I.    Name

The name of this honorary organization shall be the Société Honoraire de Français (SHF) of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF).

II.    Aim
The aim of this organization shall be to stimulate interest in the study of French, to promote high standards of scholarship, to reward scholastic achievements, to create enthusiasm for and an understanding of Francophone cultures, and to promote international friendship.

III.    Membership: Chapters
A chapter of the Société Honoraire de Français may be established by a current AATF member in any secondary school. Chartered home schools shall be added to a state-designated SHF chapter, e.g., Home Schools of Virginia.  Each Société Honoraire de Français chapter is expected to establish its own constitution and bylaws based upon the national documents. While the SHF Secretary will issue the chapter an official name, individual chapters may choose to give their chapter a name if they so choose. 

IV.    Officers: National Council
The Société Honoraire de Français shall operate under the direction of the SHF National Council.  The officers of the organization shall be (1) a President elected by the active sponsors of chapters of SHF to a three-year term (once renewable) (2 ) two teacher representatives elected by active sponsors of chapters of SHF to a two year term ( twice renewable ) and (3) a Secretary, appointed for a term of one to three years (renewable) by the National President of the AATF.  These officers, with the Editor of L’Elan, two active or former SHF sponsors, each elected to a two-year term (twice renewable), the Executive Director of the AATF, and the national President of the AATF or his or her designee, shall constitute the SHF National Council.        
 

V.    Affiliation
The Société Honoraire de Français was established through presidential order by the American Association of Teachers of French in 1949 as an affiliate of the AATF.  

VI.    Annual Meeting
The SHF National Council shall meet annually at the AATF Convention.

VII.    Amendments
The Constitution may be amended as follows:  amendments may be offered by any active chapter or by the SHF National Council.  On a majority vote of the SHF National Council, notice of the proposed amendments shall be published in L’Elan at least one issue prior to consideration and the amendments shall be posted on the Web site. Amendments shall be adopted by a plurality of votes cast by active SHF chapter sponsors.
    

Bylaws

I.    Membership

    1.    Eligibility Requirements to be met by all Sponsors:

a. The Sponsor of the chapter must be a current member of the AATF. If sponsorship of the SHF chapter is maintained by more than one French teacher, all sponsors must meet this requirement.  

b. In the case of a chartered home school, each individual/teacher nominating students must be a current AATF member. 

c. All SHF sponsors must maintain membership in the AATF on an annual basis. 

2.    General Eligibility Requirements to be met by all students:

a. Selection of candidates shall be the responsibility of the Sponsor/s.

b. Membership shall be based on scholarship in general and scholarship in French     in particular, along with interest, participation and leadership in Frenc activities.

c. Invitation to membership shall be restricted to those students actively engaged in the study of French in a secondary school when appropriate courses are available or when outside courses become part of the student’s secondary transcript, credits and grade point.      

 
d. Candidates must be enrolled in the fourth semester of French or higher, i.e., the second semester of Level II or the equivalent 

e. Candidates must be in the 10th, 11th or 12th grade of high school.     Exception is made for 9th grade students who meet requirement "d" above     because of work at the middle school or junior high level.      

f. Transfer students must have spent at least one full semester in the high school before becoming eligible for invitation to membership.

 
g. Selection of candidates and induction ceremonies may take place at any time during the academic year.

3.    Scholastic Eligibility Requirements to be met by all students:

a. Candidates must have maintained a grade of at least A- (A minus) (or equivalent) in French for three consecutive semesters prior to, and including, the semester of induction. 

    4.      Member Status

a. Any further requirements for continuing membership must be included in the bylaws of the local chapter of the Société Honoraire de Français.

b. The sponsor of the Société Honoraire de Français is empowered to revoke a student's membership, based on requirements stated in the local SHF chapter constitution, bylaws, or school policies, for failure to maintain a high scholastic average, behavior inappropriate to an honor society, lack of participation in Société Honoraire de Français activities, insufficient service hours, failure to attend the induction ceremony, etc.  

c. Upon graduation, student members are considered alumni members of the Société Honoraire de Français.

II.    Dues and Fees

1. The amount of the one-time charter fee for creating a chapter shall be designated by the SHF National Council.

2. The fee for student membership in the Société Honoraire de Français, payable at the time of induction, shall be designated by the SHF National Council. This fee is payable once, and the inductee remains a member of the Société Honoraire de Français as long as he/she is a secondary school student in good standing.   

III.    Awards

1. Upon selection and payment of the induction fee, candidates shall be awarded an official certificate of membership to the Société Honoraire de Français.  Student members may order pins and other logo items and materials through the chapter sponsor.

2. Chapters may designate awards of their own in addition to official SHF certificates.

3. Graduating members of the Société Honoraire de Français may wear blue, white and red honor cords or white cords.

4. The official Société Honoraire de Français seal, available from Société Honoraire de Français headquarters, may be affixed to the student's diploma and/or certificate.

IV.    Duties of the officers of the SHF National Council        

1.    The President

a. The President of the Société Honoraire de Français shall act as liaison officer with the AATF, shall promote the establishment of new SHF chapters and monitor the welfare of those already established, and shall preside over the SHF National Council.

b. The President shall respond to inquiries regarding eligibility and other SHF constitutional questions.

c. The President shall appoint, with the approval of the SHF Council, the Editor of L’Elan.

d. The President shall issue the call for action when a matter requires an immediate decision in the interim between conventions.

e. The President shall arrange, in conjunction with the Secretary of SHF and of the Executive Director AATF, for the annual meeting of the SHF National Council.

2.    The Secretary    

a.  The SHF secretary shall receive the dues and annual reports from Sponsors, keep a national Secretary file of SHF chapters and accounts, keep the President of the Société Honoraire de Français informed of the progress of the Société, and act as secretary at the annual meeting. The Secretary shall issue a charter for the establishment of a chapter and certificates of membership to student inductees.    

b.    The Secretary shall keep an account of all financial transactions and shall render an accounting each year at the close of the fiscal year to the Executive Director of the AATF and the President of SHF.  Société Honoraire de Français accounts shall be included in the annual audit of the AATF.

c.    The Secretary shall compile a yearly report on the activities and finances of the Société Honoraire de Français and shall send copies of this report to all members of the SHF National Council.  This report shall also be distributed to the members of the Executive Council of the AATF at their annual meeting.  

3.    The Editor 

a. The Editor of the Société Honoraire de Français newsletter, L'Elan, shall be responsible for editing and publishing all content that appears in the newsletter.  

b. L’Elan shall appear twice per year.

4. The Teacher Representatives:

a. The Teacher Representatives will serve on the three contest committees. 

b. They will assist the President as needed during the year and at the annual AATF annual meeting.

c. They will attend the SHF-JAF National Council annual meeting.

d. The two representatives should not come from the same local AATF chapter, nor should their successor. 

5. The SHF National Council shall act in the interim between conventions upon matters requiring an immediate decision. Such voting, requiring a simple majority for approval or disapproval, may take place electronically.

6. No person shall hold more than one office on the SHF National Council.   

7. Students of members of the SHF-JAF National Council and the AATF Executive Council are eligible for all SHF-JAF awards with the understanding that SHF-JAF National Council members may not rate their own students. 

V.    Elections

1. The President, an SHF Chapter Sponsor or former sponsor, shall be elected by a plurality vote of the active Sponsors either electronically or via L’Elan.

2. The President shall serve a three-year term (renewable once), beginning January 1 following his/her election.  

3. The Editor of the Newsletter, an SHF Chapter Sponsor or former sponsor, shall be appointed by the President of the Société Honoraire de Français for a two-year term (renewable once). 

4.    Sponsor representatives shall be elected to a three-year term (renewable once) by a plurality vote of the active Sponsors either electronically or via L’Elan.  

5.    Should a position on the SHF National Council become vacant for any reason, the President of the AATF shall appoint a successor to serve until such time as the National Council of the Société Honoraire de Français can select a successor.  

VI.    Charter Status        

1. Each chapter of the Société Honoraire de Français shall have its own local  constitution and bylaws.  Requirements for membership may exceed the national     constitution and bylaws, but may not require less.

2. To maintain an active charter of the Société Honoraire de Français, the sponsor shall forward in April-June of each year to the SHF Secretary a brief summary of the activities of the local chapter. These summaries shall form the basis of the national "Report to the Chapters” and shall be printed as space allows in L'Elan.

3. For a charter to be considered active, a sponsor must submit an annual report and must induct students at least once every two years.   Ordering materials for students for whom induction fees were not paid does not fulfill the requirement.    If these requirements are not met, a charter shall be considered inactive.  To regain active status, the sponsor must resubmit an application accompanied by a charter reactivation fee.

VII.    Publications

1.    The Société Honoraire de Français shall publish a newsletter to be sent to all active Chapter Sponsors. The official name of this publication shall be L'Elan.

2.    All contests sponsored by the Société Honoraire de Français and any stipends or awards distributed shall be announced in L'Elan.

VII.    Finances

1. Fiscal Year

a. The Fiscal Year shall run from 1 July to 30 June.

2.    Compensation 

a.     Of the members of the SHF National Council, only the SHF Secretary (as well as the Executive Director of the AATF) shall receive a salary, to be set by the Executive Council of the AATF.

b.    The Editor of L’Elan shall receive compensation by action of the SHF National Council, to be confirmed by the Executive Council of the AATF.

c.    Expenses shall be reimbursed according to a policy set by the SHF National Council, in accordance with policies set by the Executive Council of the AATF.     

Final Revision – July, 2022