Optional Meeting Recap 5/28

If you missed today's meeting, we discussed a few upcoming projects. Here are a few individual and chapter service opportunities that you might want to know.


June 13th They are still looking for a members to volunteer their time for Graduation Balloon Fund Raiser! If you are interested in a great opportunity for chapter service projects, contact Chris Violette or Corey Wallace.

Here is a link to the sign up form:
https://docs.google.com/a/bedfordnhk12.net/forms/d/1-rP4jBjx1gOqv7ia1cA3KOsZHN0bi01vmANw6CP1kmg/viewform


June 17th There is still time to sign up to guide 8th grade tours! This will occur the first day of summer and you will be able to gain at least 2 chapter service hours.

Here is the link to sign up:
https://docs.google.com/a/bedfordnhk12.net/spreadsheets/d/1mxdS8Rsh3-EuA65Jlk-RSbhvtWO41_OEZ5GdAzMPa7U/edit?usp=sharing


Other subjects that were covered:

June 4th There will be a mandatory meeting for Juniors, (and yes there will be bagels). Seniors aren't required to come, but all are welcome!

Also, other upcoming projects are the Relay for Life, Graduation Parking/Ushers, and future volunteer for the BBABC. If you are interested in any of these projects look under the "Current Project Proposals" or "Current Projects Under-Way" tabs!

Senior Warning Letters

If you are a Senior who still feels like you do not know exactly what you need to do to earn your cord, please refer to this document:



Remember, if you received a letter, you need to keep your parents in the loop that you may not be earning a cord with NHS.

I have overheard many of you express that NHS is not something you want to do to people other than myself. I'm asking for your help. I bear no ill will to students who do not want NHS distinction, in fact, I know it is because how many other interests and focuses you have. For my peace of mind, would you please consider telling me that you wish to leave NHS, instead of asking me to track you down and dismiss you. I think that is unfair and unprofessional.

New! NHS Google Calendar

This is a frequent request, and since a few NHS Improvement Committees once again reminded me that in addition to having a meeting schedule that is set as a standard, it'd still be helpful to have an events calendar as well.

Now we have one!

In addition to finding it here on the website, it is also a Google Calendar, which means you can subscribe to it.

Plus, I will give all officers access to the calendar eventually, and they will be able to update it with your NHS project or event.

Does anyone have any projects they'd like to see on it right now? Email me and I'll put it up!

Optional Meeting Report for 5/14

Today's optional meeting covered some chapter service and individual service opportunities, and scheduled future NHS mandatory/optional meetings.

On May 21st (BHS Silver day) there is a mandatory meeting for juniors and seniors. For any seniors that still need their hours to get that chord make sure you're here!

May 28th (BHS Red day) is an NHS optional meeting.

June 4th (BHS Silver day) is a junior only mandatory meeting with bagels, but seniors are free to come (especially if you need meeting hours). And yes... you can have bagels.

A couple other subjects were covered as well:
Remember your improvement committees! If you have found anything that needed changing, report your findings to Mr. Ahnert.

New chapter and individual service projects were introduced!
Relay for Life, Graduation Parking & Ushers, 8th grade tours, and BBABC all need members to help! Also, NHS is looking for leaders to manage the Grad Balloons Fund Raiser. If you're looking for hours, these are some great opportunities!

Unfortunate Revisions to the end of Senior service records

Greetings Membership,

As I already sent out via Remind, tomorrow's meeting has been switched from mandatory to optional. This pushes our next mandatory meeting and Senior service due date to Thursday, May 21.

The reason for this change is easy, the implications and complications, however, are not.

It came to my attention last night that 40 NHS members were in conflict for tomorrow's meeting due to an IB test. Many of those 40 members are Seniors who are in jeopardy of not earning an NHS cord. It is precisely those students that I need to show up so that they can be warned of their dismissal. So, there's no reason to have a mandatory meeting when the members that I need are not the ones that I will get.

This bothers me immensely. Sure, do I need to take into account the IB & AP testing schedule? Yes. And I am, I'm moving our meeting to accommodate it. But, out of those 40 affected students... 2 had the foresight to reach out to me for clarification. The testing schedule has been out for approximately a month. I'm not an IB/AP teacher, so I didn't get a copy. That mistake will be fixed for next year when the NHS adviser is included in the testing plans, but still -- How many text messages do I need to send out to the NHS membership, berating the Seniors that tomorrow was supposed to be a red line due date, before someone warns me that my planning will fall through?

I'm frustrated that I feel alone as your adviser. If you want to help NHS function, help NHS function. Communicate with the community, ask questions, make facebook posts, text me via Remind, tweet at me, keep NHS alive in your thoughts.

If this organization is so far down the list of your priorities, I have to ask again, why did you join?

Too long, didn't read? Here's the break down:

• Tomorrow's meeting, May 14th, is now optional
• Next week's meeting, May 21st, is now mandatory
• Senior hours have been extended another week
• BUT, June 11th is Senior awards night. You don't have a complete record by then? No cord.

Due to scheduling conflicts, no state conference attendance this year.

I am disappointed to make this decision, but I believe it is the right one for our chapter, our school, and our administration.

In order to justify hiring a school bus for our "field trip", I would need to guarantee at least 15 - 20 members. On top of that, I need to reserve a bus with the bus company with more than a week's notice. Finally, because of the testing schedule and environment at BHS right now, scheduling a conference is not a major priority for us.

I want to highlight that many of you expressed interest in going, and I hear your energy and enthusiasm for NHS involvement. Thank you. It is not because of your actions or disinterest that we will not be attending. The state public relations rep emailed me on April 21st with this year's conference details, that was the day before intersession began. At BHS, that is a terrible day for us to start planning attendance to a field trip.

I would rather you focus your attention on your year end studies, I would rather Seniors be focused on getting their last service projects finished and logged, and for improvement committees to have a recommendation to submit to me for May 13th.

My email is open to all communication. If you have questions or critiques about how I handled this year's conference, don't hesitate to get involved and reach out to me. I can't do better by this group without your input and ideas.

Thanks.