During an April conference call of the FRSA Educational & Research Foundation, the Trustees discussed the 2020 scholarships that they would soon be scoring and awarding. Specifically, they were talking about the $29,000 that had been budgeted for distribution this year. Last year, $19,000 had been awarded, so the 2020 amount represented a more than 50 percent increase. But the Trustees had decided on the amount well before COVID-19. Now, at the height of the spring stay-at-home mandate, uncertainties about the well-being of the industry and about the wisdom of sticking with the $29,000 amount were on the minds of the Trustees.
Trustees found themselves split between reducing the aggressive $29,000 to something more in line with last year – say $20,000 – and the potentially increased need faced by FRSA Foundation scholarship applicants. At the time, Foundation investments were down and, given the circumstances, no one wanted to try to predict how the annual Silent Auction – a major Foundation fundraiser
– would turn out, or if there would even be one.
Also, ticket sales for the annual $5,000 Foundation raffle, which normally occur at FRSA Affiliate meetings and other face-to-face events were lagging behind normal years as well.
As one after another Trustee expressed the mixed emotions they felt about the current situation, a consensus began to take shape that the Foundation needed to do everything possible in the midst of the uncertainty to assist this year’s scholarship recipients. A motion arose to increase the 2020 amount to $30,000; a second and then a unanimous approval soon followed. The Trustees would meet again in a few weeks to discuss which of the applicants should receive a portion of the precedent-setting $30,000 distribution by the FRSA Educational & Research Foundation.
The discussion then turned to funding the additional $1,000 just approved. There were a few options available to the Trustees, but after several minutes no decision had been reached. It was then that Gary Register, Register Roofing & Sheet Metal, Jacksonville said that they could stop discussing it: he would donate the $1,000 to make up the difference.
At the end of April, the Trustees met again after each had independently scored the 22 scholarship applications that had been submitted. They elected to award 15 scholarships of $2,000 each to the 15 top scoring applicants.
As one recipient wrote in her application, “A scholarship will provide me with assistance for rent, food and tuition for school... in three to five years, I’d like to work for a large company that focuses on commercial design.”
Speaking for the Trustees, Foundation President Burt Logan, CORE Roofing Systems, Orlando said, “It’s great to be able to offer scholarships to these amazing students. Hats off to the Foundation members and other donors whose generous contributions make
good things like this possible.”
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