Menu
Honor society welcomes its newest members
Honoring traditions of citizenship, leadership, character, service and scholarship, the local chapter of the National Junior Honor Society welcomed 39 students into the organization during a ceremony Thursday evening.
Hundreds of parents packed into the Mountain Home Junior High School gym to witness the annual event, which added seventh and eighth grade students into the national organization.
Before they accepted their oath into the society, each student had to meet established criteria set by the national organization. In addition to their accomplishments at school and in the local community, the teens were required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.75 during the year, said honor society advisor Nancy Moloney.
"To be chosen, a member must not excel in only one activity but many," said Taylor Wilson, who was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society in 2014.
Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Holdredge, who served as the guest speaker at this year's event, emphasized that the evening's ceremony was more than an induction. They are now part of an organization that traces its history back to 1921 that includes one million members across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
"People will form their opinion of you based on your actions," said Holdredge, security forces manager with the 366th Security Forces Squadron at Mountain Home Air Force Base. What these students do in school and in their community will directly reflect on the national organization whose principles they have sworn to uphold.
Being a member of the National Junior Honor Society isn't a fancy title attached to the names of these students. It's a promise they made to follow the five pillars of citizenship, leadership, character, service and scholarship, the sergeant added.
Holdredge then challenged each student to dedicate themselves to these principles, which starts with a commitment to excellence.
"Without that commitment, it's only a dream," he said.
Life will knock people down, but to reach their goals they must commitment themselves to overcome the roadblocks and obstacles standing in their way, Holdredge added.
The sergeant emphasized that these students can make a major difference in a person's life through small acts of charity. It's not the size of the task that's important. What's important is the impact these students can make -- one person at a time.
During the ceremony, officers with the junior honor society chapter for Mountain Home lit candles, each one representing the traits that form the group's foundation -- citizenship, leadership, scholarship, service and character.
"Good character is the most important thing for membership in the National Junior Honor Society," Elisabeth Price said during last week's ceremony. Built on the principles of honesty, loyalty, justice and humility, a person's character within society is equally tempered with humility, she added.
In addition, society members remain good citizens -- an essential factor "in the growth and survival of democracy and freedom," Asia Jackson said. "Good citizens accept the responsibilities, as well as the privileges, of being American citizens," she added. "They work to improve their communities. They obey the law, and they respect the rights of their fellow man."
Besides their role as active citizens in their respective communities, those inducted into the honor society also accept the need of serving others.
"Service to others gives us the highest form of happiness in this world," Alexis Hiler said. "To aid those in need and to help ease the pain of this world should be a goal for all of us."
Meanwhile, these members serve as positive examples to others, Anna Cook said. In addition to respecting others, true leaders fulfill their responsibilities and obligations on time while motivating others to accomplish their own tasks, she added.
"It is working under pressure while achieving success," Cook added.
As part of the evening's activities, honor society students brought in more than 100 cans of food, which will benefit local area food banks.