SHELBYVILLE, IL. — By  Colton Wade



The NHS, or the National Honor Society, is a group that recognizes students for their outstanding achievements. Each year a select few of deserving individuals are inducted into the National Honor Society. The NHS is a group that sets the standard and raises the bar for all students. All members serve as role models for other students and the community. This group is a very prestigious and honorable organization. There are many requirements to be a part of this organization.

In order to be accepted into the National Honor Society, you must demonstrate four major criteria: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character.

Scholarship includes maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.667. In order to do this, a student has to keep his or her grades up which in turn involve studying, doing your homework, and participating in class. Scholarship is very important and is taken very seriously in the NHS.

Service as defined by the National Honor Society is “doing what you can for others, without expectation of benefit for yourself.” This means that students volunteer their time to benefit the community or others. This can be through various organizations such as Key Club and/or church organizations. A student can also do it on his or her own. You can do such things as picking up litter, mowing yards, or participating in Vacation Bible School for a church. There are many service opportunities available to an individual in the community. The NHS recommends a minimum of 20 hours.

Leadership is taking a lead in any event or situation. The National Honor Society states that “a leader is responsible for planning and coordinating an activity, delegating responsibility, and ensuring a task is completed with a high degree of excellence using the assistance of all involved.” This means that the student has taken charge of or led programs. The individual had the responsibility of planning and organizing the event. Leadership shows that the individual is ready to step up and be a role model for the community.

Character is the final criteria and one of the most important. Character defines who an individual is. This criteria involves treating others with respect at all times, taking criticism appropriately, following the rules set by the school and the state, and doing what is right no matter how unpopular it may seem. A quotation that describes character perfectly is: “Character is what you do when no one is looking.” It explains that an individual with great character will do what is right and expect nothing in return. They do not expect praise or even a reward. Character is a must have quality.

On top of the four criteria, it is important to be active in your school. This can range from participating in school sports to being student of the month. There are many groups and clubs to be apart of in high school. There are also several awards and recognitions available. One part of being a role model is being active in school.

Also, to be inducted into the National Honor Society, an individual has to be a junior or senior. This gives teachers time to evaluate students over their high school career. It also allows the student to develop the four criteria that is mandatory to be apart of the NHS. It is important that a student exercises the four requirements mentioned as soon as they enter high school or even before then.

Being a member in the NHS has its perks. The National Honor Society looks excellent on college applications and even on job applications. It also recognizes individual's outstanding qualities and it helps expand them.

It is important that students are aware of the National Honor Society and take an interest in the organization so they can prepare themselves right away in order to be a part of it. More information and more details are available on Shelbyville High School's website. http://www.shelbyville.k12.il.us  When you bring up the home page, there is a menu on the left side in which a link with the word “forms” is near the bottom. Click the forms link.  Here you will notice two links among a few others involving the NHS in which one relates to the National Honor Society guidelines and the other is the application in which eligible students will submit.