    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 signed by the Principal. 

    Section 6. An active member of the National Honor Society who transfers to this school will automatically be accepted for membership in this chapter. This transfer member will attain non- probationary status within one semester and then maintain the membership requirements for this chapter in order to retain his/her membership. Article IV 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 in the spring of each year. Each elected at this time shall be designated Officer-elect and shall work as an assistant to the officer holding the position. They shall hold office during their senior year. 

    Section 3. Members vote for their top six candidates and sponsors determine what officer positions based on candidate essay, candidate preference for office, and teacher recommendations. 

    Section 4. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at the meetings for this chapter and compile a list of individual service opportunities and contacts. 

    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. The vice-president will also preside over Special Activities. 

    Section 6. The secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings and be responsible for correspondence and attendance. The secretary will also preside over Teacher Appreciation. 

    Section 7. The treasurer shall keep the record of business expenses, dues, etc. and will preside over Fundraising. 

    Section 8. The parliamentarian shall keep order at meetings and will keep record of students’ membership status. The parliamentarian will also preside over Social Activities. 

    Section 9. The historian shall keep written and visual record of all significant meetings, activities, service projects, fund-raisers, etc. and will construct a scrapbook to represent the year. The historian will also preside over School Spirit. 

    Section 10. Any officer who chooses not to accept or fulfill the requirements and expectations of his/her office will surrender the rights and responsibilities of the position. The office will be filled on an as needed basis by means specified in Article IV, Section 3. The same process would apply should any officer resign, relocate, or otherwise leave the office. 

    ARTICLE V STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE 

    Section 1. The purpose of the student advisory committee is to address minor problems and concerns of the National Honor Society members. 

    Section 2. The student advisory committee will be made up of 4-6 active members, 1 officer (position rotated with each meeting) and 1 faculty council member (position rotated with each meeting). 

    Section 3. The members of the faculty council and the current advisors will select members of the student advisory committee in the fall. 

    ARTICLE VI DISCIPLINE AND DISMISSAL 

    Section 1. Members are expected to maintain the appropriate grade point average as specified in Article II, Section 4. A student not receiving the appropriate grades will be allowed one quarter to bring up his/her grades. Failure to do so shall result in dismissal. 

    Section 2. Any student who has been suspended, placed in alternative school, or has violated any civil laws shall be dismissed from membership in NHS. Any student who violates the code of ethics, such as cheating, or school policy shall be dismissed. 

    Section 3. Any student who does not comply with their obligation for membership as specified below is subject to dismissal and will not receive his/her collar for graduation. 

    1. Members must attend monthly meetings set for the first or second Monday of every month at 3:30 PM. Make-up meetings for students who are unable to attend Monday afternoon meetings are set for Tuesday mornings at 6:50 AM. If a student is absent from the afternoon meeting, he/she must bring a note to attend the morning make-up meeting. If a student is absent from both meetings he/she must bring a note to the advisor within three days that excuses him/her from both the official meeting AND the make-up meeting. A legitimate excuse is one that would be accepted by AHS attendance. Work is not an excuse. Unexcused absences from meetings may not exceed 2 for the year. Students who arrive more than 5 minutes late to the Monday meeting or 5 minutes late to the Tuesday meeting, who have been dismissed from a meeting by an advisor, or who miss a required/mandatory service project or activity (without discussing the conflict with the advisor and getting approval for missing the activity prior to the activity), will incur an unexcused absence. Required / mandatory projects and activities are defined as those mandatory for all members or graduating class of members, or those activities to which the member committed by signing up prior to the activity. b. Each member of NHS will be expected to regularly participate in chapter club projects and personal service projects as outlined in the National Constitution of NHS (Article XIV). Members of the Onyx Chapter will record this participation by use of the “hours” system. Twenty service hours must be completed by the end of each semester, including ten personal hours and five club hours. Fifteen service hours must be completed each semester and must be turned in to the chapter advisor on the appropriate form by 3:00 on the day of the last meeting of each semester. The five club hours of service to be completed each semester will be completed through a chapter or club service project to be organized by the club officers. Only three of the next quarter’s hours may be carried over from additional hours. c. Service may include anything done for school (such as tutoring, cleaning, working with special education), a hospital, community, government service, etc., which is approved by a committee composed of officers and advisors. Service to the community shall not include anything done as part of one’s family obligations or as required by another organization or office held by the member. No more than 1 hour may be spent helping a teacher. Helping KHS teachers in non-scholastic efforts does not count as hours. d. Each member shall pay $20.00 per year dues. Members must pay these dues by the second meeting after induction and by the second meeting of the new school year. e. Member standing will be re-evaluated for the final time nine weeks into the last quarter. All hours must be complete by that time. f. A member, whose online presence reveals unbecoming conduct contrary to the standards of character, leadership, scholarship, or service which were the basis of their selection, is subject to immediate disciplinary review. For example, evidence of attendance at an event at which illegal activities occur is a violation of the character and leadership standards which are the basis for member selection. 

    Section 4. In accordance with the National Constitution of NHS (Article X), members who fall below the standards which were the basis of their selection shall be promptly warned in writing by the chapter advisor and given one quarter to correct the deficiency before dismissal procedures are started, except in the case of flagrant violations. Should any student fall short of the expectations outlined in Section 3 above, he/she will be put on probationary status for one quarter to allow time for correction of the deficiency. While on probationary status, members are still required to meet all expectations outlined in Section 3 above; however, they are not allowed to vote. They are also required to complete three additional service hours within the probationary period. Should the student fall short of expectations again during this probationary period, dismissal procedures will begin at once. If not, at the end of the quarter, the chapter advisor(s) will meet with the student to review his/her membership status. If at that time the student has completed the three extra service hours, corrected the deficiency, and met all expectations since the violation, his/her active membership status will be restored. If the advisor determines that the deficiency has not been corrected, then dismissal procedures will be initiated. Any member who incurs double-probation simultaneously or cumulatively, is subject to disciplinary review. The member will have the opportunity to be heard by the Student Advisory Committee before disciplinary measures are taken by the advisor or Faculty Council. The member will have 3 days after receiving the SAC notice to inform the advisor of his/her intention to attend or not attend. 

    Section 5. If a student is to be dismissed from membership in NHS, he/she will receive a letter from the advisor. A copy of this letter will be sent to parents, the principal, the counselor, and the registrar of students. Any NHS student being considered for dismissal is entitled to a hearing; and in the event that a student desires a hearing, he/she shall inform the NHS advisor of such desire within 3 days after receiving his/her notice. The student will be notified of the time and place of the hearing; and, at such time and place, the student shall be allowed reasonable time to present his/her case to Faculty Council. In the event that the Council rules unfavorably, the student may appeal such ruling in accord with the applicable rules governing disciplinary appeals in Fort Bend ISD. In the event that the rulings of the Council remain intact the student shall surrender his/her NHS membership certificate to the chapter advisor. The student’s name shall be struck from the rolls of NHS for all purposes and inquiries thereafter.