Hall of Distinction Bylaws
SAINT JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF DISTINCTION BYLAWS
Articles of the bylaws, delineated below, provide the Hall of Distinction Selection Committee and Advisory Committee with mandatory guidelines for inducting members into the Hall of Distinction. The articles of the bylaws may be amended at any time by a majority vote of the Hall of Distinction Selection Committee with approval from the high school’s Leadership Committee and Board of Directors. Such changes may not take effect until one year after they have been approved.
ARTICLES OF THE HALL OF DISTINCTION BYLAWS
Members of the Hall of Distinction Selection Committee are by invitation; they are recommended by the Board of Trustees, Board of Directors, School Leadership and Chairman of the Hall of Distinction Committee. They are committed to the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and to Saint Joseph High School's philosophy.
The Hall of Distinction Selection Committee will uphold the highest standards in granting nomination only to qualified individuals.
The Hall of Distinction Selection Committee will identify, review, and verify the achievements of all qualified nominees before making a final recommendation of inductees.
The high school’s President, Principal, Director of Advancement and Chairman of the Board of Directors will form the Hall of Distinction Leadership Committee.
The Hall of Distinction Selection Committee will consist of either twelve (12) or fourteen (14) alumni and/or current Saint Joseph High School Partners in Mission (Faculty and Staff members) who represent and bridge decades of the school’s history from its founding in the 1960s to the present and may include any members of the Leadership Committee.
The twelve (12) or fourteen (14) member Hall of Distinction Selection Committee will include one (1) chairman, who will be a non-voting member.
The Hall of Distinction Advisory Sub-Committee will consist of any number of alumni and/or Saint Joseph High School Partners in Mission (Faculty and Staff members) past and present who represent and bridge decades of the school’s history from its founding in the 1960s to the present and may include any members of the Hall of Distinction Leadership Committee.
The Hall of Distinction Leadership Committee may make exceptions to membership considerations by unanimous decision with approval from the Board of Trustees.
The Hall of Distinction Selection Committee will meet as necessary.
HALL OF DISTINCTION MEMBERSHIP CONSIDERATIONS
Saint Joseph High School alumni, Partners in Mission (Faculty and Staff members) past and present, and contributors to Saint Joseph High School are eligible for nomination under the considerations outlined below.
For Hall of Distinction categories of which alumni are eligible, a minimum of ten (10) full calendar years must have elapsed between a student’s graduation from Saint Joseph High School and his nomination. For example, students who graduated from Saint Joseph High School in May 2013 or before are eligible for Class of 2024 induction. Students must have graduated from Saint Joseph High School to be eligible.
Alumni who have already been inducted as individuals or as part of a team to the Saint Joseph High School Athletics Hall of Fame are eligible for nomination and induction to the Hall of Distinction under the aforementioned criteria.
Partners in Mission (Faculty and Staff members) past and present are eligible at any time for nomination in the Partners in Mission category. Partners in Mission candidates do not have to be an alumnus of Saint Joseph High School.
Individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of Saint Joseph High School, whether or not they are alumni and/or Partners in Mission (Faculty and Staff members) past and present, are eligible at any time for nomination in the Stewardship category.
The Hall of Distinction Selection Committee will take into account a nominee’s contributions to Saint Joseph High School and beyond within any or all of the following categories:
Career Achievement: Alumnus who has excelled in his chosen career and profoundly impacted the lives of others while leading a lifestyle of integrity and probity to be an inspiration and role model for current and future Saint Joseph students. Encompasses all professions.
Humanitarian: Alumnus whose endeavors epitomize the giving spirit of the Saint Joseph school-community and impacts the lives of many through philanthropy, community service, and volunteerism.
Military Service: Alumnus whose noteworthy service in the national armed forces reflects extraordinary contributions, dedication, valor, patriotism, and achievement. Nominees must have received an honorable discharge from military service, be of the highest character, and may have made significant contributions at the local, state, or national level after active duty. An alumnus who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, having lost his life in the line of duty, is immediately eligible for nomination.
Faith-Based Vocation: Alumnus who has made a profound impact through service in the spirit of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart as an ordained cleric of any faith, priest, brother, deacon, volunteer lay minister (can include parish council members, eucharistic ministers, lectors, ushers, sacristans, catechists, choir members, etc.), or faith-based educator. Nominee has performed meaningful ministry or work in the religious community and serves as a role model, inspiring Saint Joseph students – past, present, and future – to espouse the religious values and mission of the high school, including service to others.
Partners in Mission: Educator, administrator, Brother of the Sacred Heart, or school employee who during his or her tenure profoundly impacted students’ lives and significantly contributed to the Saint Joseph school community. Does not have to be a Saint Joseph High School alumnus.
Stewardship: Individual who as a community member or supporter, not an alumnus of the high school, positively impacted the Saint Joseph school community exclusively through volunteerism with, service to and/or contributions to the high school.
A nominee’s lifestyle of integrity and probity should serve as a model for current and future Saint Joseph High School students.
The Leadership Committee will vet all nominations and determine which are eligible for the Selection Committee to consider for induction.
Nominations for posthumous induction are immediately eligible for nomination, provided those nominees meet all of the other aforementioned considerations.
HALL OF DISTINCTION NOMINATION PROCESS
Nominations of qualified candidates will be accepted through March 1, 2024.
Nominations received after March 1, 2024 will be held and added to the list of nominees for the ensuing even calendar year.
All nominations must include sufficient documentation to provide the committee with compelling evidence of each candidate’s qualifications. The onus is on the nominator.
Nominations will be accepted electronically through an online application form with a deadline of March 1, 2024 and received via certified mail postmarked no later than March 1, 2024 through a printable application form that will also be available online.
The online application form shall be made available to the public on the Saint Joseph High School website, through the school’s social media networks, via an email blast to alumni, and through a press release distributed to news agencies.
Nominees who are not elected during the year in which they were nominated will remain eligible for election for a period of six (6) years following their initial nomination.
HALL OF DISTINCTION SELECTION PROCESS
The Hall of Distinction Selection Committee will consist of eleven (11) or thirteen (13) voting members and one (1) chairperson. The chairperson is ineligible to vote.
The chairperson is responsible for ensuring committee members are provided with all nominations. The chairperson will also work with the high school’s Director of Communications and Marketing to solicit nominations for the Hall of Distinction and to publicize the announcement of each induction class.
The Hall of Distinction Selection Committee will convene as necessary at Saint Joseph High School in even calendar years to select nominees for induction later that same year.
All Hall of Distinction Selection Committee members present at the selection meeting will vote, ranking each of their selections in descending numerical order, with the top selection ranked No. 1, the second choice ranked No. 2, and so forth.
Nominees receiving the lowest total score based on the aforementioned ranking formula will be recommended for induction.
The Hall of Distinction Selection Committee will determine the total number of nominees to be inducted each class year. No more than eight (8) nominees will be inducted in any class year.
A minimum of nine (9) Selection Committee voting members must be present for a quorum at the meeting to select inductees. A maximum of five (5) voting members who cannot physically attend the selection meeting may participate via conference call or submit their ballots electronically. All committee member votes must be counted.
Should a Hall of Distinction Selection Committee member be nominated, that individual will be required to abstain from voting and a member of the Hall of Distinction Leadership Committee will replace that individual as a voting member in that particular year.
The Hall of Distinction Advisory Committee will provide objective counsel, including historical context and perspective of nominees, upon the request of the Selection Committee. All inductees are subject to the approval of the President, Principal and Board of Directors.
Each Hall of Distinction induction class will be feted at a ceremony. All inductees will be formally recognized at Saint Joseph High School for their accomplishments, which will be detailed in a program provided to everyone in attendance at the Hall of Distinction ceremony. The inductees’ names will appear on a Saint Joseph Hall of Distinction display in the school. Profiles of inductees will be made available through a portal on the high school’s official website.
Inductees must be able to attend the induction ceremony. When necessary, the President, Principal and Board of Directors may make exceptions.
Revised 3.16.23, Board Approval 10.23