At Katahdin High School, we don’t have many clubs. But those we do have are very important to our students and National Honor Society is no exception. Each member has put in their full effort in order to meet the requirements to join. There are four pillars each prospective member must exemplify, and these are Scholarship, Service, Character and Leadership.
Scholarship shows the student has outstanding academic achievements, and is an active member of the classroom. Service comes from a student voluntarily giving their time to help those in need. Character is all about how the student acts: Are they respectful? Caring? Patient? These qualities and more are important for good character. Finally comes Leadership. Each and every member of National Honor Society here at KHS is ready and willing to take charge if the need ever arises. They can handle the sticky situations that others would turn away from. All these pillars are what make our members truly amazing.
At our recent induction, we welcomed five new members: Erin Buhler, Emily Knowles, Rylee Fitzpatrick, Ashlie Cullins and Courtney Stevens. During the induction ceremony, each student lit a candle from the central candle, the “Pillar of Knowledge,” and then recited the traditional induction oath. These new members will now participate in all future NHS events.
As a member of the KHS branch of National Honor Society, there are a number of duties we are expected to uphold. Each year, we attend two conferences to meet with other branches of NHS from nearby schools. Every member attends, and is given the chance to meet with new people and interact with them during fun team-building activities.
NHS isn’t all fun and games however, and we also do a lot of volunteer work. Every year, we plant flowers around the town of Patten in preparation for the Memorial Day parade that runs through town. We also participate in the clothing drives our school holds for those in need. Most of our members this year will also be volunteering their time at the upcoming Special Olympics.
In our small school, National Honor Society is a chance for determined students to gain recognition, and to put their mark on the area before graduating from high school. It is a chance for students to gain invaluable experience volunteering and leading others. This experience will remain with them for their entire lives and help them achieve great things.
