HOW DID IT GET SO LATE SO SOON?

Dr. Seuss’ question seems timely and appropriate with the end of the calendar year quickly approaching. With many schools closing for winter and holiday break, we’d like to wish you all safe travels and an enjoyable time with family and friends.

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEW! Help for NJHS Members Saving for College
In January, NASSP will begin accepting nominations for the new NJHS Outstanding Achievement Award. The award will recognize 500 NJHS students each year with a $500 award to be placed in a college savings account. Advisers will receive an email with more information soon.

Reminder: 2015–16 NHS Scholarship Program Application Process is Now Open
This year, there is no limit on the number of applicants—any senior NHS member in good standing may apply. A record total of $500,000 will be awarded. Log in to the NHS website to download the 2015–16 application instructions. Distribute it to all applicants and your principal. The application deadline for students is February 16. Advisers and principals must provide recommendations and certify applications by February 24. The entire process is completed online. Email [email protected] with any questions about the application process.

Let Your Chapter Be Recognized for Outstanding Service
Applications are now being accepted for the 2015–16 NHS and NJHS Outstanding Service Project (OSP) Awards. Active NHS and NJHS chapters may submit applications for projects performed between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015. The deadline for submissions is January 25, 2016. Applications must be submitted via email. Please visit the OSP section of the NHS and NJHS websites for applications and more information.

LEAD D.C. Early Bird Rate Deadline Approaching
Before you leave for winter break, make sure you take advantage of the opportunity to register for the next LEAD conference in Washington, D.C. and save. The deadline to get the early bird rate is this Friday, December 18. Saturday evening at LEAD D.C. (held January 29–31) will feature LEADership Live, including student-delegate led LEADx talks fashioned after the popular TED Talks. Don’t let your chapter miss this unforgettable opportunity! If you’re not near the D.C. area, you can also register now for the final LEAD conference of the school year held in Chicago, IL, February 12-14.

Get Questions Answered on College Financial Aid
The National Honor Societies college admission planning webinar series continues with a session entitled “Understanding Financial Aid” on February 17 at 7:00 p.m. (ET). The session, and the Twitter Town Hall that follows, will feature a panel of financial aid and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) experts. This is an NHS and NJHS exclusive! Encourage your members and parents to mark their calendars. Email notices will be sent to advisers when registration opens.

PROJECT OF THE MONTH

Sole Hope
The NHS chapter at Rich South High School in Richton, Park, IL, is participating once again in Sole Hope, working together to provide material to cover the feet of Ugandan children. Sole Hope is a nonprofit combatting diseases that enter through the feet with the goal of creating “a positive physical and spiritual difference in the lives of individuals in impoverished communities.” The chapter held its first shoe party in January 2014, tracing and cutting out patterns on jeans and milk jugs, then assembling what would become one pair of shoes. Students worked on the project until May. Last year, the chapter was able to send 105 shoe sets. For more information, visit the National Student Project Database or the Sole Hope website.

Please share your chapter’s activities by uploading service project descriptions and photos to the National Student Project Database. It’s also where you might find your next great idea! Visit the project database on the NHS or NJHS website.

CHAPTERS DOING GREAT THINGS

Students in the NHS chapter at Ragsdale High School in Jamestown, NC, volunteer each week at the Out of the Garden Project (OOTGP). Many Guilford County students get nourishment through the free and reduced price lunch program. At the end of each week, OOTGP sends backpacks of food home with the children so that they do not go hungry over the weekend. Once a week, Ragsdale NHS members visit the warehouse and fill the backpacks. The chapter has performed this service for the last three years.

The first-quarter NHS service project for Maine West High School in Des Plaines, IL, was Books for Africa (BFA). BFA distributes books and textbooks to students in Africa. NHS members decided to hold a competition among grade levels to see which grade could collect the most books. The NHS members collected and labeled boxes for the books and put them in social science classrooms. At the end of the competition, they’d collected more than 3,100 books. The chapter also raised money for shipping by asking local businesses and through a football game fundraiser.

Thanks to all of the advisers who are sending us items for Chapters Doing Great Things. We encourage all advisers to submit their projects on the National Student Project Database so that other chapters can learn about your chapter’s “great things.”

HONOR SOCIETY TIPS AND TOOLS

Adviser Resource Center: Have you visited the new online Adviser Resource Center (ARC)? Log in through the NHS or NJHS adviser section of the website and check out the new features and resources! You’ll find sample forms, customizable templates, documents, a manual for new advisers titled Adviser Basics, and much more. The ARC is designed for new and experienced advisers. You’ll even find some how-to videos on “Selecting Members” and “Discipline and Dismissal.” You may want to use the “Welcome to Honor Society” promotional video available under “New Chapters & New Advisers” at an induction ceremony, school assembly, or faculty meeting. (There’s a “Welcome to NHS” and “Welcome to NJHS” version.) Visit the center whether you’re brand new or need a refresher!

Checking Member Compliance: With the first half of the school year coming to an end, it’s a good time to review whether your members are meeting their membership obligations. This can include a review of members’ cumulative GPA, service hours, and other chapter obligations. This constitutional mandate does not have to be undertaken solely by the adviser, but it is the adviser’s responsibility to ensure members maintain their standards and meet all membership obligations. Once you’ve determined that all members are up-to-date, congratulate them for their continued excellence.

Reminder: Compliance checks should not to be confused with the selection process. There is no opportunity to “reapply,” and members cannot be removed from membership for not meeting member obligations without due process. Refer to the “Discipline and Dismissal” section of the NHS or NJHS Adviser Resource Center for references to Article X of the Constitution and national policies on the matter.


Is there something you’d like us to include in next month’s Honor Society News? Email your ideas or suggestions to [email protected].

IMPORTANT DATES

December 18
Early bird registration deadline for LEAD Conference in Washington, D.C.

December 24–January 1
NASSP/Honor Society national office closed

January 15
Early bird registration deadline for LEAD Conference in Chicago, IL

January 18
Registration deadline for LEAD Conference in Washington, D.C.

January 25
Application deadline for the Outstanding Service Project Awards

January 29
Registration deadline for LEAD Conference in Chicago, IL

January 29–31
LEAD Conference, Washington, D.C.

February 12–14
LEAD Conference, Chicago, IL

February 16
NHS Scholarship student application deadline

February 17
Understanding Financial Aid” college admission planning webinar, 7:00 p.m. (ET)

February 24
NHS Scholarship adviser and principal recommendation and certification deadline

ANNOUNCEMENTS

In the latest Advise:

The December/January issue cover story explores how small schools can have a big impact. Don’t let the size of your school or chapter limit your ability to impact your local, national, and international community.

The “From the Director” column also asks you to reflect on your chapter’s goals and accomplishments thus far and asks your members to do the same. What are their personal and academic goals for the year?

Your experience counts! Be a contributor to a future issue of Advise. Learn submission details and deadlines here.

Holiday Special
Treat yourself this holiday! Shop in the NHS or NJHS Adviser Store and receive 15 percent off until January 15, 2016. Enter code HOL15A to receive the discount. Questions about sales orders can be directed to [email protected] or 866-647-7253.

“There are two ways of spreading light—to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” — Edith Wharton

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