National Honor Society

The National Honor Society is an organization which focuses on the four principles of Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character.  The Vallivue chapter of the National Honor Society encourages these traits in our members and in the general school population. 

ADVISORS:
Brian Blakeley
Travis Haase
Ann Bowers

Acceptance

Students are chosen to be in National Honor Society on the basis of scholarship, leadership, service, and character.  Juniors and Seniors with a cumulative gpa of 3.5 or better receive an application form after the first semester grading period.  Teacher recommendations are gathered for students who apply, and membership is decided based on all available information by a committee of teachers. 

Initiation

The Initiation Ceremony takes place in the spring for new members, when the students are sworn in as members of the Society. There is an elaborate candle-lighting ceremony in which each member receives a candle to light from the Candle of Knowledge. The Candle of Knowledge is a candle which represents all of the knowledge that a student can learn while they are in school.

Focus

The focus of the National Honor Society is to encourage academic achievement while developing the other characteristics that would be essential to citizens in a democracy;  leadership, volunteer service, and good character.

Activities

The National Honor Society participates in many activities throughout the year.  The biggest are the food drives that happen at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The Christmas drive can also include raising money for Christmas presents for local families, and gathering used clothing for local charity organizations.  The primary purpose of both drives, though, is food collection for Vallivue families, Hope House, the Salvation Army, and other local charitable organizations. 

Other activities include running concessions for Vallivue sports, helping the Vallivue Special Education department with various student activities, and providing volunteers for various other school and community activities.

Other Information

The colors of National Honor Society are Blue and Gold, which kind of makes people around here think of Caldwell High School.  The Society was started in 1921 in response to the number of organizations that encouraged athletics or other school activities.  We were established by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and are still sponsored through that organization.  The four main focus points have been a part of the Society since the beginning: "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." (from the NHS Constitution)  

For more information, go to the website at http://www.nhs.us.