RM’s National Honor Society is now accepting applications from second semester juniors, with the deadline to submit being March 7 at 2:45 in the afternoon. 

“Second semester juniors apply, and you get inducted spring of your junior year to be a member as a senior,” Spanish teacher and NHS sponsor Laura Hodge said.

NHS was established in 1921 and is one of the oldest and most widely-recognized student organizations in America. Over 1.4 million students are members of NHS and must uphold its four pillars: Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character.

This year, more requirements have been added to the application, “[The criteria] has been adjusted to meet the standards set forth by the National Honor Society, and Richard Montgomery holds relatively the same national standards,” Ms. Hodge said. 

Some students have noticed the increase in requirements set by the application. 

“I feel like the criteria for NHS is definitely asking a lot from a student,” sophomore Oriana DeFazio said.

Firstly, the pillar of Scholarship refers to the student maintaining a high level of academic performance. Per national policies, students in NHS must maintain at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale. 

However, each school chapter is able to require a cumulative unweighted GPA that is higher than the national bar. At RM, interested students must uphold at least a 3.6 unweighted GPA in order to qualify for NHS membership. 

The pillar of Service ensures members are giving back to either the school or community voluntarily and without compensation. 

Interested students can receive a packet of information regarding NHS upon asking for an application, either from Ms. Hodge or the other NHS sponsor, English teacher Eleanor Simpson. The packet states, “School or community service is generally considered to be an action which is voluntarily undertaken by the student on behalf of others. Examples of community service organizations include religious groups, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and volunteer services such as soup kitchens, food banks and nursing homes/hospitals.”

Additionally, at RM, interested students must have at least 60 SSL hours in order to apply for NHS. 

The pillar of Leadership refers to a member who is a positive contributor and a good critical thinker and problem-solver who has experiences working in leadership positions in school or in the community. RM applicants must have held a leadership position that has lasted at least one semester. The NHS information packet said, “Leadership positions may be in high school or community groups…a few examples of leadership roles are club/organization officers; committee chairs, or sports coaches.”

Lastly, Character refers to demonstrating a good persona. A student must exhibit high standards of honesty and reliability, as well as showcase respect, responsibility and courtesy. Furthermore, members should have a clean disciplinary record.

NHS also engages students through other means such as the NHS Scholarship, which awards 600 of the nation’s top students, and the Leadership Experience and Development conferences, which allow for hundreds of NHS members from all over the country to improve their networking and personal building skills.  

 Ms. Hodge said, “The National Honor Society is a highly regarded nationally recognized honor, we encourage students to apply.” NHS provides students with an opportunity to positively influence their school and community, while upholding rigorous and prestigious personal academic standards. 

Even some underclassmen are feeling motivated to apply next school year. “I am really excited to apply [to NHS],” sophomore Sara Mendelsohn said.

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