Article I: Name and Purpose

Section 1. The name of this chapter shall be the ninth Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society of P.S. DuPont Middle 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 citizenship, and to encourage the development of the character of students in P.S. DuPont Middle School.

Article II: Membership

Section 1. Membership in this charter shall be known as active, honorary, and graduate. Active members become graduate members at the end of their enrollment. 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, Citizenship, and Character.

Section 3. Eligibility:

1. Candidates eligible for election to this chapter must be second semester sixth graders or in grades 7-8.

2. To be eligible for selection to membership in this chapter, the candidate must have been in attendance for a period of one semester at P.S. DuPont Middle School.

3. Candidates eligible for election to the chapter shall have a minimum cumulative average of 3.25 (out of 4.0).  This scholastic level of achievement 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.

4. Upon meeting the grade level, attendance and GPA standard requirements, candidates shall then be considered based on their service, leadership, citizenship, and character.

Article III: Selection of Members

Section 1. The 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 adviser shall be the sixth non-voting, ex-official member of the Faculty Council.

Section 2. Prior to the selection, the following shall occur.

1. Students’ academic records shall be reviewed to determine scholastic eligibility.

2. Students who are eligible scholastically (“candidates”) shall be notified and asked to complete and submit the Candidate Form for further consideration for selection.

3. The faculty shall be requested to evaluate the candidates determined to be scholastically eligible using the official evaluation form provided by the chapter adviser.

4. The Faculty Council shall review the Candidate Form and faculty evaluations in order to determine membership.

Section 3. The selection of new, active memberships shall be held once a year during the 2nd semester of the school year.

Section 4. Candidates become members when inducted at a special ceremony.

Section 5. An active member of the National Junior Honor Society who transfers from this school will be given a letter indicating the status of his/her membership and signed by the Principal.

Section 6. An active member of the National Junior Honor Society who transfers to this school will be automatically accepted for membership in this charter. 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 IV: Discipline and Dismissal

Section 1. Any member who falls below the standards of scholarship, leadership, character, citizenship or service may be dismissed from the P.S. DuPont chapter of the National Junior Honor Society.  Each member 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 grade point average falls below the standard in effect when he/she was selected (3.25 GPA), he/she will be given a warning and a time period for improvement (one additional marking period). If the cumulative grade point average remains below the standards at the end of that additional marking period, the student will be subject to further disciplinary action by the Faculty Council which includes dismissal from the chapter.

Section 3. Violation of the law or school regulations can result in the dismissal of a member. These violations include, but are not limited to 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 5. In all cases of pending dismissal:

1. The member will receive written notification indicating the reason for possible dismissal from the adviser/ Faculty Council. The member and adviser will discuss the written notification in a conference. Situations that involve flagrant violations of school rules or the law can warrant disciplinary action without written warning although a hearing must still be held (see below).

2. The member will be given the opportunity to respond to the charge against him/her at a hearing before the Faculty Council prior to the 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 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.

3. 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 and parents or guardians. 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 through the school district policy.

5. 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 Junior 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 each school year. All returning active members are eligible to run for a position as an officer provided that they are members in good standing both academically and behaviorally, and meet all criteria to clearly demonstrate scholarship, service, leadership, citizenship, and character.  An officer candidate application must be completed and all information must be verified and validated by the Faculty Council.  Once this has occurred, the NJHS member's name will be added to the election ballot. 

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 for the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes.

Section 4. There must be at least two candidates running for each officer position. In the event that there is only one member running for an officer position, that officer position will not be filled until the situation has been resolved and there are at least two candidates on the ballot for that position.  If there is only one officer candidate for a position, that position will be opened up again to a polling of the active members. A special election may need to be held at the beginning of the next school year once there are at least two candidates running for that unfilled position.

Section 5. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at the meetings for his chapter.

Section 6. The vice president shall preside in the absence of the president and shall also keep a record of the members’ contributions to leadership and service. 

Section 7. The secretary shall keep minutes of the meetings and be responsible for all official chapter correspondence.

Section 8. The treasurer shall keep a record of chapter expenses, dues, and all other financial transactions of the chapter.

Section 9. The parliamentarian shall be proficient with parliamentary procedures (Robert’s Rules of Order) and rule on all questions of parliamentary conduct at chapter meetings.

Section 10. The historian shall record and document all events through the use of photography or other means.

Article VI: Executive Committee

Section 1. The executive committee shall consist of the faculty adviser 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. The meetings of this chapter shall be monthly.  Other committee meetings can be scheduled at other times during the month.

Section 3. Meetings will be conducted by the entire panel of officers according to a generated and an advisor approved agenda.

Article VIII: Activities

Section 1. The chapter shall determine one or more service projects 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 its projects in a positive manner.

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 Junior Honor Society.

Section 2. Any member who withdraws, resigns, or is dismissed from the chapter shall return the emblem to the chapter.

Article X: Dues

Section 1. NJHS members have the obligation each year of paying annual dues ($25). Officers may call for a membership vote to conduct a fundraiser in place of paying dues to cover the annual dues.  This obligation must be met by all active members or membership will be terminated. 

Section 2. The established dues will be payable to the chapter treasurer within 90 days of the start of each school year.  Dues are nonrefundable.

Article XI: Powers

Section 1. The chapter adviser 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 by-laws 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 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 Junior Honor Society.

Date: 08/18/2016

Signatures: (Chapter President, Secretary, Adviser, Principal)

Ava Reisman                                                   Ella Gonser

NJHS President                                               NJHS Secretary

Samuel Fawks                                                 Delethia McIntire

NJHS Advisor                                                 NJHS Administrator