Annual Report for the Scholarship Committee of Third Haven Friends Meeting
September 8, 2013
"What help do we provide for the children and adults in our Meeting to pursue the education they seek, whether academic, technical, or vocational? Do we make provision for children in our Meeting to attend a Friends school?"
Faith & Practice, Query 5. Education
Third Haven's Scholarship Fund began six years ago with the intent of encouraging our young members to attend Friends schools. We likewise offer them financial support in college, so that the Meeting continues to nurture them during these important years.
This program has been funded by the Meeting, the Trustees, as well as a number of memorial and other gifts from individuals. This year the Meeting has provided $2000 from the operating budget and has tentatively earmarked $1000. from the Carriage Shed Sale. The Trustees have given $1000.
Larger contributions were used to initiate an endowment fund, intended to provide a long term source of income for the scholarship program. This endowment, which totaled $63,677.91 on August 31st, is being managed by Friends Fiduciary Corporation. Before 2013, we reinvested the semi-annual distributions from Friends Fiduciary's managed funds. Starting this year we are taking the distributions to pay current scholarship grants. To date we have received a distribution of $1180. and we expect a second distribution before year-end of about $1200.
Here is a list of current recipients: for the school year which has just begun, we have awarded the following: (Total $4000.)
- $1000: to Emma Leibman, a senior at Westtown School
- $1000: to Nathan Mullen, a sophomore at Westtown School (these are paid directly to the school for the year)
- $250 each for the first semester to:
- Jacob Mullen—senior, St. Mary's College
- Nicola Green—senior, Goucher College
- Maggie Neil—senior, Yale University
- Nora Neil—sophomore, Georgetown University
- Brandt Bethke—freshman, George Washington University
- Evan Claggett—freshman, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC
- Sarah Thompson—Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Seattle
- Jamie duHoffman—Salisbury State University
We plan to repeat the gifts to our college students in January, 2014, for their next semesters where applicable.
These amounts are small compared to the total tuition and expenses for each student. In the case of Friends schools, additional financial aid possibilities open up to them if their Meeting contributes. Students at the undergraduate college level have many expenses beyond their tuition.
It will be a very long time before this Endowment Fund alone is sufficient to provide income for the Meeting's Scholarship program. Until then we are dependent on the Meeting, a healthy economy, and memorial or other gifts. Our children are our future.
Marsie Hawkinson, clerk; Lorraine Claggett, Larny Claggett, Deb Danser, Doreen Getsinger, Peter Howell, Sumner Parker