Big Canoe Chapel awards 108 scholarships on May 17, 2010
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| The Chapel awarded 50 scholarships to Pickens County High School graduates. |
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| Home-schooled students from Pickens. |
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| Chapel awarded 55 students to Dawson County High School graduates. |
Big Canoe Chapel awarded 50 scholarships to Pickens County graduates and to 55 scholarships to Dawson County graduates, plus 3 scholarships to home-schooled students from Pickens, in a special worship service and ceremony on May 17 at 7:00 p.m.
The Chapel Scholarship Program began in 1982 with two scholarships: one for each of the high schools in Dawson and Pickens counties. In these 28 years, over 1700 students in our two counties have received awards totaling over $1,725,000.
Co-Chairs of this year’s Scholarship Committee are David Epstein and Jeanelle Brown. Other members of the Scholarship Committee are George Bickley, Nick Brown, Jeff Dodson, Lee Updegraff, Toni Woods, Diane Butler, Shirley Griffith, Sylvia Helms, Jean James, Sharon Price and John and Jean Lomax. Several volunteers assisted with the student and parent interviews: Bill Weagly, Jerry and Eugene Justice, John Sheffield, June Lewis, Laura Walker, Peg Ewing, Sandy Lipkowitz, Sandi Keel, Susie Brogden, Jack Stirzaker, Brian Roberts, Norma Eaton, and Pat Connelly.
Rev. Lamar Helms welcomed the students and their families and Dr. Lloyd Larsen delivered a meditation called “Try a Little Confidence.” Debbie Roper, Pickens High teacher” spoke about what the scholarship meant to her and to her daughter. Debbie was one of the first Chapel scholarship recipients and her daughter received scholarship a few years ago.
Prelude and special music was from Sam, David and Alison Holmes performing as the Holmes Family Trio. All three are former Chapel scholarship recipients. Sam Holmes is now in his ninth 9th year as Chapel pianist. The Holmes Family performed “Redeemed” a Capella and Allison and David sang a beautiful duet called “The Prayer”. Rev. Lamar Helms presented the awards to the scholars.
There was an overflow of proud parents, grandparents and family friends in attendance along with the recipients. School Counselors Marjorie Poss from Dawson County and Anthony Cain from Pickens County were also in attendance.
The Chapel offers two different scholarship awards
The first and largest area of scholarship activity consists of scholarships or other aid to graduating seniors of Pickens and Dawson County High Schools. These scholarships may be used for any legitimate form of higher education, to include four year colleges and universities, two year "junior" colleges, and state technical and vocational colleges and schools. Commercial training or trade school students are not eligible for aid. The high school guidance counselors have the forms for interested applicants.
Introduced in 2007, the second area of scholarship activity involves Mentor Program Scholarships. These awars focus on middle school students who are being mentored by one of the many mentoring programs in Pickens and Dawson Counties. Once again, $8,000 was set aside for eight eighth grade students selected as Chapel Scholars. For their eighth grade year, and each of their four high school years, $200 will be deposited in a special account for their future postsecondary education. Chapel Scholars are to maintain satisfactory grades and display exemplary conduct each year in order to continue to accrue and receive a $1,000 scholarship at graduation. As high school seniors, they may also apply for a Chapel scholarship in addition to receiving the $1,000 Mentor Program scholarship.
Big Canoe Chapel is a church unique in its benevolence program. The Scholarship Program is just one of many examples of the Chapel reaching out to the surrounding community to make it a better place to live. For more information contact the Chapel Office at (706) 268-3203.
Click here for the 2010 Big Canoe Chapel Scholarship brochure
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