Military Officer - March 2009 - (Page 42) chaptersinaction Funding Scholars Many chapters tailor their scholarships to meet the needs of members, area children, and Junior ROTC and ROTC students. Learn how these programs help MOAA accomplish its mission on the local level. F inancing education for a child can be tough. That’s one reason why MOAA established a scholarship fund in 1948. Since then, it has provided thousands of collegebound children of military officers and enlisted servicemembers grants, scholarships, and interest-free loans. When MOAA established its chapter system in 1953, it was just natural to establish chapter scholarship programs to help deserving youth in the community. This became linked in many cases to the chapter’s support of Junior ROTC (JROTC) and ROTC programs. Some chapters even were able to help the children of chapter members in addition to MOAA’s national-level programs. Later, MOAA established the designated scholarship program, which allows chapters to establish scholarships at national MOAA in their name and with their selection criteria but with the administration and support costs covered by MOAA. The Ark-La-Tex (La.) Chapter supports MOAA’s scholarship fund and runs its own chapter scholarship program. The chapter has established four designated scholarships with national MOAA to date and runs its own scholarship program, which gives scholarships to members’ children and grandchildren. Outstanding local JROTC students also can receive scholarships. In 2008, the chapter presented $20,000 in scholarships to 17 JROTC students. The Riverside (Calif.) Chapter just established two designated scholarships with The Scholarship Fund of MOAA. The chapter raised $50,000 ($25,000 apiece) to establish the scholarships, which will exist in perpetuity and provide interest-free loans and grants each year to two students in the chapter’s geographic area. The El Paso (Texas) Chapter now supports The Scholarship Fund of MOAA after raising $25,000 to establish the Col. Joseph C. Rodriguez, USA, Medal of Honor Memorial Scholarship of the El Paso Chapter, which also will exist in perpetuity. Read this department’s main story, “Chapters Offer Scholarships,” to find out how chapters and MOAA help meet the needs of educating today’s deserving youth. These efforts are making a big difference and are one more example how MOAA chapters are helping local communities. — Col. Lee Lange II, USMC-Ret. Director, Council and Chapter Affairs Chapters Offer Scholarships M ON THE ROAD: This month, Col. Lee Lange II, USMC-Ret., director of MOAA’s Council and Chapter Affairs, will visit members of the Texas Hill Country Chapter. Go to MOAA Calendar, page 111, for dates. 42 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2009 * any MOAA affiliates have made it easier to fund college education by starting scholarship programs that benefit students in their communities. Capitol Area (Mich.) Chapter members founded their scholarship program in 2008 and presented three $1,000 scholarships, which were awarded as grants. Applicants must be the child or grandchild of a chapter member or the child of a Michigan servicemember permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty since 2001. “We started the program because we were looking for ways to give back to the community,” says President Col. George Noir, AUS-Ret. “We also wanted to help our local veterans.” Roughly 15 percent of the chapter’s 259 members responded to the rePHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
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