National Honor Society New Member Selection Process

The National Honor Society was established in 1921 by the National Association of Secondary School Principals to recognize and promote high standards of scholarship, leadership, service, and character among high school students across the nation.  Membership in National Honor Society is an honor bestowed upon students by a local faculty council.  The national organization establishes the general process used for member selection, but the faculty council at each school establishes the specific selection criteria for the local chapter.  Potential candidates are identified based on their cumulative, unweighted GPAs.  The potential candidates are invited to submit information to the faculty council to provide evidence of excellence in leadership, service, and character.  The five-member council reviews the submitted information and selects members based on majority vote.  Below is an outline of the procedure used at Lake Norman Charter School.

• The faculty council has established that members of the Lake Norman Charter National Honor Society must have a cumulative, unweighted grade point average of 3.50 or higher.
  
  
• In August of each year, the NHS Advisor identifies juniors and seniors who meet the GPA requirement as potential candidates for membership. The advisor notifies candidates through school email of their status and invites them to complete and submit a candidate form by a specific date in mid- to late September.
  
  
• The candidate form is composed of three main sections: Leadership Experiences, Community Service, and Character Reference.  Candidates write a short essay narrating their leadership experiences since beginning high school.  They list and describe their significant community service activities.  Finally they ask an adult sponsor to write a character reference in support of their candidacy.  
  
  
• The NHS advisor collects the information submitted by the candidates and distributes it to the five members of the faculty council.  The faculty council members individually review the submissions and identify candidates who stand out as exhibiting excellence in leadership and service based on the information presented.  The council then meets to finalize the selection of new members by majority vote.
  
  
• Strong candidates will demonstrate a consistent and sustained commitment to service throughout high school which goes above and beyond the ten-hour per year requirement for all LNC students.
  
  
• Strong candidates will provide multiple examples of leadership activities with clear descriptions of their actions in leading others. The council members are interested in actions taken and responsibilities given more than titles held. 
  
  
• Once the faculty council selects new members from the pool of candidates, the NHS advisor communicates the council’s decision to each candidate by letter in early November. New members are invited to participate in an induction ceremony held in mid-November.