A 3.87 GPA, significant community service involvement, second-semester sophomore or older, and an overall leader in the school community. These characteristics are what come to mind when thinking of the criteria needed to be considered for membership in the Benjamin School’s chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS).

This year, the School’s chapter of NHS will be taking on the monumental task of rewriting the chapter by-laws and submitting them to a National Committee that oversees all chapters.

The by-laws are a set of rules and guidelines that the School’s chapter follows; the by-laws include the criteria a student must meet in order to apply, the semester requirements to remain a member in good standing, the duties of various chapter officers, and more.

The by-laws are updated at the chapter’s discretion, but it is necessary to update the academic requirements.
President of NHS, senior Alex Michelon, is working alongside NHS advisor Ms. Sara Misselhorn to oversee the process; both are keenly aware of the importance of such a task.

“Every few years the Committee that overlooks all chapters of the National Honor Society requires us to rewrite our by-laws. Since we changed the GPA requirement from 3.67 to 3.87 a few years ago, it’s important for us to send in our updated by-laws,” he said.

As well as legitimizing the new NHS by-laws, this process will also allow for more NHS members to get involved in such an important duty.

“In order to do this, we have decided to expand beyond our 5 NHS officers and open up some new positions on a “By-law Council.” These positions will be available for both junior and senior NHS members and is a great way to get some leadership experience in the NHS. In this committee, we will discuss and debate the rules of NHS, and will eventually send the finished product to the National Committee,” Michelon said.

Being on the Council would be a huge honor for anyone in NHS, which is why Ms. Misselhorn is looking for a specific type of person to be on the Council.

“By-Law committee members should be forward-thinking, possess great organizational and writing skills, and desire the bettering of the Benjamin School’s chapter of the National Honor Society,” said Ms. Misselhorn.

The chapter hopes to have the process completed by May of 2021.