HOULTON, Maine — Five new members were inducted into the Greater Houlton Christian Academy’s National Honor Society Tuesday, March 5, during the school’s ninth annual ceremony.
“These students qualified by meeting high standards not only in academics but as well as character, service and leadership,” said Headmaster Tom Zimmerman as he welcomed students and family members to the ceremony held at the First Baptist Church on Court Street. “Our induction service is much different than mine was back in the day at Hampden Academy.”
Zimmerman said he learned he had been selected to that school’s NHS group through a morning announcement over the intercom.
“We do things a little bit differently now,” he said. “We want to honor the Lord and glorify Him in these kinds of character qualities we see in these students.”
Inducted into the group were: Cole Winslow, son of Kevin and Julie Winslow; Jessica Quint, daughter of Barrett and Sherri Quint; Kathryn Nightingale, daughter of Matthew and Heidi Nightingale; Jeremy Stone, son of Ali and Damon Stone; and Joel Carmichael, son of Kyle and Karen Carmichael.
Those five individuals are joined by Teagan Ewings to give the school six members in its NHS group.
Dan Angotti, NHS adviser for the school, stated he was looking forward to working with the new members of the group as they continue their pursuit of the four core values of the NHS during the remainder of their time at GHCA.
Pastor Mark Lunn served as the guest speaker for the ceremony. Lunn has been a pastor since 1987 and spent three years as a missionary for child evangelical fellowship.
“I feel that with faith in God, these qualities of the National Honor Society can take on even deeper meaning for you (the new inductees),” Lunn said. “I congratulate all of you for being inducted. It is an honor you can be proud of.”
Lunn said the spiritual application of the four qualities expected of all NHS members — character, service, scholarship and leadership — were best exemplified by Second Timothy 2:15, which reads, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
“In this verse I see God demanding these qualities in all of his members,” Lunn said. “I was once told by a Godly person that I should never have to defend my integrity. If you live a consistent life of Godliness then your lives will speak for themselves.”
The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) officially established NHS in 1921, according to the group’s official website. Though many local and regional honor societies existed prior to 1921, no nationwide organization had been founded. Under the leadership of Edward Rynearson, principal of the Fifth Avenue High School in Pittsburgh, the organization grew from the original Alpha Chapter at the Fifth Avenue School to more than 1,000 chapters by 1930. Equipped with a constitution, an emblem and motto, and a group of dedicated principals as coordinators, the new NHS organization quickly developed into one of the country’s leading educational groups.
Four main purposes have guided chapters of NHS from 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. These purposes also translate into the criteria used for membership selection in each local chapter.
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- Katheryn Nightingale of Greater Houlton Christian Academy lights a candle during her school’s National Honor Society ceremony held Tuesday, March 5, at the First Baptist Church in Houlton. Nightingale was one of five new members inducted into the school’s NHS. (Joseph Cyr)
