Honor Code
I will not lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate anyone who does.
A student’s honor is a serious matter at Bolles and students are expected to be honest at all times. When a student violates the Honor Code at Bolles, he is sent to the Honor Council made up of students, who make a determination based upon evidence presented of the student’s innocence or guilt. Violation of the Honor Code can be grounds for dismissal from the school.
The following speech was presented in Convocation regarding the Honor Code:
Mark Anderson, Honor Council Chair
Convocation Speech regarding: Honor Council and Honor Code
September 13, 2004
Over 200 years ago, on this day – September 13th of 1788, the U.S. Congress authorized our first national election. At that time, our country didn’t possess enough resources or technology to be sure that cheating wouldn’t occur in the voting or ballot counting processes. But, Congress still approved this first election because it felt that the people of America possessed enough honesty – enough honor to know what was right and wrong, and enough conviction to do what was right.
This principal of trusting people to be honorable still applies today at this school. I left my backpack outside before coming in here because I trust other students not to steal it. Our teachers allow us to write essays at home because they trust us not to cheat by plagiarizing from another source. If a teacher asks why you missed a class the teacher generally won’t call your parents to confirm your story because our teachers trust us not to lie. Our school revolves around trust and our Honor Code.
The Honor Council is a group made up of 10 student members and one faculty advisor. It was created by students; its members are chosen by students; its decisions are made by students. The fact that all the members of the Honor Council are students makes us an empathetic and understanding group. All of the members face the same pressures, situations, and temptations as you do.
The Honor Council’s goal is not to punish students, but rather to promote honest and responsible behavior by expecting high standards of integrity, and, when and if an infraction occurs, administering appropriate consequences. We do hold our students accountable for their behavior. Yet, any consequences we administer are viewed by us as a teaching tool and as an incentive for all of us to uphold and live by those admirable qualities of honesty and impeccable moral character.
We believe that if we, as students, spend enough time acting honorably we will come to realize the importance of being honorable, and, hopefully, we will be influenced to live the remainder of our lives in an honorable manner.
I would be extremely happy if there were no reason for the Honor Council to convene this year. And, yes, although that would definitely be a first, it is possible, but only if you decide to make that possible. I’ll give you four simple rules to keep you from coming before the Council this year: Don’t lie. Don’t Cheat. Don’t Steal. Don’t tolerate those who do.
If you ever have any questions about whether or not something is allowed by the Honor Code, feel free to ask me or any other member of the Honor Council. Also, one of the best, but most often over-looked sources of help for Honor Code questions are your teachers.
In addition, I recommend that you read through the Honor Code because not knowing that a rule existed is no excuse for an infraction. The Honor Code can be found on pages 15 – 17 in the Student-Parent Handbook. However, in addition, there is more specific information on what is and what isn’t an Honor Code offense spread out though the Handbook so I would recommend that you read it in its entirety.
If you have any questions, you will have an opportunity to ask one of the Honor Council members when we visit your English classrooms to discuss the Honor Council and the Honor Code in more detail.
In a famous speech to Congress, Lyndon B. Johnson said, “Law enforcement cannot succeed without the sustained- and informed- interest of all the citizens…The people will get observance of the law and enforcement of the law if they want it, insist on it, and participate in it.”
The Honor Code is exactly the same. It cannot succeed without you all being informed and supportive of it. For the Honor Code to be a success, it’s required that you want it, you demand it, and you participate in it.
In conclusion, I would like to share a brief story that I heard from Mr. Milne, the Honor Council’s previous faculty advisor.
After passing out a set of trigonometry exams to his students, Madison Sarratt, the Dean of Vanderbilt University, made a brief but very memorable speech to his students.
Today I am going to give you two examinations, one in trigonometry and one in honesty. I hope you will pass them both, but if you must fail one, let it be trigonometry, for there are many good men in this world today who cannot pass an examination in trigonometry, but there are no good men in this world who cannot pass an examination in honesty.”
I will quickly review the main points of the Honor Code with you.
The most obvious point of the Honor Code is Cheating. In regards to cheating, the Honor Code says, “Students are on their honor neither to give nor receive any unauthorized information in any form of schoolwork where credit is earned or lost.” However, it is not the Honor Council, but it is teachers who determine what is authorized and unauthorized help. So, as I said earlier, if you ever have a specific question, your teacher is probably your best resource.