Chapter Leadership

Principal, Role and Responsibilities

The principal serves as a final reviewer, and has the ultimate final say, in most chapter activities. This includes the privilege and right to approve all activities and decisions made by membership and leaders within the chapter, as well as reviewing the decisions of the Faculty Council regarding election to membership and any requested dismissals.

Each year, it is the principal’s responsibility to appoint the Chapter Advisor, as well as the Faculty Council which is composed of five anonymous members, and who may also serve consecutive terms. The principal is also responsible for ensure good standing of the organization within the broader national movement, included the renewal of the chapter and paying of chapter renewal fees.

In the event that candidates appeal their non-election to membership, or appeal membership discipline or dismissal per the Faculty Council, the principal may hear the case and decide on his own discretion whether the actions were warranted.

Chapter Advisor, Roles and Responsibilities

 The Chapter Advisor is a member of the faculty that is annually selected and/or renewed by the Principal (of Faculty Council, if the Principal delegates this responsibility to them), who may serve consecutive terms. The Chapter Advisor is the main faculty presence at all major NHS functions, and facilitates all chapter member and leadership meetings, helps refer members in carrying out their tasks and responsibilities, and is on hand to advise and assist in the coordination of major chapter events. The major role of the Advisor is to act as liaison between members, faculty, administration, and the community.

The Chapter Advisor maintains documentation for membership, chapter history, activities, etc. and oversees the necessary financial transactions as made through the school accountant. The Chapter Advisor also ensures good standing of the school chapter within the larger organization, making recommendations to membership, leadership, and the Faculty Council regarding national conferences, leadership and scholarship opportunities, or other organization events.

It is the responsibility of the advisor to regularly review each member for compliance with NHS standards and obligations, including—but not limited to—maintenance of GPA, compliance with the ethics policy and discipline matrix, and keeping good attendance records. It is also the responsibility of the advisor to act as a voice for students in the Faculty Council, though the advisor shall not vote in Faculty Council business, either in cases of membership or discipline/dismissal.

Faculty Council, Roles and Responsibilities

The Faculty Council, as appointed by the Principal, serves the primary function of overseeing major membership decisions from an objective perspective. These five faculty members work on behalf of the total faculty of the school, providing sound and professional judgments consistent with the spirit of the school community. Their term spans a year, but the Council can be appointed for consecutive terms at the discretion of the Principal.

The Faculty Council is responsible for deep understanding of chapter bylaws, and the honor and responsibility of active membership. As a result, they provide the foundation for election to candidacy; the Council meets at the beginning of the year to discuss, and vote upon, submitted forms for consideration where a majority vote is necessary for membership. They may also meet as when a scheduled need arises to consider disciplinary action or dismissal for members as well.

The Faculty Council is also responsible for reviewing membership procedures and requirements, and may develop and revise, when necessary, procedures for discipline and dismissal of members within compliance of the national organization Constitution and Policies. These procedural changes happen at the Council’s discretion, and are not reviewable by chapter membership. The Principal, also, may review the actions of the Faculty Council where need arises, who may also appoint alternate members in the case of illness or conflict of interest, or in special cases where more than the appointed five voices is necessary to guide a particular decision.

The identities of the active members of the Faculty council shall remain as confidential as possible in order to maintain objectivity in the selection, discipline, and dismissal processes—thus, removing the temptation for others to influence the Council in these. The case of hearings for disciplinary action is obviously an exception.

Executive Board, Roles and Responsibilities

 The Executive Board is the main student leadership core of the NHS organization on campus. On student-led club matters, the Executive Board generally has the final say, and may vote and rule on the approval of things such as standing committees, the mission or goals for the school year, any chapter-awarded (non-national) scholarships, or other decisions which may present a conflict of interest with the Chapter Council at-large. All business ruled upon by the Executive Board must be made public—through minutes recorded by the Secretary and publically posted by the Historian and/or Public Relations Chair—for the review of all chapter members.

The Executive Board, per the leadership of the president, plans and controls the flow of the chapter meetings and general business.  They generally take the lead in planning major chapter events, and facilitate the smaller subprojects as lead by standing committees within the organization to ensure that chapter business maintains the spirit of the organization, is appropriate and supported, and is completed productively and on time.

The Executive Board also meets on its own prior to Chapter meetings in order to ensure an organized agenda, and also meets the week following the Chapter meetings with the Chapter Council to debrief, plan, and approve chapter business, and deal with issues as they arise.

President

The President, a Senior class member of NHS, serves a single term as Vice President—elected during Junior year—and serves a second term as President the following year. The President generally presides over full chapter and leadership meetings, and acts as the public face of the organization both on campus and in the community. The President also manages and oversees major chapter activities and projects, committee work, and individual service projects and attendance. It is the President’s responsibility to ensure that all aspects of process are happening on a timely, consistent, and regular basis, requiring significant organization, dedication, and communication, and may relegate certain aspects of the position to the Vice President with discretion.

The President must be able to handle many types of situations, be mature, organized, and good with time management. The President should also have sound judgment, energy, and be able to work with many different kinds of people and personalities, have a good relationship with the chapter and its members, faculty, and the student body of the school at-large. The President should have a functional and deep understanding of all the relationships between Board members, the Chapter Council, and active members, and the inner workings of the processes involved from the top down.

Vice President

The Vice President is a Junior class member of NHS, serves a single term and then assumes the role of President the following school year, for a second term. The Vice President’s primary function is to serve as the official replacement should the President be unable to fulfill the responsibilities of that role, given problems or absences. The Vice President works closely with the President to fulfill the functions of the position (listed above), helping to create a productive and meaningful Honor Society. The Vice Presidents helps to plan, organize, schedule, and oversee meetings and activities to make sure chapter work is completed in a timely, consistent manner on a regular basis, ensuring significant organization and communication.

The Vice President must be able to work collaboratively, must be able to handle many types of situations, be mature, organized and have good time management. It is expected that the Vice President have sound judgment, energy, and be able to work with many different kinds of people and personalities. It is imperative that the President work well with the President, as well as with chapter members, committees, and the student body, and have a functional, deep understanding of the relationships between Board members, the Chapter, Council, the active members, and the inner workings of the processes involved from the top down. The Vice Presidency is a position of vision, requiring someone who desires to set club missions and goals for their two years of service.

Secretary

The Secretary may be a member of either class, and serves a single term. The Secretary’s primary function is to keep and maintain accurate and detailed official records of all chapter business. The Secretary serves as the official correspondent for the chapter within the school and local community. The Secretary must be able to keep records and organization of agendas, and must work closely with the Vice President and President in verifying all recorded information. The Secretary should be well-versed in meeting procedures, and must work well with Chapter Council officials to delegate and collaborate on responsibilities where necessary.

Treasurer

The Treasurer may be a member of either class, and serves a single term. The Treasurer’s primary responsibility is to work closely and maintain accurate records of all financial transactions of the chapter and periodically report a summary of these transactions at meetings (specifically, money raised by chapter events, standing committees, etc. and where proceeds are donated in the event of donations to charities). The Treasures must maintain a professional and positive relationship with the school Accountant, as the chief financial office of the chapter, and be able to give financial advice where need arises. The Treasurer will complete and keep record of financial report forms biannually, to report during Executive Board meetings. It is also the Treasurer’s responsibility to keep record of membership dues as paid or unpaid, and shall help predict how many can and should be best used in the future—immediate and long-term—to make concrete suggestions for saving money and/or increasing efficiency. The Treasures should be a person concerned with regulating the flow of money, including such things as leadership camps, awarding scholarships, purchasing goods and services for events such as induction, graduation honors, etc. and should know about money, accounting and budgeting, and be able to research and develop cost analyses.

Parliamentarian

The Parliamentarian may be a member of either class, and serves a single term. The Parliamentarian is the ‘rule keeper’ of NHS, whose goal is to ensure that allofficial chapter business, events, activities, meetings, etc. are orderly and civil, and that the chapter alwaysoperates according to its constitution and bylaws. The main function of the Parliamentarian is to advise the President or chairperson on procedures during meetings and functions (the Parliamentarian cannot rule members out of order, or call for votes—jobs of the President or Vice President acting as President); however, the Parliamentarian, if noticing any violation in procedure, must notify the board so that the President may rule from the chair. It is imperative that the Parliamentarian study closely the chapter by-laws so as to be familiar with their contents, help plan meeting agendas so that they follow procedure, and work closely with the Secretary in establishing things like schedules, and chair any chapter revision committees should the need arise.

Historian

The Historian may be a member of either class, and serves a single term. The primary responsibility of the Historian is to collect, preserve, and help publicize information that provides clear and concise record of all chapter activities for the year, including things like meeting minutes for chapter meetings, committee reports, and event documentation. The Historian collects information including—but not limited to—membership rosters, contact information, meeting agendas, meeting minutes, event information, and physical records of events (i.e., pictures, media, etc.). The Historian also works closely with the Public Relations chair of the Chapter Council, and must work well collaboratively in regards to publication of chapter information for member and community consumption.

Chapter Council, Role and Responsibilities

Like the Executive Board, the Chapter Council meets monthly to discuss chapter business, but of a more extended, immediate nature; where the Executive Board’s job is to facilitate the long-term vision of the club, the Chapter Council (which also includes the Executive Board members) facilitates the immediate short term movements and goals of the organization at-large.  This group reports on class projects or problems, facilitates and manages committee progress or problems, discusses the immediate and practical enacting of chapter missions and goals within the school year, and other chapter-related business aside from the things enumerated above as the responsibility solely of the Executive Board. The Chapter Council should pose issues for the Executive Board consideration, but does not have a voting voice in Executive Board decisions. Instead, the members act as more immediate voices for the minor organizations within the chapter, presenting ideas for consideration, problems for resolution, and speaking on behalf of stakeholders. The Executive Board then takes these voices into consideration when voting during their monthly meetings, minutes for which are posted for the Chapter Council as well as all active members.

The Chapter Council focuses most specifically on committee work, and may request the appointment of special committees for specific purposes, which must be approved by the chapter President. Council members should come prepared with proposals, including the names of requested member appointments to these special committees, as well as the basis of the project and its duration prior to approval. These records then go to the Historian, who will work with the Public Relations chair to ensure publication. The Secretary may also provide aid in terms of member contact information and suggestions for appointments.

Junior and Senior Class Chairs

Class Chairs are elected by members of their classes only, and serve single terms. Class Chairs are responsible for keeping record of membership within their classes, and taking attendance during official chapter meetings and events. Chairs help coordinate any grade-level-specific chapter events, and help facilitate and encourage individual service projects with their class members. Regular active members should refer to their Class Chairs for all specific chapter information, and pose questions and concerns to their Class Charis for representation and discussion in Chapter Council meetings. Chairs may then refer members to particular Board officers for specific information if necessary. Class Chairs should expect to be working closely with specific Executive Board officers on larger projects, events, or issues when the need arises, as designated by Executive Board decisions, and may be appointed to lead special committees, coordinate events, and lead the charge in project planning.

ASB Club Council Representative

The Club Council Representative may be a member from either class, and will serve a single term. The Club Council Representative acts as the liaison between the school ASB organization members, helping to both promote the events of the club as well as ensure the positive collaboration of NHS and on-campus activities. It is the responsibility of the Representative to actively engage in Chapter Council meeting and take note chapter events and scheduling with the express purpose of sharing this information with the school ASB Club Council organization which meets periodically throughout the school year. The Club Council Representative will also take note during the ASB Club Council meetings, and report back any pertinent information to the Chapter Council during regularly scheduled meetings. The Representative should be someone who maintains a positive relationship with ASB, and is willing to actively listen and engage in discussion between the two functioning organizations, with great understanding of chapter procedures and bylaws paying particular attention to the needs of the school and offer up ways in which NHS can facilitate any ASB missions and goals during the given school year. Thus, it is important that this Representative work closely with the Parliamentarian and Secretary specifically, but also with other prominent leaders in the Chapter Council.

Public Relations Chair

The Public Relations Chair may be a member of either class, and will serve a single term. The Public Relations Chair should be able to work very closely and collaboratively with the Historian, as their jobs are inextricably linked—it is imperative that they have a good personal and professional relationship, and can dedicate time and effort to their project goals of recording and publicizing chapter information. The Public Relations Chair must be a creative individual with knowledge of technology and creative design, and have good interpersonal, social skills. The responsibility of this role is to ensure that all pertinent information be publicized for the chapter and community consumption. Information spread should be accurate, and disseminated throughout the system, including—but not limited to—the school Learning Management System, the official school and chapter website(s), social media, PTSA newsletters, local newspapers (these final two should be done in conjunction with the Secretary, who is the acting liaison between the club and the general public), etc. This position greatly benefits from a knowledge of coding or software programs related to web design, creative processing, publishing, document design, and so on.

Standing Committee Chairs

Unlike the other leadership positions, Standing Committee Chairs are not elected by votes of the full chapter membership. Instead, committee leaders are appointed within their own committee membership, and are often those who proposed, formed, or coordinated the Standing Committee (though this is not the only way leadership for a committee can form). Standing Committees have a process for approval (outlined below), but once approved by the Executive Board, the leader of each Standing Committee becomes a part of the Chapter Council and mustbe represented at monthly meetings to report on Committee issues and progress. Only one Standing Committee Chair may represent each official, approved committee (unapproved standing committees do not have representation in the Chapter Council until official approval). Standing Committee Chairs’ responsibilities include presenting progress and asking questions specific to their committee work during meetings, and may also be asked by the Executive Board to produce presentations for full membership meetings throughout the year. There are no specific limits as to how many Committee Chairs may exist on the Council, so long as committees are properly approved.