Why do the majority of students join NHS?

Do tutoring hour policies need to be changed?

Should it make more of a difference in the Community?

Students in the National Honor Society (NHS) are certainly academically talented students. To be considered for admittance into Sherwood’s NHS, students must have a 3.7 unweighted or 4.0 weighted GPA and provide evidence of strong leadership positions. They are also required to submit a list of activities, an essay and four teacher evaluations. However, this nationally recognized organization aims for more than just good grades. On its website, NHS states that “members participate in community service projects … and serve as ambassadors to their schools and communities.” Unfortunately, Sherwood’s chapter falls short in fulfilling these missions, caused by a lack of student motivation and flaws in the honor society’s system.

The majority of the students who have the eligible GPA become a member of NHS, resulting in a massive organization of currently 183 students. Most students readily admit they join NHS solely to impress colleges and make their applications stand out. NHS members’ primary motivation to garner a bundle of college admittance letters in the mail greatly diminishes their willingness to participate in school-related community activities and weakens the school’s NHS as a whole.

To make the society stronger, the leadership needs to be redefined. Officers should take an active role in positively shaping the society by setting up volunteer activities, enforcing tutoring hours, and serving as academic role models to both the society and the school. To ensure that officers are committed and serious about the position, members should be nominated and then interviewed prior to the democratic elections, guaranteeing NHS to have true ambassadors who are dedicated to the mission.

One of the tasks that NHS is currently responsible for is the tutoring of students who need extra academic support. However, a significant number of members do not take their tutoring obligations seriously enough to help students who are academically struggling. One solution is to designate specific classrooms where NHS members can tutor others. Teachers would then oversee the tutoring to ensure that the hours are legitimate.

Currently, the only tasks NHS members need to fulfill are getting their tutoring hours and attending monthly meetings. To make the society more distinguished and helpful in the community, members should be required to participate in charitable fundraisers and volunteer events once every semester. Specifically, NHS should focus on encouraging education in the community. NHS has recently started an elementary school “mentoring” program. While this is a step in the right direction, it needs to be enforced that society members participate so that the program makes a concrete impact.

Before applying to NHS, prospective students should educate themselves about the serious commitment they are undertaking. Perhaps by raising the standards to become a member and the expectations once a member, NHS will become the prestigious and well respected organization it should be.