Article I: Name and Purpose

Section 1: The name of this organization shall be the Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society of Langston Hughes Middle 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 at Langston Hughes Middle School.

Section 3: The National Junior Honor Society shall be under the sponsorship and supervision of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), 1904 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191.

Article II: The Principal

Section 1: The principal or his designee shall reserve the right to approve all activities and decisions of the chapter.

Section 2: The principal or his designee shall annually appoint one or more chapter advisers, who may serve consecutive terms.

Section 3: The principal, or his designee, shall be a part of the local school district appeal process for non-selection or dismissal cases.

Article III: The Chapter Adviser(s)

Section 1: The chapter Adviser(s) 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 adviser(s) shall maintain files on membership, chapter history, activities, and financial transactions. The chapter adviser(s) shall send the annual activity to the national office.

Section 3: The chapter adviser(s) shall regularly review each member for compliance with society standards and obligations.

Section 4: The chapter adviser(s) shall help the chapter officers understand and carry out their duties.

Article IV: Selection of Members

Section 1: Candidates must have a cumulative scholastic average of 3.75. Candidates shall then be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership, character, and citizenship.

Section 2: The selection of each member to the chapter shall be by a majority vote of the faculty council.

Section 3: 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 4: The National Council and the NASSP shall not review the judgment of the Faculty Council regarding selection of individual members to local chapters.

Article V: Faculty Council

Section 1: The Faculty Council shall consist of at least five (5) voting faculty members appointed annually by the principal or his designee. No principal may be included on the Faculty Council.

Section 2: The term of the Faculty Council shall be one (1) year. Members may be appointed to consecutive terms.Section 3: The chapter adviser(s) shall be ex-officio, non-voting members of the Faculty Council. Section 4: The Faculty Council shall meet at least once a year to select members and consider dismissal, non-selection, and warning cases.

Article VI: Membership

Section 1: Final membership is an honor bestowed upon a student. Selection for membership is by a majority vote of the Faculty Council and is based on outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, service, and citizenship.

Section 2: The Faculty Council shall reserve the right to award an honorary membership to school officials, principals, teachers, National Junior Honor Society advisers, or other 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 they are inducted at a special ceremony. 

Section 4: A National Junior Honor Society member, who transfers from another school and brings a letter from the former principal or chapter adviser, shall be accepted automatically as a member in the Langston Hughes Chapter. Transfer members must meet Langston Hughes’s standards within one semester in order to retain their membership.

Section 5: Members who resign or are dismissed are never again eligible for membership or its benefits.

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 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(s) and given a reasonable amount of time to correct the deficiency (one quarter). In the case of a flagrant violation of school rules or civil laws, a member does not 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 the 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 cases.

Article VIII: Nomination and Election of Officers

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

Section 2: Officers shall be elected at a regular meeting of the chapter (time, methods, and procedures to follow).

Article IX: Officer ’s Duties and Responsibilities

Section 1: Duties of the President include

• Meet with sponsors to plan activities, meeting agendas, service projects
• Lead NJHS meetings
• Coordinate communication with NJHS Teacher Liaisons
• Divide and delegate the responsibilities of NJHS officers

Section 2: Duties of the Vice-President

• Meet with sponsors to plan activities, meeting agencies, service projects
• Help with member coordination—maintain a NJHS bulletin board in adviser(s) room(s)
• Help to lead and facilitate meetings
• Coordinate communication with NJHS Teacher Liaisons
• Work with team of officers in delegating tasks and responsibilities

Section 3: Duties of the Secretary

• Record minutes and report past meeting minutes to NJHS members
• Help organize paperwork for service hour projects
• Help with member coordination—maintain an NJHS bulletin board in adviser(s) room(s)
• Plan and participate in induction ceremonies
• Work with team of officers in delegating tasks and responsibilities

Section 4: Duties of the Historian

• Record and save details and publications of all NJHS activities
• Photograph members and activities of NJHS
• Design and organize an official Langston Hughes Middle School scrapbook to be forwarded to succeeding classes at LHMS
• Utilize LHMS technology (digital cameras, computers, A/V equipment) to produce a historical and comprehensive account of NJHS

Section 5: Duties of the Parliamentarian

• Meet with the other officers and faculty advisers prior to meetings.
• Help maintain order during meetings.
• Answer any questions regarding proper procedures.
• Make sure the officers are following Robert’s Rules of Order – make helpful suggestions/corrections when necessary.

Article X: Executive Committee

Section 1: The executive committee shall consist of the officers of the chapter and the chapter adviser(s).

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 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 chapter can meet up to twice per month on the “Academic” day.

Section 2: Special meetings approved by the executive committee may be called by the president.

Section 3: The Chapter Executive Committee 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: Each member shall be involved in (a) service project(s) as approved by the chapter adviser(s).

Section 3: Each member shall complete a minimum of 20 service hours of work. These hours are to be completed by April 1st before the Induction Ceremony.

Section 4: Service hours may be performed in the school, neighborhood or community. The service you perform should be something that is not normally expected of you – that is, not one of your usual responsibilities. You cannot be paid in any way for your service. You can do anything that will benefit your school, neighborhood or community. For service provided to neighbors, there must be a sense of community support for the hours to count. For example, it is not considered community service if you baby-sit so that the parents can go to the movies. If you offer to baby-sit so that the parents can attend church or a meeting, and could not otherwise afford a sitter, that would be considered an appropriate service. Raking leaves or shoveling the driveway of an elderly or sick neighbor would be appropriate, but offering to do the same for a healthy neighbor would not. Other venues which would be appropriate for completion of service hours are: a Fairfax County Public School elementary, middle or high school; a Fairfax County Public Library; or a public school in another county or jurisdiction.

Section 5: Proof of service hour completion will be submitted on FCPS X2vol community service portal for Langston Hughes Middle School. When students submit their hours it must include a contact person as well as their (first/last name, phone number, and work email). The National Junior Honor Society Coordinator will approve hours.

Article XIII: Amendments

Section 1: The Faculty Council, sponsor(s), and administrative team reserve the right to examine concerns and issues on a case-by-case basis and to amend these by-laws accordingly.

Section 2: At no time may any other governing body amend these chapter by-laws.

Section 3: If a change is needed to the existing by-laws, the change and the reason for the change must be received in writing by the Faculty Council.

Section 4: The change and the reason for change will be read and reviewed at the next Faculty Council meeting and a vote will be taken.

(Amended, April 2014)

Today, it is estimated that more than one million students participate in activities of the NHS (High School) and NJHS (Middle School). NHS and NJHS chapters are found in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, many U.S. Territories, and Canada. Chapter membership not only recognizes students for their accomplishments, but also challenges them to develop further through active involvement in school activities and community service. (Taken from www.nhs.us. 8/22/20)

Current eight grade students who’s final grade as a seventh grader was a cumulative GPA 3.75 on a 4-point scale will receive an invitation and application. It should be completed before the due date communicated by the NJHS Coordinator: TBD. 

After students fill out the application and recommendation signatures from their current eighth grade teachers all of our Faculty Council will review their qualifications. The Faculty Council is an anonymous group of faculty LHMS members who make final decisions about who will be invited for induction into the NJHS. The Faculty Council also serves as the group who determines if a student should be dismissed because of a failure to meet expectations in one of the five areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, Character, and Citizenship.

One of the best things you can do as a 6th grader is to have really strong grades. You should work hard every day in school because as an 8th grade inductee, you will qualify in the area of scholarship based on your grades in 7th grade! Also, becoming involved in school clubs and activities, following all school rules and being a great role model for other students. In addition, outside of school you can begin to track community service hours in order to strengthen your application responses.

NJHS members who maintain the minimum GPA of 3.75 and complete a minimum of 30 service hours before April 2021 will be awarded their NJHS pin at a Pinning Ceremony. Those members failing to meet the GPA or service hour requirement will not be invited to participate in the Pinning Ceremony and will not receive their NJHS pin.

The goal of NJHS is to build future leaders now and beyond. Activities are up the NJHS members. When the Coordinator holds monthly meetings students will talk discuss their progress regarding completion of hours. After nine weeks of service, students will write a reflective essay on their experience.