Every year, after all of the day’s activities have finished and everyone has gone home, the National Honor Society stays behind in preparation for one of the most significant events for their upcoming year.
The Huntley Chapter Induction Ceremony took place Wednesday night in the PAC here at HHS, with both veterans and newbies of the NHS dressed in some of their best attire. Many proud parents showed up to support the academic success of their children as well.
The ceremony began with a word from a few of the veterans of the NHS, talking about what NHS is about, and the process that students being inducted had to go through in order to make their way to this ceremony.
These members assured the audience that the table placed on the stage, holding a single, large candle surrounded by four smaller candles, would be addressed later in the ceremony. A slight sense of mystery loomed over the audience.
Stepping up to the podium, Melanie Lyons, head of NHS for Huntley, talked about goals for the group this year and a few upcoming events on the NHS agenda.
The veteran members then stood at opposite sides of the PAC’s center stage, each with a card in their hands. Scrawled on each of these cards was the name of a new member of NHS, and a few words about what kind of person they are.
Some veterans simply inducted these brand new faces into the group. Others had the honor of being able to induct dear friends of theirs, giving a small, heart-warming speech as well. By the time Lyons had returned to the podium, 91 new members had been added to the 82 members of NHS.
The same veterans that spoke at the beginning of the ceremony then returned to the podium. These veterans explained that each candle represented one of the four pillars of the National Honor Society: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. Each candle was lit while its significance was relayed to the audience.
Following the lighting of the candles, Principal Scott Rowe stood at the podium to address the inductees. Rowe revealed to everyone in the audience that he had also been a part of NHS when he was in high school.
“It was one of the greatest honors I had as a student,” said Rowe. “It taught me that we, as humans, never stop learning.”
As Rowe ended his speech, the newest members stood up to recite the pledge of the NHS. They each then walked up to the stage to light the candles that had been given to them, receiving the privilege of helping to carry the torch of Huntley High School’s next chapter.