National Honor Society

Opportunity for membership in the Northwestern Chapter of National Honor Society occurs during the
second semester of junior and/or senior years. To become a member, the student must first qualify in
the area of scholarship. Students who qualify academically will receive an invitation to apply for
membership in January. To have their application approved, the student must meet the conditions
outlined under character, service, and leadership. All applications will be reviewed and voted on by a
Faculty Council appointed by the principal.

Scholarship – Must have a cumulative “A-” grade point average, which is a 3.6 on Northwestern’s
grading scale. Every junior and senior who qualifies with this grade point average will be invited to
apply for membership at the beginning of second semester. After submitting an application, the
student will be considered for membership based on the following criteria:

Character – This includes a demonstration of honesty, reliability, observation of rules,
perseverance and application to studies, avoidance of cheating in any form, lack of
participation in illegal activities such as drinking of alcoholic beverages and the consumption
of illegal drugs, and exemplification of desirable personality traits (cheerfulness, friendliness,
and stability). Character will be considered by staff evaluation and by evaluation of each
student’s discipline record.

Service – The student must have been active in at least four different Northwestern High
School service clubs and/or community organizations/activities/clubs OR accumulated a
minimum of 15 volunteer hours in one organization. Service is the goal of this category.
Service is defined as reaching out and assisting others or performing a useful community
service without receiving compensation. Documentation of your acts of service should be
included with the NHS application.

Leadership – The candidate must hold at least one major leadership position at Northwestern
High School or in an outside group, such as class officer, club officer, society officer, editor of
newspaper or yearbook, varsity athlete or cheerleader, band drum major, band captains,
band/choir section leader, and varsity singer. If the applicant does not currently hold a
leadership position, he/she may still meet this criterion if he/she can list three leadership roles
held previously at school or in the community since the ninth grade.

It is important for you to follow the instructions for the application. Please make sure to submit the
application by the due date. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered. Students
should begin developing their membership potential for National Honor Society in their freshman year
of high school. If you have any questions about the National Honor Society, please contact
Mr. Anderson, the faculty advisor.