Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals

The professional association of middle and high school administrators since 1906

4909 Cutshaw Avenue

Richmond, VA  23230

804.355.2777

Virginia Association of Honor Societies

About the Virginia Association of Honor Societies

The Virginia Association of Honor Societies (VAHS) provides a statewide forum for schools with National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society chapters. The VAHS recognizes and encourages academic achievement while developing other characteristics essential to citizens in a democracy, and gives the needed support and resources that are essential in helping these co-curricular organizations thrive in their schools as examples of their ideals of leadership, scholarship, service, and character.

The principal goals of the VAHS are to:

• create enthusiasm for scholarship
• stimulate a desire to render service; and
• develop character in the students of middle level and high schools in Virginia.

The VAHS sponsors several training activities statewide throughout the year to promote the ideals of leadership, scholarship, service, and character in our student leaders. VAHS gives both students and advisers the opportunity for training, networking, and social interaction. They represent major efforts to support honor societies throughout the Commonwealth.

What can the VAHS do for Virginia schools?

• Annual VAHS Conference: The VAHS Conference gives students and advisers from throughout Virginia an opportunity to view dynamic presentations on character, leadership, service, and scholarship, all developed with honor society students in mind. The two-day conference features three dynamic general sessions with nationally known keynote speakers, and 15 concurrent seminars. The election of officers and faculty advisers for the advisory board is a focal point of the weekend, as the president school is installed prior to the end of the conference. 

• Summer Leadership Workshops: Open to all VAHS member schools, these workshops focus on developing student leadership skills. These workshops are based on the premise that leadership is an acquired ability that can be developed through sound instruction and application. Workshops are held each July at the middle and high school levels.

• Advisers Workshops: Workshops addressing the needs of advisers are offered each fall and spring. They provide training for advisers in building and developing honor societies, and provide ideas, techniques and motivation for advisers.

VAHS Governance

The VAHS is sponsored by the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals, and is governed by an advisory board of elected honor society student leaders and advisers and the VASSP Board of Directors. Schools rather than individuals are candidates for officer positions. Officer schools, once elected, are represented on the Advisory Board by the school's honor society adviser and one student. The officers of the VAHS are President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Historian.

The VAHS Advisory Board consists of seventeen (17) voting members: one student and the adviser of each of four officer schools, two high school faculty advisers, two middle level faculty advisers, two representatives of the VASSP Board of Directors, the adviser of the immediate past president school, the VASSP Executive Director, and the DSL Director.

National Affiliation

VAHS is an affiliated with the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society is under the sponsorship of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and is located in Reston, Virginia.

Frequent Use Forms

Institute Sponsors: