N ATIONAL H ONOR S OCIETY NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION 1/5/2016

AGENDA - NHS STATE OF MIND - COMMUNICATION - MEMBER OBLIGATIONS - MEETINGS - SERVICE PROJECTS

WHAT NHS SHOULD MEAN TO YOU Being a member of NHS means you want to impact the community. Your initial interest in NHS might have been because you want a nice addition to your college applications. However, the reasons you maintain membership should go beyond that. A member of NHS should never have a “What’s in it for me?” mentality. Please keep this in mind throughout your experiences here during junior and senior year.

COMMUNICATION OF INFORMATION School Website/NHS Tab: Morning announcements FB Page School Newsletter NHS Address: Monthly meeting dates/agendas (upcoming service projects) Deadlines Volunteer hour log and volunteer lists each month Current copy of the club Bylaws

N EW INDUCTEE HOMEWORK ! MANDATORY – Complete the new member information form tonight: The form can also be accessed from the NHS webpage off our school homepage Please do this by tonight

MEMBER OBLIGATIONS GPA DISCIPLINE MEETING ATTENDANCE VOLUNTEER HOURS NHS members must maintain a weighted GPA of 3.5 and unweighted GPA of 3.0, have no disciplinary referrals, and fulfill volunteer obligations

M AINTAINING M EMBERSHIP Any member who falls below the standards of scholarship, leadership, character, or service may be considered for dismissal from the Palm Harbor University High School Chapter of the National Honor Society. A member of the National Honor Society is expected to maintain his or her academic standing and standards of excellent character, and take an active role in service and leadership to his or her school and community.

C ONSEQUENCES AND DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS “Probation”; a.k.a – a single warning. Students can be put on probation for the following reasons: An unexcused absence from an NHS meeting An absence from a service project Disciplinary referral Dropping below the GPA requirement for membership A second offense, while on probation, will result in removal from the club.

I MMEDIATE D ISMISSAL Any violation of the law or school regulations will result in immediate dismissal of a member. These violations include, but are not limited to: fighting, stealing, cheating, truancy, any drug or alcohol related offense. Each student will be required to behave in a responsible manner and to follow the rules listed in the Pinellas County Code of Student Conduct.

A TTENDANCE – MONTHLY MEETINGS Meetings are held the 1 st Monday of every month after school in the cafeteria beginning at 1:45pm – 2:30pm at the latest. Monthly meetings are Mandatory Second Semester Meetings February 1, 2016 March 7, 2016 April 4, 2016 (seniors’ last meeting) May 2, 2016

A TTENDANCE CONTINUED … Students will only be excused from a meeting for the following reasons: Excused school absence Early College/Dual enroll schedule conflict Mandatory School Function In order to be excused for one of the reasons above, you MUST the board and notify us of your absence at least 24 hours before the meeting date. Early college/dual enrolled students – only send an once a semester. Make arrangements for our meeting dates now.

VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS Service hours are completed during BOTH Junior and Senior year. Hours are accumulative – meaning any hours you do as a junior will carry over toward your total as a senior. Service hours are NHS sponsored events, meaning the executive board plans and chooses the activities. NHS Service hours are not earned independently (activities you do outside of NHS sponsored events).

VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS CONT. New Junior NHS members must complete a minimum of 10 volunteer hours at NHS sponsored events by January of senior year, 5 of which need to be completed by the end of junior year (this school year). New Senior NHS members are required to complete 7 volunteer hours at NHS sponsored events by the end of April during his or her senior year. Seniors will be given priority at meetings when signing up for events.

V OLUNTEER AWARDS Top volunteers will receive awards at the end of senior year. Each year, we have a friendly competition for the most service hours completed. This year, the top volunteers have completed over 35 hours of service!

WHAT HAPPENS AT NHS MEETINGS? The main focus of meetings is the introduction of monthly service projects and allowing members to sign up for positions within those projects. Attendance is taken on a sign in roster at individual tables. Your table/seat will be the same for each meeting. the first row will be seniors in alphabetical order and then the juniors behind them in alphabetical order. Because we are such a large group, the success of meetings depends on YOU and your level of maturity/respect. Students who are not demonstrating acceptable behavior will be told to leave the meeting. This includes talking during a presentation, cutting in line, etc.

SIGNING UP FOR EVENTS All details about service projects will be communicated in advance through our gmail account, FB page, and NHS webpage. Use these preview s to help plan your schedule. Once you have committed to a volunteer project, it is your responsibility to fulfill your obligation to that event. If you have to cancel your commitment, you MUST find a replacement NHS student to fill your spot in order to avoid probation. Both parties need to to make any switches If a member shows up more than 15 minutes late to an service project, 1 hour will be docked from the awarded time.

E XCITING P ROJECTS C OMING U P !!! Spring festivals Care Packages for Soldiers Rec Center Community Events Blood Drives Earth Day Competitions Habitat for Humanity Builds Student tutoring and mentoring Girl Scout Events Beach/Park Clean ups Teacher Appreciation Week Relay for Life!

FUN W E LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUN WE ’ LL HAVE THIS YEAR WITH YOU !

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