BYLAWS
of the
Payne Junior High Chapter
of the
NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY

Updated 04-2008

Reviewed 05-2014

Article I

Name and Purpose

Section 1. The name of this chapter will be the Payne Junior High Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (N. J. H. S.) of Payne Junior High.
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. 22091.

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 adviser, who may serve consecutive terms.
Section 3. The principal shall be a part of the local school district appeal process for non-selection of dismissal cases.

Article III

The Chapter Adviser

Section 1. The chapter adviser(s) 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 adviser(s) shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transactions. The chapter adviser(s) shall send the annual report to the national office.
Section 3. The chapter adviser(s) shall regularly review each member for compliance with Society standards and obligations.
Section 4. The chapter adviser(s) 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 or assistant principal may 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 adviser(s) shall be an ex-officio, non-voting, sixth (or More) member(s) of the faculty council.
Section 4. The faculty council shall meet at least once a year to select members and consider dismissal, non-selection, and warning cases.

Article V

Membership

Section 1. Membership in local chapters 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. Once selected, members have the responsibility to continue to demonstrate these qualities.
Section 2. The faculty council shall reserve the right to award honorary membership to school officials, principals, teachers, NJHS advisers, 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 adviser to the new school adviser 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.

Article VI

Selection of Members

Section 1. To be eligible for membership the candidate must be a member of the 7^th or 8^th grade. Candidates must have been in attendance at the school the equivalent of one semester or be a transfer from another NJHS chapter. Extenuating circumstances may be considered.
Section 2. Candidates must have a cumulative scholastic average of at least 3.80. Any student who has spent time in Off School Suspension will automatically be ineligible for candidacy. Office referrals, In-School Suspension, and detentions will be included in the process for selection of candidates. Teacher evaluations will be considered to evaluate students’ character, leadership, and citizenship. Any student receiving a rating of unsatisfactory in any of the five areas on their evaluations will automatically be ineligible for candidacy.
Section 3. The selection of each member to the chapter shall be by a majority vote of the faculty council.
Section 4. A description of the selection procedure shall be available in the front office and available to all students. The selection procedure shall be determined by the faculty council and shall be consistent with the rules and regulation 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. Members who fall below the standards that were the basis for their selection or fail to obtain the individual service hours required each grading period shall be automatically dismissed.
Section 2. A candidate who does not maintain the required cumulative GPA will have one quarter to correct the deficiency.
Section 3. In all cases of impending dismissal, a member shall have a right to a hearing before the faculty council.
Section 4. 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 5. The National Council and the NASSP shall hear no appeals in dismissal cases.
Section 6. A member who has been referred to the office for behavior unfitting as an N.J.H.S. member will be subject to dismissal.

Article VIII

Nomination and Election of Officers

Section 1. The officers of this chapter shall be a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and historian.
Section 2. Officers will be elected at a regular meeting of the National Junior Honor Society and will not be eligible to succeed themselves.
Section 3. A majority of votes cast will be necessary to elect any officers in this chapter. If the first vote does not yield a majority, a second vote will be taken on the three candidates who have received the highest number of votes.

Article IX

Officers Duties and Responsibilities

Section 1. It will be the duty of the president to preside at the meetings and any other duties determined by the adviser(s).
Section 2. The vice-president will fill the chair of the president in his absence and any other duties determined by the adviser(s).
Section 3. The secretary will keep the minutes of all meetings. They will, with the approval of the principal or advisor(s), certify to the National Secretary of the National Council the names of those elected to membership during the school year on the Annual Report submitted each spring to National Headquarters and any other duties determined by the adviser(s).
Section 4. The treasurer will be responsible for dispersal and collection of fundraiser items and any other duties determined by the adviser(s).
Section 5. The historian shall be responsible for documenting important NJHS events, photographs, and an annual scrapbook, and other duties determined by the advisor(s).

Section 6. Any officer who has been referred to the school’s office for misbehavior shall be subject to dismissal.

Article X

Executive Committee

Section 1. The executive committee shall consist of the officers of the chapter and the chapter adviser(s).
Section 2. The executive committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the chapter between its business meetings, make recommendations of the chapter, and determine and perform such other duties as are specified in the chapter bylaws. All actions and recommendations of the executive committee shall be subject to review of the chapter membership.
Section 3. The executive committee shall have the responsibility for ensuring that the chapter activities and procedures follow school policy and regulations.

Article XI

Meetings

Section 1. The Payne Junior High School Chapter shall meet bi-monthly as scheduled by the advisor(s).
Section 2. The executive council shall meet once a month in a separate meeting scheduled by the advisors.

Section 3.The president may call special meetings approved by the executive committee.
Section 4. All members are required to attend meetings. Members are allowed on excused meeting each semester, and should notify the advisor(s) in advance. More than one unexcused meeting will result in dismissal from the Faculty Council. Extenuating circumstances will be considered on an individual basis for those who are not able to attend a meeting.
Section 5. Chapters shall conduct meetings according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised in all points not expressly provided for in the chapter’s bylaws.

Article XII

Activities

Section 1. This chapter shall determine one or more service projects for each semester within the school.
Section 2. All members shall regularly participate in these projects and complete a minimum number of hours determined by the advisor(s).

Section 3. These projects shall have 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 individual member shall also have the responsibility for choosing and participating in a service project that reflects his or her particular talents and interests for each semester. This is in addition to the chapter projects that all members contribute to. These projects must have a minimum number of hours determined by the advisor(s).
Section 5. The requirement for individual service hours will be set by the chapter advisor(s), according to the activities planned each grading period. Members are required to obtain and record each hour with the adviser(s).

Article XIII

Emblem

Section 1. Each member of this chapter will be entitled to wear the official emblem or insignia of the National Junior Honor Society.

Article XIII

Method for Ratification of Bylaws

Section 1: The advisor(s) of the Payne Junior High School Chapter will create and maintain these bylaws.

Article XIIII

Amendments

Section 1. These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the faculty council.