By-Laws of the Home School Honor Society, West Michigan Chapter
As of November 12, 2012
I. Preface
A. Name: The official name of the West Michigan Chapter is the Iota Eta Chapter of the Eta Sigma Alpha National Home School Honor Society.
B. Mission Statement: The mission of this Chapter is to form Christian character and integrity through four aspects: Service, Scholarship, Leadership, and Networking, so that they may grow in the knowledge and wisdom of Jesus Christ.
C. Statement of faith: The foundation of this Chapter is the Word of God as interpreted in the Confessions proceeding from the Protestant Reformation and especially the Heidelberg Catechism. On this basis, we believe the following articles of faith and principles for Christian Education to be a true and necessary foundation for all our activities.
1) We believe the Bible to be the only inerrant, infallible, and authoritative Word of God, the focal point of which is the person and the redemptive work of the Living Word, Jesus Christ. We believe that the Bible reveals to man what he is to believe and how he is to live.
2) We believe that there is one holy, personal, Creator God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that through Him was made all that was made, according to His Word as it is recorded in Scripture.
3) We believe that God the Father, motivated by His infinite grace and mercy, established His covenant of grace with men and fulfilled that covenant through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Sinless One, who gave His life on the cross in order to pay the penalty for sin on behalf of those who believe in Him, thus redeeming them from the effects of sin. We believe in the resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that one day, He will come to judge all men.
4) We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, and that He testifies of Jesus, convicts us of sin, regenerates and indwells believers, guiding and empowering them to live a life that glorifies God.
5) We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, totally apart from human merit and/or works, and that the act of regeneration, which is a work of grace performed by the Holy Spirit, produces a new creature in Christ.
6) We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the everlasting blessedness of the just, and the everlasting punishment of the unjust.
II. Membership
A. Students must be a homeschooled student in 9th-12th grade and meet the minimum requirements set by the National Home School Honor Society.
B. Students must assent in writing to be governed by the by-laws of this Chapter until such time as they are amended.
C. Membership dues must be submitted with the application.
D. High school seniors must apply before the first Chapter meeting. Students who join the Honor Society must still fulfill the volunteer hour requirements, regardless of when they joined.
E. A member who no longer fulfills all of the above requirements will be asked to resign from the membership of the Chapter.
F. No personal information of a student may be released without the consent of the student and at least one of his parents.
III. Activities, Meetings, and Conduct
A. Meetings
1) Meetings will be held on a regular basis as determined at the beginning of each school year. All members must be informed of the date and location of all meetings. Special meetings may be held if deemed necessary. Elections held without the notification of all members are void. For elections held in circumstances not specifically described in these by-laws, a quorum of 50% is required.
2) The standard year will begin at the beginning of the school year and will end approximately at the close of the school year.
3) All meetings will begin with prayer to God.
B. Attendance
1) Except in cases of emergency, the Chapter will be informed of absences prior to the meetings.
C. Service Projects
1) Each member is required to spend at least 16 hours per year on volunteer work approved by the Chapter.
2) The members of this Chapter will agree to a group volunteer service project. The service project and the requirements will be determined by consensus, or, if absolutely necessary, by election. A quorum of 2/3 and a majority of 60% are required. All members will be expected to take part in the service project, but they are not required to take part in every Chapter activity or service project.
3) For independent projects to count as required volunteer work, the member must present the project for questions and approval by this Chapter. When the project is completed, this member must submit a list of service activities and hours, signed by a parent, and present the Chapter with what was achieved in the project.
D. At meetings (if time is available), members may discuss on a helpful, interesting topic of common interest to the group. All members are allowed to have a presentation on any such topic.
E. When consistent with the by-laws, members will seek to follow parliamentary procedure.
F. I Timothy 4:12 will be the standard of conduct: “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”
IV. Government and Offices
A. Offices and Duties
1). The President begins and conducts meetings; he shall present the goals for the year at the first annual meeting; after the call to order at each meeting, he shall introduce the agenda; he shall verify and sign the earned volunteer hours of the volunteer hours coordinator; and he may not introduce motions, yet he may second them. Where possible, the president shall be a person who has been a member for at least one year.
2) The Vice President shall be responsible for the arrangement of the group service projects, normally one per semester; and he shall execute the duties of president when the latter is absent. Where possible, the vice president shall be a person who has been a member for at least one year.
3) The Secretary shall record the minutes and distribute them for approval at the next meeting.
4) The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of dues, the forwarding of payments to the National Honor Society, and any other necessary financial activities.
5) The Volunteer Hours Coordinator shall verify and sign the volunteer hour logs of members, excepting his own, during the meetings; and he shall, near the end of the academic year, collect all logs which are complete, record the cumulative hours for each member, and order any presidential service awards earned.
6) The Webpage Coordinator shall manage the webpage as necessary, including the promulgation of the by-laws, the posting of the date of the next meeting, the upkeep of the membership application, and all other functions necessary and proper to the maintenance of the webpage, while further providing the contact information of the society members.
7) The Parliamentarian shall ensure that the by-laws of the society and standard parliamentary procedure are followed during meetings, offer advice relating to such matters when requested by the president, and monitor the accuracy of the by-laws as necessary when amendments are approved.
B. If multiple members seek an office, an election will be held. A quorum of 50% is required, and the candidate with the majority of votes wins. If no candidate receives more than 50%, a runoff election (with 2 candidates) will be held.
C. If an officer resigns, the president will act as that officer, until a new officer volunteers or is elected. If an officer is temporarily unable to fulfill the duties of that office, the president will temporarily fulfill, with the officer’s consent, those duties.
D. An officer may be removed from office at a Chapter meeting with a quorum of 60% and a 60% majority of votes.
E. The president, with the consent of the Chapter, may appoint a new office, with a term of one year, for a special task. The by-laws must be amended to make this office become permanent and last beyond one year. The duties of permanent officers may be temporarily expanded on the majority consent of the Chapter.
V. Amendments or Suspensions of these by-laws
A. These by-laws may be changed at any regular or special meeting, provided the amendments have been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting, or have been given in writing to all members at least one week in advance.
B. These by-laws may be amended by a 3/4 majority vote with a quorum of 70%. Member unable to attend may submit their vote in writing with their signature appended.