The ACBS Scholarship Fund

by Jeff Stebbins, ACBS President
 

Recently, at the annual budget meeting in Clayton, ACBS Executives and Directors met to review the budgets and update the charges and goals for each standing committee within our organization. In our review of the Scholarship Fund monies collected over the last number of years our accumulated amount in two separate funds is slightly over $60,000. (My thanks to Lindsey Hopkins’ donation of the Hickman Sea Sled; this allowed Stan Petersen and Tom Flood to organize our last raffle which contributed over $20,000 to this Fund.) At our meeting, we determined to set a goal for the organization to collect and increase our principal amount to a total of $300,000. It was also determined that in order to attain this goal, we must increase our opportunities to raise money through continued raffles and contributions from our members who have an interest in becoming benefactors.
 

ACBS members may contribute donations for the following reasons:
1. To honor a family member or special friend.
2. A gift given in memory.
3. To commemorate a special event or anniversary.
4. A local Chapter to make a contribution to this worthy fund.
5. A physical contribution such as the Sea Sled, which would spur another successful raffle. (A total of over $50,000 has been raised with two such raffles.)
 

Please keep in mind, contributions donated are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, since ACBS is a 501c3 organization.
 

We (Executives) also decided we’re not qualified to solicit or choose appropriate individuals for scholarships; this is best left to the schools that handle such requests. We therefore agreed to seek and present a list of accredited schools whose programs and qualifications ACBS could review to insure they meet and coincide with our the Vision and Mission Statements. ACBS this year will offer about $500 to $1,000 in scholarship money to a recipient or recipients who are presently enrolled in a boat building school. The total proceeds this year were determined by the bleak returns on investment in 2004. A decision was made to not encroach on the principal amount by only donating the interest earned annually.
We discussed grants to apprentice programs as well and decided not to contribute to apprentice programs at this time because students do not get paid for their studies while apprentices do – although sometimes very little.
 

Solicitation for qualified schools is underway. I hope with this new organized effort that you, as members, are inspired to help ensure the success of this Fund Raising Committee by making a donation.