Société honoraire de français
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Student Membership fee?
A: The Student Membership fee is required for each Student who is inducted into the National French Honor Society. This fee is $3 per student and covers the cost of an Unlettered Certificate. It is the only fee that is required in order to officially induct students. All other merchandise is optional, including the lettering of student names on certificates.
Q: Do we need a local constitution?
A: It's always a good idea to add to the by-laws of the SHF national constitution which purposely remains vague in certain areas to accommodate so many different schools. If membership will be forfeited should certain standards not be met, then the process must be described in the local by-laws. When parents contact the national office to ask about selection or dismissal criteria, they are referred to the particular school and sponsor in the case.
Q: When do most schools hold initiation?
A: Initiations are held most often In the spring (April and May) and usually in level III (another reason for a by-law, because the national constitution allows membership in the second semester of Level II). SHF is for high school students only, there is no middle school honor society at this time.
Q: Can we initiate foreign exchange students?
A: We encourage you to do so. You might want to establish at the local level associate (for the exchange period) and honorary (for guests and administrators) memberships.
Q: Does the SHF have an emblem I could use on invitations?
A: Yes, a fleur-de-lys with the symbol of France, a rooster, overlaying the fleur-de-lys with the name of our society above and laurel wreaths surrounding it all. A small gold foil seal and a blazer patch are available.
Q: What can SHF members wear at graduation?
A: At the AATF meeting in Quebec, sponsors chose braided blue/white/red cords available from Graduate Sales, P.O. Box 333, Conway, AR 72033. White cords, representing the humanities, are usually available from the company that supplies the school's caps and gowns. Some school administrators have permitted only National Honor Society students to wear cords. SHF abides by the decisions of local schools.
Q: Can a student who discontinues the study of French wear a cord at graduation?
A: As was decided by former President Pearl Chiari and supported by the current President Sharon Rapp, as long as he/she has not been involved in any incident which would damage his/her honor status, there is no clear reason in the national document to deny the honor cord at graduation. The chapter policy should appear in the local constitution/by-laws.
Q: What can be worn at initiation?
A: Graduate Sales in Conway, AR is the current supplier of pins, cords, and tassels which can be worn at graduation. The AATF also has appropriate pins as do a number of national vendors. Many sponsors create their own ribbon symbols of initiation, and SHF is working to develop those items.
Q: What about seals?
A: There are two seals: A graduation diploma seal, ¾” round, a fleur-de-lys overlaid with the French rooster, the name of the society and laurel wreaths surrounding it; a certificate seal, 1” round, gold-foil seal with fleur-de-lys at north, south, east, and west points and centered with Special Recognition of Excellence surrounding the centered fleur-de-lys. Teachers can affix the small gold foil sticker to diplomas, invitations, plain buttons, and the newly designed 8 1/2" X 11" certificate. The smaller one is centered in the graphic on the SHF certificate, and the larger one fits completely over the graphic.
Q: What's the competition for study/travel scholarships?
A: In 2006 we gave seven $750 travel awards after studying about 20 completed files.
Q: Anything new from the recent meetings of SHF sponsors?
A: Yes, participation in events outside of class, including the AATF's Grand Concours, is now an important part of the travel/study award application.
Q: Who selects the winners?
A: The SHF president (Sharon Rapp) makes the final selection, which usually is very difficult because of the quality of applicants.
Q: Who chooses the winners in the Creative Writing Contest?
A: The Executive Secretary of the SHF and a committee.
Q: How are grades to be handled in determining eligibility for invitation to membership?
A: Time can be saved by working in this order: semester grade of “A –“ or above in French; average of “A –“ or above over last three semesters of French; average of “B –“ in all other courses over last three semesters. If your school uses a numerical grading system, the minimum grade in French for the semester prior to invitation, as well as the average for French courses in the three semesters prior to invitation, must equal or exceed the lowest number for an “A minus”. If averages are calculated on a 4-point system (A = 4, B = 3, etc.), an “A minus” would begin at 3.5. Also, if your school awards a 5-point “A” for AP or IB classes, it is permissible to include the “bonus point/s” in the calculation. The words must have maintained a “B” average or higher (section 3.b. in the by-laws) mean that when all subjects other than French are averaged, the average must reach or exceed the lowest “B minus“ in the school’s grading system, both for the semester prior to induction and for the three semesters of high school work prior to invitation. There is nothing in the national document which disallows a grade of “C” or lower—unless it pulls a student’s average below those listed above. Course work includes all work transferred to the high school transcript for academic credit, whether from middle school/junior high years or from post-secondary work. If your school provides an interim grade for the block semester (roughly equivalent to a semester grade for a year-long course), use the two grades for French I plus the interim grade for French II to determine eligibility—while the French II block is still in progress. Advanced students would be eligible based on final grades (or interim, if available) for previous courses. Suggestions for your local by-laws: State the way/s the minimum average (“A minus“) in French will be determined. State the method/s for determining the minimum average (“B minus“) in all other courses. Include a statement about continuing membership both from an academic, participation and honor code standpoint (even though older copies of national by-laws do not mention the latter). Lastly, the national officers accept the sponsor’s decision on student eligibility.
Created: October 18, 2001
Last update: April 17, 2012