Our Goal Is To Award Fifteen $2,500 Scholarships This Year...
With Your Help We Can Reach Our Goal!
Purpose
Organizational Structure
Named Scholarships
Contributions to the Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund
Eligibility
Scholarship Application
Purpose:
The Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund was created in 1989 by the Southern Nursery Association to aid students from sixteen southeastern states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia – seeking a career in horticulture. The scholarship is dedicated to one of the most honored horticultural leaders, the late Sidney B. Meadows, who has been described as one of the industry's great humanitarians. As a horticultural leader, he was a great supporter of student scholarships. He believed that providing aid for students was the most important way to insure the growth and development of all facets of this industry. During early planning sessions for the program, Mr. Meadows stated, "Investing in our students is the best investment we can make in our future."
The Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund's aim is to increase the amount of scholarship dollars available to students pursuing a career in horticulture. The key to our future lies in our students, and the amount of support given to these young people can be directly tied to the success which our industry will experience in the years to come. Our industry can play a vital role in helping to correct environmental issues we face today and in the future. More research is needed due to mounting pressures from increased regulatory and environmental issues. To maximize the potential of our industry's future opportunities, we must have a catalyst of academic strength – that means highly committed students who are eager to search for the answers on which our future depends. Our future starts today, and today's students can ensure the growth of this industry. Your commitment will help to ensure that our industry will reach our highest potential for success in the years to come. Show your commitment to the horticulture industry by making a contribution today.
Organizational Structure:
The Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund was created in 1989 by the Southern Nursery Association, Inc. In December of 1990, a corporation was formed for operating the scholarship program, and in May of 1991, the corporation received I.R.S. approval to operate as a 501 (c) 3 corporation. Contributions or gifts to the Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund are tax deductible as charitable contributions.
Scholarships in specific amounts and numbers, determined by the Finance Committee, are awarded annually according to the eligibility guidelines set by the Sidney B. Meadows Board of Directors.The Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, handicap or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Named Scholarships:
Establishing a named fund is a great memorial for a loved one or to bring recognition to your firm’s support of the industry. To initialize a named fund, begin with a minimum pledge of $30,000 and an initial payment of $5,000, with payments of $5,000 per year over a five-year period. If requested, we will announce the creation of the new fund and solicit individual contributions through fund promotional materials, publications and / or directmail.
The first scholarship will be awarded at the end of the first full year interest income reaches the scholarship level. The selection of the award recipient is chosen by the Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Selection Committee (a pre-selected, rotating group) according to their previously developed guidelines and criteria. The Sidney B. Meadows Board is responsible for overseeing the fund.
While the named scholarships will be tracked separately, they will be combined will all other funds in the endowment for investment purposes. At the end of the five-year donation period, if contributions have not reached the $30,000 pledge, all donations received will be transferred to the general fund.
While scholarships are currently awarded in the amount of $2,500, this figure may increase or decrease due to fluctuations in interest rates and student needs. Although $30,000 is the minimum amount to establish a named fund, you can contribute any amount of additional funds at any time. There is no limit to how large a name fund can be – a larger endowment will product a greater number of scholarships.
If you are interested in establishing a named fund, please contact the Scholarship office at 770.953.3311. A Scholarship Endowment Agreement will be created and will outline the terms and conditions. The endowment will be established upon receipt of the initial payment of $5,000, and you will receive annual reports of its status.
Guidelines for Establishing A Named Fund:
• Make a commitment to donate a minimum of $30,000.
• Specify the fund’s name
• Review the Scholarship Endowment Agreement
• Make the initial payment of $5,000 to start the fund
• Make minimum payments of $5,000 annually over a five-year period.
(You may make larger payments if desired to fulfill the pledge before the end of the five-year term.)
Existing Named Funds:
• The Carolina Nurseries Weed Science Fund*
• Dr. James & Fay Foret, Sr. Fund*
• Richard J. “Dick” Hackney, Sr. Fund
• Lee C. Howell Fund
• Arthur A. “Buck” Jones Fund
• Art & Millie Lancaster Fund*
• Greg Smith Sr, Fund
• Robert VanLandingham Fund*
*Fully funded for scholarship
Download the Named Scholarship Guidelines and Scholarship Endowment Agreement (PDF version for printing)">
Contributions to the Endowment Fund:
Contributions to the general fund can be made as a one-time gift, or you may want to make a monthly or annual contribution. Whether $10 or $10,000, you can rest assured that your contribution goes directly toward the Endowment Fund, which in turn will produce interest for the scholarships. There are no administrative fees to reduce the fund's effectiveness. Join us in securing a brighter future for our industry through this important scholarship program.
To make your contribution, you can download the Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund Brochure (PDF version), print it and then mail it to us.
Eligibility:
- Student must be enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate ornamental horticulture program or related discipline at a four-year institution, must be currently enrolled in good standing and must carry a full-time compliment of courses at time of application and during the semester the scholarship is granted. Named Fund scholarships may be limited to special requirements (i.e. specialized studies, geographic region, etc.)
- Also, student must be in a junior or senior standing at time of application in a four-year curriculum (having completed the first two years and at least two horticulture courses) or a graduate student standing in a masters or doctoral program.
- Student must be a resident of the 16 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia) included in the Southern Nursery Association (although attendance at an institution within these states is not mandatory), and student must be a citizen of the U.S.
- For the most recent two years (four years for graduate students), a minimum grade point average of 2.25, based on a scale of 4.0, is required for undergraduate students or 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 for graduate students.
- Preference will be given to those applicants who plan to work in any aspect of the industry (including owning their own business) following graduation and those in financial need.
- Previous scholarship recipients may reapply; however, each are limited to a maximum of 2 scholarship awards.
Scholarship Application:
The deadline for application is May 31. The Scholarship Committee will make its selections by July 1, and award winners will be notified and requested to be present (if possible) for the Awards Presentation, which will be held during the SNA Researcher's Luncheon on Thursday, August 9, 2007, at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA. A free trade show pass and luncheon registration will be provided for each award recipient and their parents and/or spouse.
Fourteen $2,500 awards were presented at SNA 2006 totaling $35,000 in scholarships. A total of $384,000 has now been awarded in scholarship by the Endowment since it was established in 1989. This year, we again expect to present the same number of scholarships. We are very proud of our accomplishment in building this fund over the past seventeen years and would like to express our appreciation to the generous supporters of the fund.
The Scholarship Eligibility and Application is now available as a PDF download for printing.
