Every morning at FHC, the acronym “NHS” is whispered amongst the ruckus of the first hour finale’s routine announcements, but according to senior P.J. Brown, most student’s understanding of the NHS is vague at best.

“The majority of my friends are in NHS. I know they help out with the community but other than that I don’t know much about the organization,” said Brown.

According to senior Breanna O’Neal, even some of the newest members of NHS have a loose grasp on the organization as a whole.

“I’m in NHS and I don’t know much about what we do besides volunteer work. I am pretty sure that is the main point of NHS but I’m not too sure,” said O’ Neal.

NHS has two entities which focus on specific aspects of schooling; NHS, which is for high school students, and NJHS, which is for middle schools. They dive deeper into this aspect of their organization on their website.

“The National Honor Society (NHS) and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) are the nation’s premier organizations established to recognize outstanding high school and middle level students. More than just an honor roll, NHS and NJHS serve to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character (and Citizenship for NJHS). These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since their beginnings in 1921 and 1929.” NHS Explains on their website.

These areas described by NHS, scholarship, leadership, service, and character, make up the foundation on which the society is built and the organizations requirements for members reflect this.

“If, by the end of sophomore year, a student has a cumulative GPA of 3.75 they will be invited to join NHS. Students can also apply, if the cumulative GPA requirement is met, any time after this their sophomore year. Other factors that are incorporated into application consideration include voluntary community service experience, school involvement, discipline, and teacher recommendations. To maintain their membership, a student must maintain a 3.75 cumulative GPA,” said Ms. Dena Rulo, NHS sponsor.

NHS defines specific requirements and areas which a school must meet to apply for affiliation. If a school qualifies in these specific areas they can apply. Once the application is accepted, a school pays dues to NHS to maintain membership. This is how FHC maintains its NHS membership.

All in all, NHS is a united, national organization which emphasises academic dedication, allows an outlet for students to perform voluntary services for their community, and stands as a model of scholarship dedication for all students.