Valkyrie Voice

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National Honor Society

Written by Kristine Alford

The National Honor Society is an organization throughout high schools nation-wide that includes a select number of students who display four traits:  scholarship, leadership, character, and service.  To qualify for the National Honor Society, a student must have a minimum grade point average of 3.5.  Only the unweighted grade point average is considered.  A letter inviting students to apply for National Honor Society is sent to the eligible students during their sophomore, juior and senior years depending on when the student reaches the 3.5 unweighted GPA.  Once the student receives the letter of invitation, he/she must complete an application, submit volunteer service hours, and have excellent teacher recommendations.  In addition to these qualifications, students who apply must have excellent attendance and discipline records.  On average, about 80 students at Mary G. Montgomery receive the letters of invitation per year.  Anywhere from thirty to seventy students are inducted into the National Honor Society each April.  The NHS concentrates much on community service activities without school ties.  These are opportunities to perform community service that are not related to any school activities planned by a teacher or club.  Two events the National Honor Society participates in each year are Festival of Flowers and Relay for Life.  Each student in NHS is required to submit a minimum of five volunteer service hours each quarter.  These hours are usually obtained by students who help their neighbors, community members, churches and others.  Having the National Honor Society listed on a student’s college applications makes the student appear more well-rounded and ambitious.