For the remainder of the NHS meetings this year, we will continue to check in with service projects and opportunities that are underway, but a primary goal will be to improve our policies and performance for next year.
First, you have all been divided into
Improvement Committees. Follow the link to find your assigned task and check in with your group.
Second, we only have a limited amount of time to actually develop recommendations for us to vote on in a later mandatory meeting. Here is the meeting schedule for the
remainder of the year (pay attention to changes):
- April 9th - Optional Meeting
- April 16th - Optional Meeting
- April 23rd - No Meeting scheduled (Intersession)
- If there's student interest, I will open the room for work time. I will be here during intersession.
- April 30th - Spring Vacation
- May 7th - Optional Meeting
- May 14th - Last Mandatory Meeting for Seniors. Service hours due.
- May 21st - Optional Meeting
- May 28th - Bagels!
Third, each Improvement Committee will need to address questions specific to their task. I went over this in the meeting today, but I will list all the committees and their corresponding considerations below for your reference:
- Sony New Service Opportunities
- What Service Opportunities did we miss this year?
- Keep in mind our special challenge, we can expect to have about 180 students in NHS again next year
- How to Report: Sketch a calendar out for next year with activities that we did, plus new ideas, so that we're busy all year.
- Microsoft Article III - Selection
- Keep in mind that only the Adviser and Faculty Council can actually make changes to this process, this is for feedback only.
- Our current GPA requirement is 3.50. Raising the GPA is the only way to restrict membership to NHS. Is it too low?
- Do the Candidate Information packets require too much? Is it too difficult to get teacher recommendations?
- We currently don't ask selectees to speak on behalf of their character, should we?
- How to Report: Create a document addressed to the Faculty Council with your feedback on the selection process. Keep your tone informative, not in the form of a complaint.
- Uber Article IV - Non-Selection and Article VIII - Dismissal
- Keep in mind that only the Adviser, Faculty Council, and principal can actually make changes to these processes, this is for feedback only.
- Is the way we currently inform students of non-selection clear?
- Is the dismissal process clear and fair?
- How to Report: Create a document addressed to the Faculty Council with your feedback on these processes. Keep your tone informative, not in the form of a complaint.
- Apple Article IX - Character and Participation
- This article is where our current requirements for Peer Tutoring, ISPs, and Chapter Service hours are defined.
- These hour requirements are for a 2-year NHS member to achieve by graduation.
- Do we need to clear up the difference between a 1-year and 2-year member?
- Do we need to adjust these numbers at all?
- How to Report: Make a copy of the Bylaws and adjust this article with your changes. We will vote on your amendments at the May 14th meeting.
- Amazon Article X - Officers
- This is where our current Officer structure and voting procedures are defined.
- Should we add any Officer positions?
- Do we need to change the role requirements of any Officer?
- How do we vote in new Officers?
- How to Report: Make a copy of the Bylaws and adjust this article with your changes. We will vote on your amendments at the May 14th meeting.
- IBM Leadership Requirements
- We currently require Service hours and Peer Tutoring hours, but we do not require that members ever take a leadership position. Should we?
- Any modifications to these policies would be added to Article IX - Character and Participation
- How to Report: Make a copy of the Bylaws and adjust this article with your changes. We will vote on your amendments at the May 14th meeting.
- Google Lead Conferences
- Three times a year, the National organization runs Lead Conferences
- How do we go? We can't send 187 kids.
- How to Report: Develop a process for NHS members to "apply" to attend Lead Conferences. Create documentation that sets us up for possibly attending all 3 conferences next year. Keep in mind fundraising will have to happen. (NHS has money, but we can't afford to send anyone to, for example, AZ for free.)
- Samsung Guest Speakers
- A cheaper way for NHS chapters to bring in Leadership experience to its membership is to bring Leaders of the community to come in and run workshops for only NHS members.
- What would the "perk" of attending a guest speakers' lecture be? Work with the IBM Leadership Requirements committee... maybe there's something here?
- Could we get someone to come to the May 21st optional meeting?
- How to Report: Create a list of potential valuable speakers. Ask administration for help (They are leaders, after all). Possibly schedule a speaker to come in in May.
- Intel Committees
- We could get more done if we split into smaller, more focused groups. As you can see from this activity, we would need about 15 different "committees" to get NHS down to a manageable size
- What could committees work on? Ideas: Communication Committee, Induction Committee, Activity Committee...
- How to Report: Create a list of potential committees. See if you can find a Junior to chair each of these committees.
- Dell Adviser Evaluation
- I need to know how to improve how I advise your group.
- A professional evaluation should have both a data driven section, and a final, brief, write-up
- How to Report: For the data driven section, create a document that "rates" me in areas of expertise that you would expect an adviser to have. Some examples: Communication, Fairness, etc.. Then, sum up your work with a brief summary of my performance this year.
- LG Electronics Article V - Meetings
- Our current requirement is 1 mandatory meeting a month, a total of 15 meetings by the end of the year.
- Are these numbers fair?
- Are these numbers effective? (i.e.: Is 1 mandatory meeting a month enough to "get stuff done")
- Is Thursday at 7am still the best time?
- How to Report: Make a copy of the Bylaws and adjust this article with your changes. We will vote on your amendments at the May 14th meeting.
- Toshiba School Presence
- What is our role in the life of the school?
- Example: We know that students join DECA to gain experience in the business world, and we know that students join Model UN to gain diplomatic and political experience; why do students join NHS?
- How to Report: Develop a mission statement for the Bedford High School chapter of the National Honor Society. View the high school mission statement for ideas.
- Facebook State Chapter
- In addition to our school chapter of NHS, there is also a New Hampshire National Honor Society.
- What is BHS's commitment to the state organization?
- What does the state organization want more of from us?
- How to Report: Develop at least one commitment to state activities. For this year, there should be a Spring Conference coming up that Bedford should commit to joining.
- Twitter Member Perks
- You've worked hard to get NHS distinction. We know this looks good for applying to college, but that's a one and done sort of deal.
- What can we do to improve the life of a BHS NHS member?
- Could we use our funds to secure "perks" for our group?
- How to Report; Develop a list of perk ideas that Mr. Ahnert could bring to the high school administration. No guarantees, but if you have reasonable requests, we might give more for that membership card to do.
- HP Article VI - Attendance
- Our current meeting attendance policy is as such:
- Miss one mandatory meeting --> Probation
- Miss a mandatory meeting while on probation --> Dismissal
- Is this policy effective? Fair?
- What constitutes an "excused absence"? Anything?
- How can we better take attendance (i.e.: How can we avoid standing in a long line to sign in each mandatory meeting)
- Should we dissolve mandatory meetings altogether?
- Coordinate with Article V - Meetings
- How to Report: Make a copy of the Bylaws and adjust this article with your changes. We will vote on your amendments at the May 14th meeting.
Let's work hard this month, I look forward to seeing what we come up with by May 14th!
