When the National Honor Society was founded in 1921, our hope was to create an organization that would recognize and encourage academic achievement while developing other characteristics essential to citizens in a democracy. These ideas of scholarship, character, service and leadership remain as relevant today as they were in 1921.

     Now, 100 years later, the National Honor Society has established a reputation for excellence among administrators, faculty members, students, parents, and residents of the school community. This reputation is the result of years of commitment on the part of everyone involved.

     Through National Honor Society chapter service activities, members maintain and extend the qualities that won them selection. Membership is thus both and honor and a commitment.

The National Honor Society selection process at Robert C Byrd High School: The scholastic average of 3.6000 (beginning with the Class of 2006) is only the initial qualifying criterion. An application form is sent to each eligible second semester junior and to qualifying second semester seniors. The application must be completed and returned to the sponsor to be evaluated by a five-member faculty council. The council judges the application in three areas: character, leadership and service. (A scale of 0 to 5 is used to judge each area and an average of nine total points must be scored to attain membership.)

Certain disciplinary infractions automatically exclude a student from membership regardless of the scholastic average:

1. documented academic dishonesty on file with the school administrator

2. disciplinary infractions of levels 3 or 4 of the Harrison County Board of Education

Membership is both an honor and a responsibility. Membership is granted to those students selected by the faculty council.