NHS Speech (11-10-08)

This week I was asked to give the address at the National Honors Society Induction Ceremony, which took place Sunday afternoon. Here is my speech.

Good afternoon. I would like to thank the National Honor Society students and sponsors for inviting me to speak here today. I admit this is a first for me. I’ve spoken at commencements and back to school rallies; I’ve spoken before civic organizations and in front of church congregations. Last spring, I even spoke on television, in an effort to educate our electorate on a bond issue vote. This, however, is the first time I have ever been asked to speak in front of such an esteemed and honorable group, and I admit, I am at a loss for words.

My writer’s block probably stems from the fact that I was not a member of the National Honors Society. You might be wondering, how is that possible? How is it that a person hired to lead students to greatness never himself qualified to be part of a the greatest student society? How is it that a school principal would not have been part of a national organization founded and supported by the national association of school principals?

The answer, I suppose, is that they will let anyone be a school principal.

Honestly, as I stand before you now, I do look back on my high school year with more than a modicum of regret. You see, I wasn’t a bad student. I wasn’t what you could call a dishonorable student either. I am proud to say that I did not drink or smoke or try drugs in high school, though certainly those things were readily available. I was never suspended and rarely received detention. I am under the general impression that I was well thought of, or at least was not badly thought of by my teachers and administrators.

I was just an average, middle of the road, do-as-little-as-I-could-to-get-by kind of kid. In today’s edu-speak, my attitude in school would be evaluated as “unmotivated.” But whom am I trying to fool. As a high school student I was simply lazy.

The sad fact though is that I could have been part of the National Honors Society. I had excellent grades. I thank my parents for that. They did not accept any grade lower than a B and really they expected mostly A’s. In that regard, they pushed me, and because I wanted to get through high school years with as little trouble as possible, I did apply myself in the classroom.

But perhaps the greatest thing about the National Honors Society is that it is not just about the Honor Roll. To be part of this prestigious organization, you have to do so much more than just earn good grades. I would like to talk a little about the other aspects of qualifying for the National Honors Society.

Service. Part of what it takes to join, students have to have a record of public service. This involves volunteering for activities that do not benefit the student financially or materially. The key to service is that it happens selflessly. There is no direct benefit to the students for volunteering for service. However, I hope these students have felt and learned the indirect benefits of the difference they make when they chose to serve others. I think that the lessons learned in service will in turn serve these students longer and better than much of the academics learned in the classroom.

Leadership. According to the National Honors Society, “Student leaders are often viewed as those students who are resourceful, good problem solvers, involved in and promoters of school activities, idea contributors, dependable, and who are both organized and organizers.” Having sponsored and coached a wide variety of extra-curricular activities, I have seen first hand student leadership, and I am always impressed with those students who are able to take the initiative to accomplish complicated tasks. Leadership and service go hand in hand, because often the leader has to set the example by being the hardest worker. Sometimes, leading others is the greatest service a person can achieve.

Finally, Character. To me, a positive character is the foundation upon which service, leadership and academic excellence can express themselves. Without good character, none of the other three matter much. Perhaps the greatest indicator of character is honesty. I believe that as human beings, we are all fallible. It is inevitable that at some time or another, we will screw up. Wisdom is not something we are born with, it is something acquired painfully, from learning from our mistakes, one mistake at a time.

In order to be able to learn from your mistakes you have to honestly take responsibility for your actions. Without honesty, it is impossible to fully mature into a productive citizen. Honesty allows us to try, fail, get back up, try again, and fail again, over and over until we find success. Honesty allows us to build trust, and trust allows us to work cooperatively in society.

Looking back over my own high school career, I realize how close I was to being in your shoes this afternoon. I had the grades, I was essentially and honest person, I volunteered for service now and again. What I lacked, though, was the entire package. It was only until much later in life that I discovered the joy of service, the importance of leadership and developed the foundation of character that has helped me in my own life.

Considering all that, how wonderful it is to stand before these fine young people who have learned these lessons so much sooner than I. Members of the National Honors Society, I am truly humbled by your example, and I have every confidence that all the skills that earned you membership in NHS will serve you well in the bright future awaiting each one of you.

As befitting a speech for such a dignified occasion, I will leave you with a quote. The great ancient Greek philosopher Socrates once said, “The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be; all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice and experience of them.”

Today, each of you appears to have excelled in the areas of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. Starting today, the challenge before you is to increase and strengthen yourselves in these areas through practice and experience. Being inducted into the National Honors Society is not the finish line. Rather, it is only the beginning to living and experiencing lives of incredible potential.