What is the Significance of the Honors Apparel?

A question frequently asked of us is "What do the honors cords (or stole or medallion) mean?"

The answer is that here is no clear-cut precedent throughout the educational establishment for any of the honors items. They mean different things to many different people and in many different places. As a general rule, honors cords have historically represented membership in some kind of a society or club, most commonly an honors society. But on a college undergraduate level, they are often used today to designate a level of grade point average for the graduate, sometimes with different colors of cords indicating various levels of academic achievement.

What we have seen is a trend toward "dumbing down" the honors apparel. We know that there are a number of high schools who purchase honor cords for each student. Everyone wears them; they are merely a decoration. The same is true of the honors stole (also called a sash). Sometimes today everyone will wear a stole and those with some special honors may have theirs embroidered or printed, while the rest are plain. Some high schools award honors cords for "participation," with a given number of points for attendance at certain events. Obviously, in many cases the use of honors apparel has gone the way of much of the educational establishment!

People often say "What do you suggest?"

If you are planning a graduation for a homeschool group or a small school and there has never been a clear decision about what honors apparel may be worn, we suggest that you make a determination of what the various items mean within your establishment. Publish it in the program so that everyone knows what those items stand for, and then stick with it from year to year. Consistency is the important thing in a situation where there isn't really any "guidebook" to follow. If a family has a graduate one year who earns a level of distinction which is recognized at the ceremony, and then two years later, a younger sibling who has not achieved nearly the same level, is honored in the same way, confusion results. Those attending, and especially the students themselves, will feel that the honors are arbitrary.

The same is true of a single-family ceremony. Decide what you wish to honor your student for and then be consistent with the next graduate. Academic achievement does not have to be measured by grade point level --ACT or SAT scores could be used as a standard. Nor is academic achievement the only criterion. Parents might want to make it a part of the ceremony to award a stole, a medal, or set of cords in recognition of a particular character quality or achievement of excellence in an area of their son or daughter's life.

We suggest that you set standards are for achievement and honors, and then be consistent. We encourage you to set high standards and honor true excellence.