Scholarship
AFMS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION
President: Sandie Fender, (CFMS) sandie.fender@gmail.com
Secretary: Margaret Kolacyzk, (CFMS) blackwolf@linkunet.com
Treasurer: Barbara Ringhiser, (EFMS) bar5678@aol.com
PURPOSE: The Foundation’s goal is to accumulate and manage a ‘perpetual’ Fund, whose income is used to finance scholarship grants. The principal cannot be used for any other purpose. The AFMS Scholarship Foundation was incorporated as a Minnesota Corporation on March 19, 1964 under the By-Laws of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS). More detailed information is available on the AFMS website (www.amfed.org/scholar/histschl)
THE FUND: The market value of the total Fund as of December 31, 2020 is over $1,619,900.00. Except for a few hundred dollars from outside organizations, Earth Science Clubs and Societies and their members across the country, have contributed the entire principle. As of January 15, 2021, MWF members and friends have contributed more than $238,640.00 to the Fund.
GIFTS: Donations should be sent to MWF Scholarship Committee Chair*, who acknowledges donations, sees that the donor receives proper credit, forwards the gifts to the Foundation Treasurer and publishes reports. Each Region’s donations are recorded separately by the Fund Treasurer. All gifts are added the AFMS Scholarship Foundation "trust" account unless otherwise specified and are tax-deductible by the donor. *send donations to: Marge Collins, 3017 Niles-Buchanan Rd, Buchanan MI 49107 269-695-4313 email:margecollins45@yahoo.com
RECOGNITION OF DONORS: Each donor receives a letter recognizing their contribution. Club donations are recorded and their Level of Participation is updated annually in MWF Directory. (Level of Participation is a % with a contribution of $1.00 per current member equaling 100 %.) Each Club’s cumulative donations are also recorded. A Certificate is presented to recognize aggregate donations in $1,000.00 increments. Individuals and non-member organizations, receive a "Founders Certificate" in recognition of $500 cumulative donations - unless they assign credit to a club of their choice.
MEMORIALS & LIVING MEMORIALS: Deceased members can be Memorialized and living members can be ‘recognized’ with a Living Memorial. A congratulatory note is sent to living members and a note can be sent to the deceased member’s family if an address is provided. A Memorial List is maintained in MWF Directory, Living Honorees are also announced in MWF Newsletter and all such recognition is included in Committee Reports.
HONORARY AWARDS: Every year since 1972, each of the six contributing Federations, has chosen an “Honoree” - an individual or couple, nominated by a Club in recognition of their service “above and beyond”. The Honoree(s) selects the school and in full cooperation with that institution chooses two students to receive the scholarship grants. For ‘How to Nominate an Honoree’ see below or contact current MWF current 1st Vice President.
GRANTS TO STUDENTS: Grants made by the Foundation are restricted to graduate students who are U.S. citizens, majoring in one of the earth sciences. (A student working for an advanced degree is presumed to have made a commitment to follow that field for his/her lifetime vocation, insofar as such a decision is possible.) At this time, the Fund provides two one-year scholarship grants of $4,000.00 each, to the contributing Regional Federations. (A list of MWF scholarship Honorees and the students they selected is published in the MWF Directory.) Since 1965 when the first grant of $300.00 was presented, 649 students attending Universities and Colleges across the country have received Scholarships from the Foundation. As of September 2020, the total paid as grants is $1,750,050.00.
HOW TO NOMINATE A CANDIDATE FOR A SCHOLARSHIP HONORARY AWARD The nominee(s) may be someone (or a couple) that you wish to honor in your own club, another club, or an Earth Science professional such as a professor at a university or college. The more information you can supply, the better. Include service to rock clubs, students and the community. For a professional, list accomplishments and/or contributions made to any earth science, the universities or colleges attended, degrees earned, papers, or books written or co-authored. Include honorary and professional organization memberships, present or past positions held, and honors. Often this info is posted by a professional as their Curriculum Vitae. Personal information such as date and place of birth, marital status, home address, may also be included. If possible, include a picture of the candidate(s). The Board of Selectors must rely on the information you send, so include everything you can, to support your nominee. Send your nomination to the current MWF 1st V.P.
Questions can be directed to MWF Committee Chair (see GIFTS above) or MWF Scholarship Committee Chair (also in GIFTS above).