National Honor Society (NHS) members are given a requirement of a completion of 20 community and 20 school service hours.
According to South’s National Honor Society Bylaws, members must complete a total of 40 service hours.
The bylaws also state, “members shall strive to demonstrate in their daily lives… service to both peers and the community at large.”
Notice, the use of the word ‘shall’ does not imply members must demonstrate service but instead implies stong intent to demonstrate service.
The bylaws then contradict itself when in Section V it states, “members must complete,” when discussing the 40 hours of service.
In addition to service hours, members of NHS must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 4.5 or higher, and the bylaws state those who fail to maintain the GPA will be “no longer considered a member of NHS.”
NHS members are expected to obtain a total of 40 service hours all while trying to maintain their GPA. This can become stressful very easily.
Service hours can be very time consuming and even hard to find some that work out with one’s schedule. Members are then left spreading themselves thin in attempting to keep grades up and make time for service hours.
If members drop the ball in one of these areas, they are no longer a part of NHS and cannot receive chords for graduation symbolizing their commitment to NHS.
Members worked hard throughout their years here to reach the GPA they have and continue to work hard to maintain it. It is unfair to them to be kicked out of NHS and not recognized for their hard work at graduation just because they did not complete the 40 service hours. Service hours should not be a requirement for NHS members but instead strongly encouraged.