BY-LAWS FOR THE CEDAR VALLEY CHAPTER OF THE
NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY
ARTICLE 1
NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1. The name of the organization shall be the Cedar Valley Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society of Cedar Valley Middle School.
Section 2. The purpose of this organization shall be to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, to develop character, and to encourage citizenship.
Section 3. The NJHS shall be under the sponsorship and supervision of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), 1904 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191.
ARTICLE II
THE PRINCIPAL
Section 1. The principal shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter.
Section 2. The principal shall annually appoint a chapter advisor(s), who may serve consecutive terms.
Section 3. The principal shall be a part of the local school district appeal process for non-selection or dismissal cases.
ARTICLE III
THE CHAPTER ADVISOR
Section 1. The chapter advisor shall be responsible for the direct, day-to-day supervision of the chapter and act as liaison between faculty, administration, students and community.
Section 2. The chapter advisor(s) shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transactions.
Section 3. The chapter advisor shall regularly review each member for compliance with Society standards and obligations.
Section 4. The chapter advisor shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties.
ARTICLE IV
FACULTY COUNCIL
Section 1. The faculty council shall consist of five voting faculty members appointed annually by the principal. No principal shall be included on the faculty council.
Section 2. The term of the faculty council shall be one year. Members may be appointed to consecutive terms.
Section 3. The chapter advisor shall be an ex-officio, non-voting, sixth member of the faculty council.
Section 4. The faculty council shall meet at least once a year to select members and to consider dismissal, non-selection, and warning cases.
ARTICLE V
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership is an honor bestowed upon a student. Selection for membership is by a faculty council and is based on outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, service and citizenship.
Section 2. The faculty council shall reserve the right to award honorary membership to school officials, principals, teachers, NJHS advisors, or adults in recognition of outstanding service rendered to the school in keeping with the purpose of the National Junior Honor Society.
Section 3. Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony.
Section 4. A National Junior Honor Society member who transfers to another school and brings a letter from the former principal or chapter advisor to the new school advisor shall be accepted automatically as a member in the new school’s chapter. Transfer members must meet the new chapter’s standards within one semester in order to retain membership.
Section 5. Members who resign or are dismissed are never again eligible for membership or its benefits.
CHAPTER VI
SELECTION OF MEMBERS
Section 1. To be eligible for membership the candidate must be a member of the seventh grade class. At the end of the fourth six weeks, the registrar will compile a list of eligible students.
Section 2. Candidates must have a cumulative scholastic average of 94 at the completion of the fourth six weeks grading period to be eligible. Candidates shall then be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership, character, and citizenship.
Section 3. The selection of each member to the chapter shall be a majority vote of the faculty council.
Section 4. A description of the selection procedure shall be published in an official school publication which is widely available in a timely fashion to all students and parents of the school. The selection procedure shall be determined by the faculty council and shall be consistent with the rules and regulations of the National Junior Honor Society.
Section 5. The National Council and the NASSP shall not review the judgment of the faculty council regarding selection of individual members to local chapters.
ARTICLE VII
DISMISSAL
Section 1. The procedure of dismissal shall be determined by the faculty council in compliance with the rules and regulations of the National Junior Honor Society. A written description of the dismissal procedure shall be available to interested parties.
Section 2. Members who fall below the standards which were the basis for their selection shall be promptly warned in writing by the chapter advisor and given a reasonable amount of time to correct the deficiency, except that in the case of flagrant violation of school rules or civil laws a member does not, necessarily, have to be warned.
Section 3. The faculty council shall determine when an individual has exceeded a reasonable amount of warnings.
Section 4. In all cases of impending dismissal, a member shall have a right to written notification of charges and hearing before the faculty council.
Section 5. A member who has been dismissed may appeal the decision of the faculty council under the same rules for disciplinary appeals in the school district.
Section 6. The National Council and the NASSP shall hear no appeals in dismissal cases.
ARTICLE VIII
NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of this chapter shall be president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and historian.
Section 2. Officers shall be elected at a regular meeting of the Cedar Valley chapter.
Section 3. A majority of votes cast shall be necessary to elect any officers in the Cedar Valley chapter.
ARTICLE IX
OFFICER’S DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Section 1. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at the meetings.
Section 2. The vice-president shall preside in the absence of the president.
Section 3. The secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings.
Section 4. The treasurer shall, with the approval of the advisor or principal, receive and disburse all funds of the chapter, and keep accurate account of receipts and disbursements in keeping with school policy for handling funds of school organizations.
Section 5. The historian shall keep a record of chapter activities.
ARTICLE X
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The executive committee shall consist of the officers of the chapter and the chapter advisor(s).
Section 2. The executive committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the chapter between its business meetings, make recommendations to the chapter, and determine and perform such other duties as are specified in the chapter by-laws. All actions of the executive committee shall be subject to the review of the chapter membership.
Section 3. The executive committee shall have the responsibility for ensuring that chapter activities and procedures follow school policy and regulations.
ARTICLE XI
MEETINGS
Section 1. The Cedar Valley Chapter shall meet each marking period.
Section 2. Special meetings approved by the executive committee may be called by the president.
Section 3. Chapters shall conduct meetings according to Robert’s Rules of Order in all points not expressly provided for in these by-laws.
ARTICLE XII
ACTIVITIES
Section 1. The chapter shall be involved in one or more service projects during the school year.
Section 2. Each member shall be involved in an individual service project as approved by the chapter advisor.
Section 3. Each member shall complete a minimum of 20 service hours during their 8th grade year. Each member shall complete a minimum of 3 service hours each marking period even if the member exceeds the 20 hour yearly minimum. Members may begin earning service hours for the first marking period beginning August 1 of their 8th grade school year. The executive committee may vote to increase the minimum hourly requirement as long as members are notified in a timely fashion.
Section 4. Each member shall make an effort to compete in the annual UIL Academic Tournament (or other school sponsored academic contest). Making an effort entails attending practice sessions and competing in the tournament if selected. The executive committee may vote to increase the minimum yearly service hour requirement for any students who are unable to meet the UIL requirement.
ARTICLE XIII
AMENDMENTS
Section 1. This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the chapter, provided that the proposed amendment has been approved by the executive committee or the faculty council.