Constitution & Governance

​

Local chapters of the National Honor Society (NHS) are governed by two sets of documents: the NHS National Constitution and the local chapter bylaws.

​

The NHS National Constitution was developed by the NHS and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) National Council. The day-to-day administration of the Honor Societies is undertaken by the staff of the national office in Reston, VA.

A Student Leadership Advisory Committee, which includes representation from NHS and NJHS schools, offers advice on Honor Society policy and procedure to the staff of the National Association of Secondary School Principals—the parent organization of NHS and NJHS—and the NASSP Board of Directors. The committee has no governance over the Honor Societies.

All chapters must adopt and abide by the provisions of the National Constitution, per their agreement with the national organization. The NHS National Handbook and Adviser Resource Center offer additional information on items found in the Constitution—including an outline for local bylaws—and provides guidance for advisers in applying the NHS Constitution to their work with their chapters.