The council or chapter advisor provides a wealth of advice and practical knowledge, and is one of the most important factors in the success of a Student Council or Honor Society chapter. The advisor is the liaison between students and school administration. Advising requires personal time and educational commitment.

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Here are some things that council and chapter advisers do regularly:

• Consider services and activities for the school and community that will bring improvement to the school community

• Coordinate the work of the council or chapter through the officers and committees

• Make detailed yearlong plans, writing goals for each project

• Work with the council or chapter officers and student members to plan meetings and activities for the yearlong schedule

• Hold regular meetings and planning sessions with the council or chapter’s executive committee

• Know your officers, their duties, and personalities, and how to help them develop into successful student leaders

• Read and review the National Handbook; read each issue of Advise magazine; and visit the NASC or NHS website to stay informed about activities, policies, and procedures.

• Review the school policies regarding student activities. Know and understand the rules that govern what student activity groups can and cannot do, especially where field trips, fundraising, and projects are concerned.

• Maintain contact with faculty and administrators, by clearing all activities with the principal and keeping him or her informed of all council or chapter functions

• Lead, but do not do, the students’ work and find ways to guide council or chapter members without dictating

• Are open-minded, looking for new ideas and encouraging the best from students

• Participate in PASC sponsored activities and programs, and help students do the same

• Understand how student activities operate in your district and state, including legal responsibilities

• Teach, as well as practice, democratic actions and encourage civic engagement

• Be sure to meet with the principal to determine his or her expectations for you. Develop a productive working relationship. Also meet with your officers and let them know how you view your role.

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10 Common Practices for Effective Advisors

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For the majority of students, the student council or honor society experience is their first venture into formal leadership training and leadership organizations. This “newness” to leadership brings about many of the same challenges that advisors face in their roles as classroom teachers introducing students to new curricular concepts and information. As in the classroom, advisors must be cognizant of the learning styles of student leaders in order to help them gain mastery of leadership concepts.

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There are 10 common denominators that serve as core practices and philosophies shared by effective advisors. Some are general concepts found in academic and co-curricular areas, while others are specific to leadership instruction.

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An effective advisor:

1. Believes that learning is continuous, occurs both inside and outside of the classroom, and requires a variety of methods and experiences in order to obtain optimal outcomes.

2. Knows that students, who are involved in co-curricular activities, get more from those experiences when a caring adult is there to advise them.

3. Helps ensure that student leaders understand the parameters, scope, origins of power, and the duties of their offices.

4. Manages meetings, giving limited input when called upon to do so, but also helps to see that basic meeting rules are followed.

5. Lets student leaders fail but helps them understand and cope with failure.

6. Manages time. Allots time to be there for the students by recognizing how much time will be needed before committing to individual projects or other organizations.

7. Helps student leaders set good goals for the organization and supports the planning to reach those goals.

8. Trains student leaders in the basics of leadership and how they apply to the organization—duties, meeting management, the constitution, school rules and mission, communication skills, and more.

9. Expects commitment and conveys it as a requirement for successful leaders.

10. Challenges students to continue their leadership roles from the middle level to high school and beyond.

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Honor Society Advisors have additional expectations in order to ensure their chapters remain in good standing with NHS and NJHS, including:

• The purposes and history of the Honor Societies: Why do Honor Societies exist? What should they accomplish? Start with your local chapter bylaws or constitution. Does it outline any purposes for your group on campus? Review or develop chapter goals.

• The bylaws of your Honor Society chapter: Be sure your current practices are in line with what’s written in your bylaws and that the bylaws are in line with the provisions of the NHS National Constitution, or the NJHS National Constitution. If they don’t coincide, reconcile the differences.

• Making sure that new National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society Advisors and Principals are registered with the national office. 

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Below are some additional resources provided to our friends at the Missouri Association of National Honor Societies by Elancia Felder, manager of Honor Societies at NASSP. A reminder that state associations are not involved in selection or dismissal of individual honor society chapter members at the school level, and generally do not influence the processes used for these purposes at the local chapter level. Chapter concerns fall under the domain of the local chapter adviser and school principal. Policy questions regarding NHS and NJHS selection and discipline procedures should be directed to Elancia at feldere@nassp.org. With regard to student councils, neither the state nor national office prescribe selection or dismissal procedures; these are governed solely at the local level by the individual student council's constitution, as overseen by the advisor and principal. 

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