Clark Junior High National Junior Honor Society By Laws

Article I
Name and purpose

Section 1.  The name of the organization shall be the  Pegasus chapter of the National Junior Honor Society of Clark Junior High 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 in students of Clark Junior High School.

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.

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, 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.

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 shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transactions.  The chapter advisor shall send the annual activity report to the national office.

Section 4.  The chapter advisor shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties.

Section 1.  The faculty council shall consist of five voting members appointed annually by the principal.  No 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 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 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.

                    **Attendance at the induction ceremony is required.

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 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.  Once induced, members are required to uphold all standards by which they were selected.  Members must not be assigned to ISS, OSS or AEP.

Section 6.  Members must attend all regular and special meetings of the chapter.  Failure to attend meetings without prior approval from the sponsor may result in probation or impending dismissal from the chapter.  (1^st  missed meeting = probation, 2^nd missed meeting = grounds for dismissal)

Article VI
Selection of Members

  Section 1.  To be eligible for membership the candidate must be enrolled as a member of those classes / grade levels that follow:  (2^nd semester 7^th graders and 8^th graders).

  Section 2.  Candidates must have a cumulative scholastic average of 90.00 based on their language arts, math, history, and science averages and have passed the TAKS tests(reading, math, and writing).  Candidates shall then be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership, character, and citizenship through an application and teacher evaluations.

  Section 3.  The selection of each member to the chapter shall be by a majority 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
Discipline / Dismissal

  Section 1.  The faculty council, in compliance with the rules and regulations of the National Junior Honor Society, will develop a dismissal procedure.  A written description of the discipline / 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 adviser and given a reasonable amount of time to correct the deficiency.  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 number of warnings.

  Section 4.  In all cases of impending dismissal, a member shall have a right to written notification of charges and a 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 chases.

Article VIII
Nomination and election of officers

  Section 1.  The officers of this chapter shall be president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, historian, and parliamentarian. 

  Section 2.  Officers shall be elected at the first regular meeting after induction of the Pegasus chapter.   Prior to the meeting, anyone interested in the offices of president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, historian, or parliamentarian will be required to complete an application for the desired office.  Nominations for the offices will be accepted at the meeting and a vote of the membership will be held.  

Article IX
Officers’ Duties and Responsibilities

  Section 1.  President’s duties are to preside over chapter meetings.

  Section 2.  Vice-President’s duties are preside over chapter meetings in the absence of the president and to oversee the service projects.

 Section 3.  Secretary’s duties are to take attendance and record the minutes of each meeting.

  Section 4.  Treasurer’s duties are to keep a record of the chapter’s finances.

  Section 5.  Historian’s duties are to record the events and activities of the chapter.

  Section 6.  Parliamentarian’s duties are to maintain order at the chapter’s meetings.

  Section 7.  In case of vacancy, the faculty council will appoint a member for the position.

Article X
Executive Committee

  Section 1.  The executive committee shall consist of the officers of the chapter and the chapter adviser.

  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 and recommendations 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 Clark Junior High Chapter shall meet  monthly.

  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.  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 faculty, be appropriate and educationally defensible, and be well planned, organized, and executed.

 
Article XIII
Dues

Section 1.  Dues shall be $10.00 per member payable prior to induction.

 
Article XIII

Section 1.   These by-laws may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the chapter.  These amendments must be approved by the Faculty Council and principal.

Section 2. By-laws and amendments must be consistent with the Constitution of the National Junior Honor Society.