Origins of the Scholarship Foundation

 

At the recent reunion in New Orleans, one member asked how the Society of the 3^rd Infantry Division Scholarship Foundation, Inc. got started. We thought others might not know of its origin so here is a brief overview. In 2004, when Jim Tiezzi was Society President, he asked Lynn Ball to look into starting a scholarship program. Lynn, with the help of Joe Ball, spent several months developing the program, naming the Foundation, and gaining the approval of the original Board of Directors. The final huge effort was gaining the approval of the IRS as a Not-For-Profit Public Charity. This classification means that we can solicit and accept donations from anyone, and donors gifts are fully tax-deductible. We became a Not For Profit Public Charity on January 14, 2004, with Lynn Ball listed as the legal Founder of Record and Chairman of the Scholarship Foundation.

The Foundation is a stand-alone entity. It is not responsible to or dependent upon any other organization; however, the Foundation’s mission is to provide financial assistance in the form of scholarship grants to worthy and qualified scholars who are the biological or adopted offspring of our Society Members who served or are serving with the 3^rd Infantry Division. Additionally, Soldiers (past and present) and the unmarried spouses of Soldiers killed in action or who died of their wounds while serving with the 3^rd also are eligible to compete for scholarship grants annually.

We started the Foundation with an original bank deposit of $500.00 provided by Joe and Lynn Ball. Since then, legacy contributions, donor-sponsored grants, and the generous contributions of our donors have enabled us to award 39 scholarship grants, as of June 2011. (Photos and profiles of all recipients are on the Foundation’s website at www.3idscholarshipfoundation.org.) Our Constitution and By-laws requires that we invest a portion of our annual receipts to earn interest and ensure continuation of our program into the future. There too, with the investment guidance of our Chief Financial Officer, Joe Ball, we have done well.

  Each year, we have more submissions than the year before so we must take great care to find the best-qualified recipients. In 2011, we awarded 10 grants of $1,000 each and these were paid to the students’ accounts at the colleges, universities, or technical schools they specified. We hope to award at least nine grants in 2012. Applicants should take care in preparing their submissions, and they should ensure completeness. Ignoring some requirements could cause an applicant to be disqualified. Four members of our current Board of Directors acted as judges of the 2011 competition, and they are to be commended for their diligent work. They are Earl E. Killen, Jerry B. Kraft, Thomas R. Maines, and Dr. Marco Montoya. Lynn Ball votes only when there is a tie.

Sponsors, too, play an important role in obtaining grants for their offspring. In preparing the Letter of Sponsorship, each sponsor should read the instructions carefully. The letter should include a brief statement of affiliation with the 3^rd Infantry Division (unit and period of service) and a statement about why the sponsor feels his/her applicant should receive an award. We ask that the sponsor compile his/her letter on plain, white paper. The Letter of Sponsorship should be written in support of the candidate only.

Finally, sponsors should appeal to their candidates to begin compiling their 2012 submissions NOW. Some exhibits (such as letters of recommendation and transcripts) require time to collect and essays should not be written speedily. Please ask them to ensure that each letter of recommendation is written to the Foundation and that its author is someone who will support the candidate favorably. Too often we receive letters showing little support for the applicant. If applicants have questions, they can contact Lynn Ball (contact information on page 2 of the Watch.)

With our donors help, we hope to achieve the same success into the future that we have enjoyed since 2004. It is our donors who make our program possible and successful. We praise them and thank them for their help.