The national rule
Service is one of Beta's four pillars, with academic achievement, character and leadership. National Beta sets no national hour number: each club and sponsor manages and verifies service hours its own way, so check with your sponsor before you submit hours. What National Beta does publish is a set of service guidelines, below, on what qualifies.
Who can join
Schools charter Beta clubs: Elementary Beta for grades 4 and 5, Junior Beta for 6 to 8 and Senior Beta for 9 to 12. You must be working at or above grade level. The national constitution leaves the academic requirements to each school, which selects members for character, achievement and attitude, and may limit membership to certain grades.
What real chapters ask
From chapter pages we checked in October 2026. Yours may ask for something else: your chapter's own rules are the ones that count, so ask your adviser for them in writing.
| Chapter | What it asks |
|---|---|
| Alliance Academy for Innovation (Georgia) | For 10th and 11th graders: a 3.5 GPA and at least 8 recorded service hours by the end of the year. |
| Richlands High School (North Carolina) | 15 hours of community service and four meetings a year, with a 3.5 GPA. |
| Mountain Brook Junior High (Alabama) | At least 8 service hours a school year. Donating items, such as for a food drive, does not count. |
What counts as service
National Beta defines service as volunteer work done without pay that helps others beyond yourself: your school, your community or a wider cause. Hands-on work and raising awareness or money for a cause both count.
- Counts: volunteering at food banks, shelters or community events; tutoring younger students when you are not paid; clean-ups at school, a park or in the neighborhood; helping teachers, librarians or staff outside class time; a community garden; cards or care packages for hospitals, veterans or nursing homes; hosting coat, food or book drives; fundraising for a family in need, disaster relief or a charity.
- Does not count: club meetings and convention preparation; projects that mainly benefit the club, such as fundraising for a Beta trip or club T-shirts (raising money for a member in need does count); family responsibilities like babysitting siblings, chores for relatives or caring for your family's pets.
For gray areas, National Beta leaves the call to your sponsor and suggests three questions: who benefits, was it required and was it voluntary. If it helps others and you were not paid, it is likely service; if it mainly benefits you, your family or the club, it likely is not.
How to record your hours
You can record hours in National Beta's online Member Service Log or the Beta Club app, but every club and sponsor has its own way of verifying hours, so ask your sponsor which one to use before you submit.
Keep your own record, free
Your chapter's form is the official record; keep your own copy too, with the date, the hours and who supervised you. Print the free volunteer hours log, give supervisors a verification letter to sign, or track it in My Award Tracker: pick the My school or club requirement goal, enter your chapter's number and see the hours left and the weekly pace you need.
Other honor societies and clubs: see honor society and club service hours.
Frequently asked questions
How many service hours do you need for Beta Club?
National Beta sets no national number: each club and sponsor decides. Clubs we checked ask for 8 to 15 hours a year.
What counts as Beta Club service?
Volunteer work without pay that helps others beyond yourself: your school, your community or a wider cause. Hands-on help and fundraising for others both count.
Do Beta Club meetings count as service hours?
No. National Beta’s guidelines say club meetings and convention preparation are not service.
Does babysitting count for Beta Club?
Not for your own family: babysitting siblings, chores for relatives and caring for family pets are family responsibilities, not service. For anything in between, ask your sponsor.
How do I log Beta Club hours?
In National Beta’s Member Service Log or the Beta Club app, or the way your sponsor asks. Clubs verify hours differently, so check with your sponsor first.
What grades can be in Beta Club?
Grades 4 and 5 (Elementary Beta), 6 to 8 (Junior Beta) and 9 to 12 (Senior Beta), at schools with a club. Your school sets the academic requirements.