Forty-five students made history for CedarBridge Academy yesterday when they were inducted into the National Honour Society (NHS).

But their Principal warned they had to maintain their grades or lose membership.

The honoured students needed to have a cumulative grade point average of 85 percent, a "B" average, or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. In addition, they were only eligible for consideration on the basis of Service, Leadership, and Character.

"If you meet the criteria, you can be inducted and so for the S1s, I challenge you today to set some goals, to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher," principal Kalmar Richards said.

"It is imperative that you keep the standards high.

"Those students who are sitting here must maintain the standards.

"Students who do not maintain the standards will be required to return their certificates, their cards and their pins."

In addition, NHS policy states when one of its members has either fallen below the standards by which the member was selected, violated school rules or the law, or has failed to meet one or more of the established obligations of membership, it may be necessary to pursue disciplining the member.

She told her students they would need to "have some currency" when they left CedarBridge.

"The big question you will be asked is how you distinguished yourself," she said.

However, Mrs. Richards said she was confident that every inductee student would maintain their standards to remain in NHS.

Education and Development Minister Terry Lister said the inductees were setting a bar for others to follow.

"All 45 of you are among the ranks of the best of Bermuda ? moulded by attentive, conscientious, parents, teachers and, perhaps most importantly, your own motivation to work hard at your studies while giving your best to your school and community," Mr. Lister said.

CedarBridge Advisor D'Vonne Ramsay said the purpose of Monday's ceremony was an opportunity to explain the ideals and high standards of the NHS and to inspire others to catch the enthusiasm of scholarship.

She said foreign language teacher Rosemary Matthews started an NHS chapter at CedarBridge in August 2005.

Ceremonial Speaker, Judith Alexander said these students had worked consistently, many of them for years, to attain this honour.

Mrs. Alexander ? who is Principal of Purvis Primary School ? said she admired Thomas Edison because he never gave up in one-and-a-half years before inventing a light bulb.

"It is easy to believe in yourself as an adult, but teenagers sometimes have doubts about their abilities," she said.

"By becoming members of the Honour Society you are part of a community of leaders."

And she encouraged all at the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium on Monday to review their "ABCs" ? application, belief and commitment.

Bermudian students ? but from other schools including Mount Saint Agnes ? have been inducted into NHS since 2000.