Dear Sisters and Brothers:
It is with renewed enthusiasm that we are beginning another year for the IAM Scholarship Competition. Enclosed you will find the 2016 Scholarship Competition Announcement that covers the rules and regulations for IAM members and children of IAM members. In order to be able to inform members of the opportunities for themselves and their children, lodge officers are urged to read and discuss the announcement thoroughly. Please note that we now have a vocational-technical two-year scholarship available to both children of members and members. Also, at the 2004 Grand Lodge convention, the delegates voted unanimously to name one of the scholarships after Roman A. Mayfield, a 55-year member of D.L. 751, now deceased. This will be given to one of the scholarship recipients who best represent the spirit of volunteerism and the strong sense of service to their community that was a hallmark of Brother Mayfield.
I thought it was important that while we advise you of the competition, I also bring you up-to-date on the financial condition of our Scholarship Program.
Since its implementation in 1960, the Scholarship Competition has continued to grow. Our financial resources were strong in the beginning and we were able to award as many as 30 scholarships each year. This past year, 2014-2015, we received 300 applications for scholarships. The fund-raiser that was held in January was a great success and permitted us to award 17 scholarships valued at $68,000. Currently, there are 62 active awards valued at $176,000. With your lodge’s help, we will continue this program and, hopefully refuel the funding to include awarding many more scholarships in future years.
By Convention resolution the delegates determined that voluntary contributions to finance the funding be set at 50 cents per member per year. If your lodge has not adopted this resolution or has not contributed for this year, please give it serious consideration at your next lodge meeting. The check should be made payable to the IAM Scholarship Program. Please include on the mailing address, Attn: Accounting Department.
To keep with current times we have made our Scholarship Program fully accessible from the web. We will now announce Scholarship Winners in the IMAIL and will also be available to view at www.goiam.org, under the Scholarship Department. 2015 Scholarship winners were announced in the IMAIL dated June 11, 2015. Also, again this year, you can now download and print the 3 different Scholarship Applications online:
• IAM Child of a Member applying for College
• IAM Child of a Member applying for Vocational/Technical School
• IAM Member applying for College
At the goiam.org website:
(http://www.goiam.org/index.php/headquarters/departments/scholarship) or you can call the
Scholarship Department, 301-967-4708 and request an application packet to be mailed. Also, the application packets for the 3 different scholarships were sent to the local and district lodges.
Although information is available online and will be sent out in the IMAIL, we count on you to make this information available on bulletin boards, at your lodge meetings and ask all stewards to inform members at their places of work. Your cooperation in this effort is very important in order to eliminate the many disappointments expressed in past years by members who learn about the Scholarship Competition too late.
If you have any questions regarding the Scholarship Program or our new application process, please call our Scholarship Department, 301-967-4708.
With best wishes, I remain
Fraternally yours,
R. Thomas Buffenbarger
INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT