UMHS National Honor Society Advisor: Mrs. Sugarman
jsugarman@umtsd.org | Room 401

The National Honor Society (NHS) is more than just an honor roll. The Honor Society chapter establishes rules for membership that are based upon a student's outstanding performance in the areas of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. These criteria for selection form the foundation upon which the organization and its activities are built. 

Scholarship:
Upper Moreland students who are entering their junior or senior year of high school and have an unweighted cumulative grade point average of 3.6 or higher, meet the scholarship requirement for membership. These students are then eligible for consideration on the basis of service, leadership, and character.

Service:     
This quality is defined through the voluntary contributions made by a student to both the school community and the community at large, done without compensation and with a positive, courteous, and enthusiastic spirit. Members are expected to volunteer at least 20 hours during the school year and 10 hours in the summer.

Leadership:
Student leaders are those who are resourceful, good problem solvers, promoters of school activities, idea-contributors, dependable, and persons who exemplify positive attitudes about life. Leadership experiences can be drawn from school or community activities while working with or for others.

Character:
The student of good character upholds principles of morality and ethics, is cooperative, demonstrates high standards of honesty and reliability, shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others, and generally maintains a good and clean lifestyle.

Specific standards for these criteria may vary from one school to the next. Such variations are acceptable as long as they do not fall below the national standards set by the National Council of the NHS. All chapters are required to write down the criteria and procedures used in their local selection processes. The Honor Society advisor maintains copies of the local procedures and has them available upon request.

Requirements For Consideration For Membership

I. Each student must meet the minimum academic and service standards.

A. Be a member of the Junior or Senior Class.
B. Have an unweighted, cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.6 or higher.
C. Have completed a minimum of 10 hours of community service with a single non-profit organization during the immediate preceding summer.
D. Have attended Upper Moreland High School for at least two semesters.

II. Each student will be reviewed by the Faculty Selection Committee to determine if the student meets the four characteristics of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character.

III. A student must be strong in ALL FOUR qualities to become a member of the Upper Moreland Chapter of the National Honor Society. If a student fails to qualify in ANY ONE OF THE FOUR AREAS, he or she will not be eligible for membership during the current school year.

I. Students must be invited to become members.

II. Any student anticipating applying for NHS is advised to complete the community service requirement by volunteering at least 10 hours with a single non-profit organization over the summer. A community service verification form will be required along with the application.

III. Each August, juniors and seniors whose unweighted, cumulative grade point average is 3.6 or higher will be invited to submit an application.     

IV. During September each application will be reviewed by the Faculty Selection Committee to determine if the student qualifies in the areas of SERVICE, LEADERSHIP, and CHARACTER. 

**EXCEPTION: If a student does not meet the community service requirement and feels he/she has extenuating circumstances which prevent the attainment of this standard, then he or she can write a letter (petition) to the Faculty Committee asking to have the service requirement waived. This petition must be turned in with the application and activities survey. It should explain why the student was unable to meet the service requirement. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE TO THE SERVICE REQUIREMENT UNLESS THE LETTER IS RECEIVED WITH THE APPLICATION.

IV. By the third week of October all students whose applications were returned on time, will receive a letter of notification.  Only those students who qualified in all four areas (Scholarship, Service,  Leadership, and Character) will be asked to become members.

V. In late October or early November a formal ceremony will be held for the induction of all new members. Inductees are expected to attend the ceremony.

1. NHS APPLICATION

The NHS Application is a Google Doc. The link will be included in your official invitation letter, which will be emailed to your school account. Be sure to follow the instructions on the document. Failure to follow ALL instructions may result in denial of acceptance.

2. COMMUNITY SERVICE VERIFICATION FORM

All applicants and returning members must complete a minimum of 10 hours of service with a single organization over the summer. Use this link for the Community Service Verification Form. It must be completed by the student and signed by the supervising representative of the non-profit organization for which the applicant volunteered.

3. NHS Bylaws

It is very important that anyone interested in joining the NHS read the NHS Bylaws.  

IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR

Late June - Early July 2024:

• Invitations to apply for membership will be sent to school email addresses of qualifying juniors and seniors.

• (Paper copies will not be mailed from UMHS. Beware of private companies trying to get your money!)

Wednesday, September 4, 2024:

• A meeting to discuss the application process and answer any questions will take place after school in the Audion.

• (Applicants only, existing members need not attend.)

Wednesday, September 18, 2024:

• Completed applications are due to Mrs. Sugarman in room 401 by 2:45 PM

Tuesday, October 22, 2024:

• Mandatory full membership meeting in the Audion.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024:

• Induction Ceremony in the High School Auditorium, 6:30 PM

2023-24 National Honor Society Officers

• Kareem Abounasra, President

• Morgan Russo, Vice President

• Addison Hurley, Secretary