The Chartering Procedure: A Quick Reference Guide

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Step One: Make a Commitment to Establish a Chapter

To develop and maintain a chapter, a school must:
a. Follow the National Constitution’s guidelines (as found on this site or in the NEHS National Handbook) in all matters.*

b. Select chapter adviser from the faculty. Principals may appoint co-advisers, though the national office requests that a single individual be identified as the official contact for the chapter. No principal or assistant principal may serve as the Honor Society adviser (per the national constitution).

c. Appoint a two-member Faculty Council to develop and administer the Selection and Disciplinary procedures and otherwise provide advice and direction for the management of the chapter. The adviser will serve as a non-voting member of the chapter’s Faculty Council.

d. Agree to provide the facilities and support to maintain the chapter including appropriate time and resources for the chapter adviser to develop his/her professional skills as an activity adviser.

e. Maintain an active annual affiliation with the national office.

*Should you wish to review the NEHS National Handbook prior to establishing a chapter, copies can be purchased from the NASSP Sales office by emailing sales@nehs.org or calling 866-647-7253. Member schools and NASSP members do receive a member discount.

Step Two: Obtain a Charter Application Packet (PDF)

(Applications can only be sent to school principals or their surrogates. Parents and students cannot apply for a charter, but may print out this information and submit it to local school officials for their consideration.)

To receive a Charter Application by mail, please call 866-599-6347, option 1, or email membership@nehs.org with the full name of the adviser or principal, and complete school name and address.

Step Three: Complete the Charter Application

Charter applications should be typed or printed clearly and all appropriate information provided. In order to complete the charter application, it will be necessary for the principal to first identify and appoint a chapter adviser from the faculty/staff of the school. (In addition, the principal will need to appoint a two-member faculty council whose duties will be outlined below and in the handbook sent to all successfully- chartered new chapters.)

Please provide:
a. A chapter name (i.e. Reston Elementary School NEHS).

b. The principal's signature. This is required to indicate approval of the application and the stated conditions.

c. Payment of the chartering fee. $100 if postmarked by June 30, 2008, or $125 after said date. Payment can be by check or credit card; no purchase orders. Payment of this fee secures affiliation with the national office for the remainder of the current school year (through June 30 of the school year in which the charter application is filed)*.

*New charters established April 2008 through June 30, 2008 will receive membership through June 30, 2009 with their payment of the chartering fee. All NEHS chapters must establish and then maintain this affiliation with the national office in order to recognize students as members of the national organization. Following the initial year under the new-charter fee, an annual affiliation fee of $80 per year will be charged. Renewal invoices will be sent beginning in spring 2009.

Step Four: Submit your Completed Charter Application

Once the form is completed, return it with payment to the national office:

NEHS
P.O. Box 3250
Reston, VA 20195

Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for approval and processing. To check the status of your application, email Crystal Hutton in our Membership Department, huttonc@principals.org, or call toll free, 800-253-7746, ext. 214.

Beginning July 1, 2008: Applications are approved from July 1 through March 31 each year. Submissions after March 31 will not be processed until July 1 except under extenuating circumstances. Contact the Membership Department, membership@nehs.org, for details.

Step Five: Establish and Maintain a Chapter on Campus

Once your charter has been approved, a letter of congratulations, a copy of the NEHS National Handbook, and other relevant information from the national office will be mailed to to the attention of the adviser identified on the charter application. Schools chartering before June 30, 2008, will receive a special mailing entitled “What To Expect,” to assist with creating the new chapter. The NEHS National Handbook will be mailed by October 1, 2008.

The principal, adviser(s), and faculty council should then review the handbook and develop the following guidelines:

Selection Procedures, including a proposed calendar for this process that indicates the proposed Induction Ceremony date. This procedure must be published in an official school publication and be made available for review as per the national guidelines. NOTE: A recommended selection procedure is found in the national handbook.

Chapter bylaws. All chapters must develop local bylaws. Bylaws should make reference to all obligations of membership including participation in the annual projects called for in the national guidelines. Information on writing your new bylaws is available in the national handbook and from www.nehs.org/bylaws.

Disciplinary procedures: The relevant handbook chapter contains the required procedures for these situations. Local chapters may wish to elaborate on or extend the national guidelines and should do so in writing to guarantee compliance with local school system policies and to assure consistency in the implementation of the procedures.

Note: To facilitate the development and distribution of these new policies and procedures at the local level, chapters may choose to complete their charter application and use the following school year to write and publicize the upcoming opportunity for membership to the student body and to their parents. This process allows students to prepare for consideration as membership candidates, and helps convey a strong message about a school's commitment to establishing a solid chapter.

Final Step: Maintaining an Active Chapter

As noted above, your paid chartering fee includes affiliation with the national office through June 30 of the the current school year. In addition to being a pre-requisite for establishing and maintaining a chapter of NEHS, this affiliation brings a variety of benefits to the school, including a subscription to the NEHS Newsletter and access to members-only areas of www.nehs.org. Affiliation with the national office must be maintained through annual renewals in order to preserve the active status of your school's NEHS chapter. Renewal notices will be sent automatically in the spring to the principal with reminder notices to the NEHS chapter adviser. For the 2009-2010 school year, the renewal fee for active chapters will be $80. Payment is due by June 30 each year. Use the annual renewal form to update the national office on your school's address, principal's name, and chapter adviser information.