Each fall and spring, National Honor Society (NHS) receives a list from the registrar identifying the students that have a 3.7 weighted cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) and are completing their sixth (spring) or seventh (fall) semester. The students on this list will receive an invitation from NHS to apply to NHS.

In order to apply, the student must have completed at least 30 hours of volunteer community service during their high school career, and the student must complete the application packet.

• Service: NHS requires students to have completed at least 30 hours of volunteer service for a non-profit organization. Acceptable organizations are listed below on this page.  Please visit the BHS Homepage under the Volunteer Opportunities quick link for further opportunities and guidelines for acceptable hours.
  
  

• The Application Packet:

  1. The student must complete an essay in response to a prompt provided in the application.
  2. The student must solicit recommendations using the forms provided from teachers, coaches/sponsors, and a leader from their volunteer organization.
  3. The student must make sure that all hours are on record with Mrs. Horcher prior to applying.

If you are invited to apply in the spring and are accepted, you will be an official member upon signing and providing the sponsor with the statement that you understand the responsibilities of membership. In short, you will become an official member in the spring. (You may claim NHS membership status on your college applications). You will receive your official certificate of membership during the fall induction ceremony. 

If you are invited to apply in the fall and you are accepted, you become an official member upon signing your statement declaring your understanding of the responsibilities of membership. Up to that point, if you are invited to apply, you may claim "candidate" status on college applications. You will receive your official certificate of membership during the fall induction ceremony.

If you become a member in the spring or in the fall. you must maintain a weighted cumulative 3.7 G.P.A. You must also maintain your character and leadership which resulted in your admission. Finally, you must complete 40 hours of community service (including 2 NHS sponsored events) from the time you were accepted until May 1, 2020. For spring acceptees that is May 1, 2019--May 1, 2020. For fall acceptees, that is September 1, 2019 - May 1, 2020.  It is your responsibility to record your hours and make sure that Mrs. Horcher, the volunteer coordinator located in the GRC, has your hours on record. If you have questions about acceptable forms of volunteer service, please see Mrs. Horcher before you begin accumulating hours. Do not wait until the last minute to hand in your hours. We need to confirm your hours before you will be allowed to wear the NHS regalia at graduation. Do not deny yourself this honor because there is confusion about your hours.

Yes, it can, but this is quite rare. The most common cause for lost membership is failure to complete service hours. Your membership may also be terminated if you fail to maintain at least a 3.7 weighted G.P.A after first semester senior year grades are posted .  Serious breaches of character such as plagiarism and cheating are also grounds for termination. 

Wrong. National Honor Society recognizes students who demonstrate a commitment to scholarship, but scholarship alone is not a sufficient ground for membership. It can not be emphasized enough--NHS is not an exclusive club for academically gifted students. Students must also demonstrate excellence of character, leadership and service in addition to scholarship. Furthermore, there are many students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, character, and leadership but don't perform the required service because they choose to excel in theater, speech, debate, or athletics-- activities that demand a great deal of time and produce various rewards. These are all commendable pursuits and should be honored in their respective domains. 

Yes, visit the Barrington 220 Volunteer Website by clicking here. In addition, see Mrs. Horcher in the GRC for further recommendations. We recommend that you devote, on average, at least one hour a week to volunteer service. Please note the requirements for service stated on the Barrington 220 volunteer homepage FAQs. 

See Mrs. Horcher in the CRC for the appropriate forms. 

NHS follows the district requirements for volunteer service.  You can visit the District 220 Volunteer website for further information.  If the organization or project is not listed on the volunteer website, you MUST fill out a pre-approval form prior to completing any service hours.

Yes. NHS puts on one large spring service project in affiliation with both middle schools in Barrington 220. It is an outreach project with the NJHS students.  Attend the meetings to find out details regarding this project and upcoming projects. It is expected that as an NHS member you will make time to participate in two NHS sponsored projects during the year.