中 文 榮 譽 學 會
National Chinese Honor Society

National Chinese Honor Society

• National Chinese Honor Society (NCHS)

• Additional Information

• Honor Cords for Graduating High School Seniors

• Standards and Reasons for Teacher Determination of Eligibility

• When to Give Awards

• The Ceremony

• Other Awards

[back to top]                                                National Chinese Honor Society (NCHS) 

Diane Mammone, NCHS Chair

The National Chinese Honor Society was established in November 1993. Its objective is to acknowledge the superior achievement of secondary students studying Chinese as a second language. Like other honor societies, the National Chinese Honor Society not only recognizes high scholastic achievement but also good character, leadership, and service. NCHS members should exemplify all these standards.  The Society’s goal is to promote enthusiasm for Chinese language learning and culture, commitment to advanced study, and greater cross-cultural understanding.  

GUIDELINES FOR MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY

The applicant must be a regularly enrolled student of secondary school (grades 9-12) who has
1.     taken AT LEAST  three semesters of Chinese at the high school level
2.     maintained an overall B grade or better in Chinese and other academic subjects
3.     in addition to high academic achievement, has displayed good character, leadership, and service

Download Student Application Form 

(This is a PDF file. To view it, you must have the Acrobat Reader software. Click below for free download)

NCHS School Chapter Advisor

The Chinese teacher at local high school serves as the advisor and liaison between the school chapter and the National Chinese Honor Society.The advisor must be a member in good standing of CLASS.

NCHS Membership Fees and Materials

The membership fee is three dollars ($3) paid before induction by each student. The membership is permanent. Students pay no other membership fees.

All NCHS members receive the NCHS membership certificate. Optionally, the advisor may order for members:
the NCHS pin ($5 each) 
the NCHS Graduation Cord ($18 each, see below)
The school chapter advisor collects the fees, completes the Request Form, and mails the order to the NCHS Chair who then mails the membership certificates (and pins and cords, if requested) to the chapter advisor. Pins and cords may also be ordered at a later date.

APPLICATION PROCESS

NCHS school chapter advisor shall
1.     ask students to submit the NCHS student application form and essay;
2.     determine the eligibility of all applications based on the NCHS objectives and membership guidelines;
3.     finalize the list of students who will be inducted to the Chapter;
4.     complete the School Chapter Request Form (Download School Chapter Request Form);
5.     collect the $3 membership fee from each inductee (and optional pin or cord fee);
6.     make out one check for all fees, payable to “CLASS NCHS”;
7.      4 weeks before induction date, submit names of inductees, the completed NCHS School Chapter Request Form, and the check to:

Diane Mammone

NCHS Chair

P.O.Box 249

Barre, MA 01005

Email: mammone.diane@gmail.com

8.   plan an induction appropriate for your school and chapter (see below for additional information)

[back to top]                                           Honor Cords for Graduating High School Seniors

NCHS offers optional Honor Cords for students of NCHS to wear with caps and gowns at their high school graduation ceremony. The cords are light and dark purple. A brief description of the significance of the knot designs and cord color, written in both English and Chinese (traditional or simplified characters) is included with each cord. The cords are very attractive and well made and really stand out at the graduation ceremony.

COST FOR EACH CORD IS $18. Shipping cost is included. Please use the Chapter Request Form to order.  Supplies may be limited depending on demand. They may be purchased at any time of year so  please plan ahead and purchase in advance to avoid disappointing students.
Note: To eliminate any wrinkles from packaging, take the cords out of the package and let them hang for several days before the ceremony.  

NCHS FAQ

[back to top]                         Standards and Reasons for Teacher Determination of Eligibility

NCHS-CLASS ' goal is to encourage students to study Chinese and recognize their efforts. The society’s written standards are broad because Chinese programs vary so much from school to school. For this reason we believe the local teacher is the best judge of eligibility. Use the award to encourage your students, but please keep in mind that if an award is given to too many students, too soon or too easily, the value of the award is lessened for all.

It’s best that the Chapter Advisor invites eligible students to apply rather than having many students apply to be accepted or rejected.  This “admission by invitation” is similar to the practice of the regular National Honor Society.  You should have a good idea of which students are eligible each year.  Ideally eligiblility is not a last minute decision.  

[back to top]                                               When to Give Awards

When your students have begun Chinese language study-- elementary, middle or high school--is an important factor in this decision. If your program begins in high school, consider waiting at least until 11th grade to give awards. You should be sure that your candidates have demonstrated sufficient commitment to Chinese. There is no way to take the award away from a student whose grades drop afterwards. Please emphasize to your students that NCHS membership, like any other honor society membership, will impress college admissions officers

[back to top]                                                    The Ceremony

The induction ceremony may be at any time of year.  Some Chapter Advisors induct in the fall as does the regular National Honor Society. 

There have been a few requests regarding what type of award ceremony is appropriate for new members. Because of the diversity of our programs and chapters, we believe that the teacher should decide on a type of ceremony that best helps his or her program and fits in with protocols at the individual school. Some teachers hold a formal private candle lighting ceremony for inductees, similar to the National Honor Society ceremony. Other teachers prefer greater exposure and give the NCHS awards at a general school award assembly. 

Below are a few examples of oaths or ceremonies from various schools. Thanks go to the Chapter Advisors for submitting them. It's a big help to new Advisors in planning their ceremonies. If you would be willing to write a few words about your chapter, your ceremony, or special activities please email the Chair directly.

1.  AN INDUCTION OATH WRITTEN BY THE ADVISOR FROM THE GLASTONBURY (CONNECTICUT) HIGH SCHOOL

 身為全美中文學會的會員，我願意繼續學習中文，並不斷在生活中運用中文。
我了解語言是各種文化，種族和國家之間溝通的橋梁。我願意運用我對中國文化的了解及中國語言的知識，為促進國際之間的友誼合作，盡一分力量。

2.   A WELCOMING SPEECH AND CEREMONY IS FROM THE CHAPTER AT GRANDVIEW HIGH SCHOOL IN AURORA, COLORADO.
中文荣誉学会
入会典礼
2009

Greetings, (       ). 
大家好！ Hello everyone, and welcome to the first ever initiation ceremony for the new Grandview chapter of the National Chinese Honor Society.  I want to begin this evening by introducing the motto of our society.  It is a “chengyu,” which as many of you are aware is an idiom or proverb, often four characters in length, and usually drawn from a historical source or traditional story.  Our motto: 敏而好学， comes from the analects of Confucius, written some 23 centuries ago. 

In your program, you have the text of the passage from which this expression originates.   I will read it to you now: 
敏而好学
子贡文曰:  孔文子何以谓之文也。
子曰:敏而好学,不耻下问,是以谓之文也。
‘Zigong asked, “How did Kong Wen earn the name 文 （wén: cultured, refined)”?   Confucius said, “He is bright and loves to learn, he doesn’t feel ashamed to ask and learn from those around him of lower status; this is why he is called 文。‘

You are certainly aware of the central importance of education in Chinese culture and in Confucian and other Chinese philosophies, but you may not be aware of the importance Chinese philosophy places on becoming a person of moral excellence.  In Confucius’s teaching, and much of Chinese philosophy more broadly, education and the development of moral character are inseparable projects.  敏而好学 means “bright and with a love of learning”。 The expression describes not only people who excel intellectually, but also those who are good role models, good human beings.  In this way, I feel it is an apt description of our intention and purpose and an appropriate motto for our society.

We are honored tonight to have with us the Assistant Principal of Grandview High School, ______   I have asked _______to say a few words to us this evening in honor of the occasion.  Please welcome him to the podium!

PRESENTATION:   Speech by Assistant Principal

老师:        I will now call all of our new members to the front of the room to join me for the initiation. 
This is our initiation, serious and significant.  This is our mother candle.  It will serve us each year.  It represents inspiration; inspiration that we share with each other and that pass on to future generations of members.  (LIGHT CANDLE)
(All students come forward, are given a candle to light, stand in a line facing the audience)
Please repeat the oath of the society, phrase by phrase:
我理解语言是各种文化，种族和国家之间沟通的桥梁。我愿意运用我对中国文化的了解及中国语言的知识，为促进国际之间的友谊合作，尽一分力量。

PRESENTATION: As I call your names, please come forward, sign our Honor Society Book, and receive your certificates of membership.  
(The Honor Society Book is a scrapbook that we will keep year to year, where all student members sign their names, and photos of each year’s society are kept.)
老师： Friends, by the authority granted in me by the National Chinese Honor Society,   I declare you members of this chapter.

Thank you all, friends and family members for being here with us tonight.  Your support and pride sustains and encourages us.  
Please enjoy tea and light refreshments, and the good company of your fellow Chinese Honor Society members and their families!
3.   A JOINT INDUCTION CEREMONY FOR ALL THE WORLD LANGUAGE HONOR SOCIETIES OF THE BERKELEY PREPARATORY SCHOOL OF TAMPA, FLORIDA.
Chinese Honor Society
2007
WORLD LANGUAGE HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION CEREMONY 

Students are sitting in their appointed seats on the stage
There will be ONE big candle on a table for each language. The Chinese candle will be red with a yellow ribbon.
Two senior members, Kong An and Luwen Xin, of the NCHS both walk up to the table and Kong An lights the candle.  They walk to the podium and Kong An says:
In English: “Good morning. Welcome to the 2007 National Chinese Honor Society induction ceremony.”
Kong An says in Chinese:
家人，老师们，同学们，大家好。我们今天想要称赞几个具有特殊才能的中文学生。虽然 伯克利学校的中文项目还成长，但是这些 同学为中文教学的能力工作是无比的。我刚点的蜡烛代表在心会员教学路途无穷无尽的灵感。
Kong An remains at podium. Luwen Xin walks up to the podium
Luwen Xin says in English:
 “I would like the new initiates to please stand up and approach the table.”
Inductees stand up and come up behind the table and stand in a row
Luwen Xin says in Chinese:
跟我说:
                Inductees repeat the following after Luwen Xin:
我允诺自己…..会热心鼓励…..中文教学….
天天 向上…..也会作 好…..全 美 中文…..
荣誉学会…..的新会员
[Laoshi will approach the podium and stand with Kong An]
Luwen Xin says in Chinese: 
我把你们的名字叫起来，请来收到你们的证书和大头针。
Luwen Xin then says, first in Chinese, then in English, the initiates’ names:
Inductees will face the podium, walk up to Kong An, who will present them with the certificate and pin.  Inductees will shakes hands with Kong An first, then laoshi.  Initiates will go back to their appointed seats.
Kong An says in Chinese:
谢谢大家！祝贺二零零七 年的中文荣誉学会的新会员。

[back to top]                                                        Other Awards

Over the years, other questions about membership in the Chinese National Honor Society have concerned awards for middle school students and other academic or achievement awards in Chinese language. At this time, we offer no other awards than the NCHS membership. We have suggested in the past that teachers make their own awards for their individual classes or use their school’s awards to recognize students’ achievements. We can only suggest that if this is a concern for a number of members, please address your thoughts to the Chair or the members of the Board of Directors. We take your concerns seriously. Please plan accordingly for this year.