The National Honor Society was founded in 1921 to recognize and encourage academic achievement while developing other characteristics essential to citizens in a democracy. The ideals of scholarship, character, service and leadership remain the criteria for selection to membership in each local high school NHS chapter. West is among thousands of high schools throughout the United States who have been chartered and must follow the constitution of the national organization.

Through NHS chapter service activities members maintain and extend the qualities that earned them selection by the NHS Faculty Council. The Council is comprised of the non-voting NHS advisor and five voting faculty members appointed by the Principal. The Principal and Associate Principals are not members of the Faculty Council.  Students do not apply for membership in the National Honor Society; membership is not a right.  Membership is granted only to these students selected by the NHS Faculty Council following recommended selection procedures, prescribed by the national organization. Those procedures include:

• Membership is open to qualified juniors and seniors who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5.
• The NHS advisor notifies students who are eligible scholastically. For selection to West’s NHS chapter they must complete and return the Student Activity Information form.
• The NHS Faculty Council invites all faculty members to make comments and provide information on qualified candidates.
• The Faculty Council, along with any other verifiable information about each candidate, reviews the Student Activity Information Form. A point system is used to evaluate candidates. Candidates receiving a majority vote of the Faculty Council are invited into membership.
• The five appointed members of the Faculty Council make the selections for NHS membership.