Below are some frequently asked questions that may help you understand what is required of prospective members and the application process.
To be eligible for selection for membership in National Honor Society, a student must be at least a sophomore who has been in attendance at DHS for at least one semester and has met the minimum GPA requirement for scholarship.
Prospective members must have a minimum GPA of a 95%. Current members must maintain a 93% GPA to retain membership in NHS. Current members whose GPA falls below 95% are put on probation for one marking period, ending with a review of the student’s GPA after the probationary period. Members on probation who do not raise their GPA above 95% after the probationary period are subject to faculty review and possible revocation of the student’s membership in NHS.
Students who are interested in applying for membership in NHS are required to complete a membership application. An application will be handed out during an introductory meeting in April of each year. The application consists of multiple parts.
Application materials are distributed and collected in April. An exact deadline date for applying is listed on the application and will be posted on DHS’s NHS page, and advertised via morning announcements. Applications must be completed in full and turned in on or before this deadline date, or the application will not be considered.
The National Honor Society at DHS will induct new members in May of each school year. Prior to induction, prospective members are required to submit a membership application and a teacher evaluation. Following all interviews, each member of the Faculty Selection Committee will vote independently on each candidate. Only those applicants receiving a majority of the Committee's vote will be admitted. The advisors are ex-officio members of the committee and, therefore, do not have a vote. Students whose membership is accepted to the National Honor Society are inducted at a formal ceremony in May.
The National Honor Society requires members to demonstrate leadership in and outside of school, perform service to their school and community, possess a character of high morals and ethics, and demonstrate citizenship by their membership in school and community organizations. The DHS Chapter requires prospective members to list and describe their extracurricular activities, their leadership positions in these activities, their involvement in school and community activities, and the types and number of service hours performed in each of their high school years.
Extracurricular activities include membership in school or community sports teams, band, chorus, Competitive Academics, Class Officers, clubs, DECA, internships, part-time jobs, etc.
A leadership position is any position in which the student had to manage, motivate, and oversee other people. These leadership positions can be elected or appointed positions in student government, clubs, team captain, or community organizations. Leadership positions can be associated with a particular service or community project. Work-related leadership positions (such as store manager, assistant manager, team leader, etc) are also acceptable.
Students may also demonstrate leadership in the classroom by taking on an active leadership role during group work, instruction, etc.
Character is one of the four pillars of National Honor Society. A student of good character upholds principles of morality and ethics; is cooperative; demonstrates high standards of honesty and reliability; shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others; and generally maintains a clean disciplinary and attendance record.
Membership in NHS requires active participation in the community outside of school. Community organizations include: Boy and Girl Scouts, Animal Shelter, community sports teams/leagues (as a volunteer and not as a participant), service organizations like the Rotary Club or the Boys and Girls Club, professional groups like the Chamber of Commerce, Adopt-a-Highway or similar environmental groups or activities, local chapters of national charity organizations such as the American Cancer Society or American Red Cross, religious organizations such as church/synagogue/mosque, youth or mission groups, etc.
Many of the activities of these types of volunteer organizations would fall under the “Service Hours” heading of the membership application.
Service hours are the amount of time a student is involved in activities for which he or she receives no compensation. The student participates in these activities as a volunteer and with a “positive, courteous, and enthusiastic spirit.” Compensation does not only mean a monetary reward. Service hours that are performed in order to receive or boost a class grade may not be used as part of a student’s application to NHS. The exception to this is any service activity associated with the Boy/Girl Scouts or similar organization whereby the student is recognized with a badge or similar type of award or recognition.
For prospective members to NHS, students should have completed a minimum of 10 hours of service to school and/or community.
If accepted for membership in NHS, a student is required to perform 20 hours of service to the school and 10 community service hours annually.
If you think you might want to apply for membership in NHS in your sophomore or junior years, the NHS faculty sponsors advise you to start preparing now. What this means is you should become involved with school clubs and activities, research and start participating in volunteer organizations or service activities, maintain your GPA, and ensure you demonstrate strong character.
The personal benefits of volunteering and community involvement surpass just NHS membership or even admission to college. Giving of yourself to the community fosters personal satisfaction and contentment as well as good citizenship. Your freshman year is not too early to start a lifelong commitment to volunteerism and servant leadership.
Each graduating member of NHS will be asked to purchase a stoll. Additional activities or service projects during the year may require donations or fees but will always be voluntary.