Students with exceptional academic standing have the opportunity to apply for membership in a local chapter of the International Robotics Honor Society to earn accredited graduation honors for their participation in a host of high school robotics competitions. Each chapter is encouraged to create their own annual timeline for official meetings and activities that fits within the IRHS national calendar.
Year-Round Initiatives
There are many activities that local chapters can do at any time throughout the academic school year. Oftentimes, these activities are commitments that involve advanced planning, additional meetings, and even special projects committees. Chapters should consider the scope and depth of their large-scale projects and plan accordingly.
Examples of local initiatives without a designated deadline within an IRHS membership cycle include:
- Annual Service Project planning
- Annual Service Project work
- Chapter Member, Advisory Board, and Executive Board meetings
- Gaining principal/administration approval to start or renew a chapter
- Selection of a Chapter Advisor and Advisory Board
- Recruitment of student chapter members
- Creation or update of chapter bylaws
- Creation or update student chapter member application
- Creation or update Chapter Officer application
- Opening date of local chapters internal applications
- Election chapter Student Officers
- Chapter Advisors accept or decline applicants based on eligibility requirements listed in the IRHS bylaws and local chapter bylaws
- Induction ceremony for all eligible, accepted members
- Local chapters notify students of decisions
Annual IRHS Timeline
While chapters do have a lot of flexibility in deciding when their local activities take place, there are a few important dates and deadlines that all IRHS chapters will need to follow. In order to remain in good standing with the IRHS International Council, all chapters must adhere to these important dates and deadlines for the current academic year, which runs from July 1 through June 30.
| July 1 - October 31 | Update your chapter membership online and pay your $100 annual chapter fee. You can do this through your IRHS dashboard in RobotEvents.com. |
| July 1 - December 13 | New high schools apply to begin a chapter. |
| September 1 - May 31 | Chapter meetings will take place. They can be led by elected student leaders. |
| October 1 | Open student application process. This window will allow students enough time to gather the required information for their submission. |
| Fall | IRHS Service Award Online Challenge opens. |
| Late January | IRHS Service Award Online Challenge closes. |
| January 31 | Close student application process. |
| February 1-28 | Applications are reviewed. The school advisory group will review student applications and notify students of decisions. |
| Spring | Induction ceremony. You can make this a stand-alone event or incorporate it into an already established academic awards ceremony. Be sure to have a planning group in place to assist. Don’t forget to share your photos. |
| End of School Year | Election of student leaders can take place at a chapter meeting at the end of a school year. This will help you to set up your program for the next school year. Invite your seniors to consider signing up for the Alumni Association. |
| May 1 - June 30 | End of year reporting and program debrief. |
| Anytime | The service project or projects can take place anytime during the year. We know that opportunities come about in the fall, winter, spring and summer and we do not want to mandate when they take place. |