This page was updated September 2023

The four tenets of the Honor Society are: Character, Scholarship, Leadership and Service. All candidates must submit a portfolio to be considered by the committee of GCIT faculty. The portfolio is designed to show these four principles. Submitting a portfolio does not guarantee acceptance. 

To submit a portfolio, the candidate must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. The candidate must be a Junior or Senior who has attended GCIT for at least one year.  
2. The candidate must have an unweighted cumulative Grade Point Average of 95 (on a 100 scale) for NHS or an unweighted cumulative 88 Grade Point Average for NTHS. All NTHS member must also have a cumulative “A” in their program.
3. The candidate’s record must be free of any suspensions (in school or out of school) or incidences of academic fraud. Any incidence that occur during the evaluation process will be cause for the committee to rescind its consideration.

The above criteria makes you eligible for consideration. In addition, you will need 5 hours of community service and must show Leadership.  

Please remember that submitting a portfolio does not guarantee acceptance into the GCIT chapter of the National Honor Society or National Technical Honor Society.

Application Procedures 

1. Candidates must take the initiative to obtain a folder, a pre-determined ID number, and Remind information from the advisors. The materials will be distributed - the 2023-2024 school year is TBD. Please make arrangements with Mrs. Smith or Mr. Ruiz if these days/times do not work for you. Candidates are required to sign a sheet to acknowledge that they received the materials. All folders are due back (TBD) by 3pm or earlier.  Folders need to be signed back in and cannot be placed in mailboxes or scanned through email.
2. The candidate is then required to print out the directions and forms at the bottom of this page. The candidate is to assemble the portfolio according to the directions. The portfolio must contain:
   1. Disciplinary Action Form (completed on the Teams page)
   2. Essay (MLA format)
   3. Resume
   4. Two Letters of Recommendation forms
   5. Community service Log and Documentation
   6. Leadership form and Documentation
   7. Vocational Service Organization Form (optional)
3. There will be information in the folder for candidates to sign up for the NHS/NTHS Portfolio Info Remind. We highly recommend that candidates enroll to receive the messages. Do not sign up for the Honor Society Remind, which is just for current members.
4. All folders are due on or before the date specified the 2023-2024 school year is to be determined. Portfolios must be handed directly to MRS. SMITH (Rm 254) OR MR. RUIZ (SBYS), ONLY!  All eligible candidates must complete and submit all required materials on time and all materials must also be valid to be considered. Failure to do so will make the applicant ineligible. No late applications will be accepted regardless of the reason. No digital submissions will be accepted.  Students will be required to sign a sheet acknowledging that they submitted a completed portfolio.
5. The advisors will screen all submitted portfolios to make sure each candidates record is free of suspension or incidences of academic fraud. The folders will then be evaluated according to a rubric by the faculty council, which does not know the students’ ID numbers. The advisors do NOT evaluate the folders. Candidates will be notified about the committee’s decision once all the folders are evaluated.  

Additional information about the application process can be found on the News and Announcements page, informational flyers posted around school, and the morning announcements. 

The information found on this page is prepared for the 2023-2024 school year.

Members must submit the following national and local dues:

LOCAL DUES:

Members must submit the following local dues each year: 

• If you are a member of NTHS only, you need to submit $5 per year.
• If you are a member of NHS and NTHS, you need to submit $10 per year.

REMINDER: IF YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN A MEMBER OF NTHS FOR A YEAR, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THE MEMBERSHIP FEE AGAIN, BUT YOU DO NEED TO PAY THE LOCAL DUES.

To pay online, use the online form. If you do not wish to pay online, checks are also accepted. Please make checks payable to GCIT - NHS/NTHS and hand it to Mr. Ruiz in the School Based office. Please write your name on the check. You do not need to submit separate checks for local and national dues.

NEW MEMBERS ONLY:

LOCAL DUES LISTED ABOVE PLUS NTHS NATIONAL DUES: Newly inducted NTHS members must pay a one-time fee of $30 for national dues in addition to local dues yearly. Submit the Membership Application (found below) when you submit your national dues.

New Member Dues:

• $30 National Dues
• If you are a member of NTHS only, you need to submit $5 per year.
• If you are a member of NHS and NTHS, you need to submit $10 per year. 

DUES must be paid by January 31, 2023

Use the form to pay online.  ($35 total for NTHS only or $40 for NHS and NTHS)

If you do not wish to pay online, checks are also accepted. Please make checks payable to GCIT - NHS/NTHS and hand it to Mr. Ruiz in the School Based office. Please write your name on the check.  You do not need to submit separate checks for local and national dues.

Contact Mr. Ruiz via email (eruiz@gcecnj.org) or Remind if you have questions about dues.

All dues must be submitted by members to graduate as part of either society. 

All NHS/NTHS members are expected to be active in the society. NHS/NTHS members are also expected to be active in community service.

To maintain good standing as a member of NHS/NTHS, Members must complete 15 hours of community service, and one NHS/NTHS project. The hours from participating in the mandatory service project are part of the 15 hours required per year of membership.

If a member fails to complete the mandatory number of hours of service and a chapter service project in a school year, they will be required to complete the missing number of hours and the project, the following year.

Any member not reaching the organization’s goal of community service requirement per year of membership by graduation, will lose graduation privileges, which include wearing the following honored items: NHS/NTHS cords, tassels and diploma stickers.

Community Service is defined as Services volunteered by individuals or an organization to benefit a community or its institutions without any compensation, monetary or otherwise.

The following are the guidelines for Community Service

1. Any service may not be more than 1/3 of the total amount of hours required - Since our current requirement is 15 hours, that means no more than 5 hours (as of October 1, 2022)

2. Only GCIT or GCSSSD sponsored/honor society endorsed activities will be accepted. These include but are not limited to: Key Club projects/field trips; Walks for a cause, such as the Out of the Darkness Walk; City of Hope Style-A-Thon; Love Our Vets.

3. Community service is NOT selling to raise money to offset costs for the organization or individuals of the organization, such as field trip costs. Any community service for fundraising must be for school sponsored/honor society endorsed projects or organizations whose money is going directly to a non-for-profit foundation/cause.

4. Community Service is not helping a teacher grade papers or organize materials, unless it is for a school sponsored/honor society endorsed community service project.

5. Managing a team is not considered community service. Refer to guideline #1 in regards to volunteering during games.

6. The following are considered acceptable times for completing community service during the school day: students’ scheduled lunch times; 30 minutes before and after school; school sponsored/honor society endorsed field trips; club period; study hall. You may not miss an academic class.

7. Seniors only – any student inducted in their senior year, may use the community service from the application process as part of their 15-hour requirement.

8. Must participate in one honor society sponsored project per year that you are a member.

Community Service Opportunities:

Community Service Opportunities are posted on our Teams account: GCIT Honor Societies; sent out through Remind and promoted on our Social Media accounts. 

• Please remember that community service is defined as: "a contribution to the welfare of others without any compensation, monetary or otherwise" 
• All community service hours must be through GCIT/GCSSSD and approved by Mrs. Smith or Mr. Ruiz.  If you are unsure, please seek approval PRIOR to completing the service.
• Make sure you are signed up for the Remind for updates.

If you are participating in or are aware of any other community service projects being carried out by other school sponsored groups, please inform Mrs. Smith

Remember, logs for community service are due the last school day of each month, of the month they were completed in.  You can download community service forms from the GCIT website or pick them up from Mrs. Smith or Mr. Ruiz

Please remember your signatures and phone numbers. 

Community Service Log

National Honor Society/National Technical Honor Society Chapter Bylaws 

NHS Academic and Non-Academic Requirements 

NHS members must maintain the following standards in order to remain an active member: a cumulative overall unweighted GPA of 95; suspension free; must NOT commit any incidences of academic fraud which includes but is not limited to plagiarism, (Reference from the Council of Writing Program Administrators: http://wpacouncil.org/node/9), cheating, multiple submissions of an academic work, etc. These are also the standards used for consideration to the society.

Students will also be required to participate in 15 hours of community service through a school sponsored organization. This 15 hour requirement also includes mandatory participation in one chapter service project.

NTHS Academic and Non-Academic Requirements 

NTHS members must maintain the following standards in order to remain an active member: a cumulative overall unweighted GPA of 88 and an A average in their Career and Technical classes; suspension free; must NOT commit any incidences of academic fraud which includes but is not limited to plagiarism, (Reference from the Council of Writing Program Administrators: http://wpacouncil.org/node/9), cheating, multiple submissions of an academic work, etc. These are also the standards used for consideration to the society. 

Students will also be required to participate in 15 hours of community service through a school sponsored organization. This 15 hour requirement also includes mandatory participation in one chapter service project.

NHS/NTHS Chapter and Community Service Requirements 

All NHS/NTHS members are expected to be active in the society. NHS/NTHS members are also expected to be active in community service.  

• To maintain good standing as a member of NHS/NTHS, Members must complete 15 hours of community service, and one  NHS/NTHS project. The hours from participating in the mandatory service project, are part of the 15 hours required per year of membership. 
• If a member fails to complete the mandatory number of hours of service and a chapter service project in a school year, they will be required to complete the missing number of hours and the project, the following year.  
• Any member not reaching the organization’s goal of community service requirement per year of membership by graduation, will lose graduation privileges, which include wearing the following honored items: NHS/NTHS cords, tassels and diploma stickers.  

• Examples of school sponsored/honor society endorsed activities include but are not limited to: Key Club projects/field trips; Walks for a cause, such as the Out of the Darkness Walk; City of Hope Style-A-Thon; Love Our Vets.  

• Community Service is defined as Services volunteered by individuals or an organization to benefit a community or its institutions without any compensation, monetary or otherwise. 

• Community service is NOT selling to raise money to offset costs for the organization or individuals of the organization, such as field trip costs.  Any community service for fundraising must be for school sponsored/honor society endorsed projects or organizations whose money is going directly to a non-for-profit foundation/cause.  

• Community Service is not helping a teacher grade papers or organize materials, unless it is for a school sponsored/honor society endorsed community service project. 

• The following are considered acceptable times for completing community service during the school day:  students’ scheduled lunch times; 30 minutes before and after school; school sponsored/honor society endorsed field trips; club period. 

• Seniors only – any student inducted in their senior year, may use the community service from the application process as part of their 15 hour requirement.

Meeting Times 

NHS/NTHS meet a minimum of once a month during club. Meetings are posted on the NHS/NTHS web page. Members are required to be at all meetings.

Graduation Honor Requirements 

Full graduation honors include wearing a NHS and/or NTHS honor cords and tassel, during graduation. In addition, receive a certificate for fulfilling your obligations to the organization and a sticker on your diploma.  Again, meeting all of the requirements every year that you are a member of NHS and/or NTHS gives you this privilege.

You will have had to:

• complete the 15 hours of community service and a chapter service project, per year by May of Senior year; 
• have remained suspension free and have not had any incidences of academic fraud, as defined in the above paragraphs outlining the academic and non-academic requirements;
• up to date on all chapter dues

Probation 

Not adhering to any of the above-mentioned policies could result in probation action. A student that is placed on probation will be sent a letter informing the student and his or her parents/guardian. The NHS/NTHS committee will also be informed of your probation. The letter will have guidelines on how to rectify the issue to be removed from probation. If a student does not correct the issue they can be dismissed from either organization. Furthermore, the national organization will be notified of your dismissal. 

Purpose: The purpose of these organizations shall be to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of secondary schools.  

Obligations of NHS or NTHS Membership: 

The national constitution delineates seven formal obligations of membership, the first of which is as much a duty of the chapter as it is a member obligation. Article VIII, Section 4 indicates that all members must be inducted at a special ceremony to become active members of the chapter. One remains in the condition of being a "successfully selected candidate" (i.e., not a member) until this ceremony is undertaken. The following list outlines additional member obligations as delineated in the national constitution:  

• Dues (Article IV, Section 3): Members will be asked to pay annual chapter dues of $5 per society per year.  This does not include the $30 membership fee for NTHS.  Seniors will be responsible for the cost of their cords and NHS tassels. The authentic inability of a member or his/her family to pay such financial obligations will not be the reason for the disciplining or dismissal of any member. Note: Dues are not a required function for any chapter, but if established by the chapter, become an obligation of all members.  

• Maintaining standards (Article VIII, Section 1): Once selected and inducted, all members are expected to maintain the standards by which they were selected. The implication here is that members are well informed about those standards, as published in the description of the local selection process. Annual reminders for students and parents delivered through the script of the chapter's induction ceremony are helpful.  

• Meetings (Article XIII, Section 1): A schedule of chapter meetings should be developed and well publicized. Chapter officers should work closely with the adviser to see that the agendas for all meetings are well thought out and planned. Chapters may require members to attend these meetings. Develop policies for excused and unexcused absences using local school attendance guidelines as a model.  

• Chapter service projects (Article XIV, Sections 1 & 2): All chapters are required to sponsor a chapter service project in which all members participate (Section 2), assuming that the project meets the criteria as outlined in the constitution (Section 3). However, GCIT Chapter officers offer multiple projects during the year from which members can choose in order to fulfill this obligation.  Students will be required to participate in at least ONE NHS/NTHS sponsored activity. 

• Individual service projects (Article XIV, Section 4): In addition to the chapter service project noted above, members are to engage in additional service according to their own talents and interests. Students will be required to participate in 15 hours of community service through a school sponsored organization. This requirement includes the one NHS/NTHS project noted above.  Seniors who owe hours from last year, must complete those hours in addition to the 15 hours for this year.

• Any Junior member who fails to complete the mandatory 15 hours and one NHS/NTHS service project, will be responsible for making up those requirements the following year. Also, any member not reaching the organization’s goal of 15 hours of service including a chapter sponsored project, per year of membership, by graduation, will lose graduation privileges, which include wearing the following honored items: NHS/NTHS cords and tassels.   

• Additional Obligations (Article XVI, Section 2): If additional obligations exist for members of the chapter, such obligations should be included on a separate list of member obligations shared regularly with members and their parents, or should be spelled out in the chapter bylaws for all members to see.  These bylaws are posted on the NHS/NTHS web pages where they are readily accessible to all members. 

Discipline and Dismissal:  
There are four general areas considered when looking at the actions of chapter members:  

1.     Are they maintaining the standards by which they were selected?  

2.     Are they fulfilling the obligations of membership as delineated above and in the chapter guidelines?  

3.     Are they complying with school rules and the law?  

4.     Have students remained suspension free? 

If the answer is "No" to any of these questions, then the Advisors and Committee members have the right to take action for dismissal for any member.