|
BY DENNIS BROOKS, P.ENG., P.GEOPH.
Past-President
The APEGGA Education Foundation
The APEGGA Education Foundation Board has been discussing
its role in the future and how we can build up our level of
voluntary donations. These have, in fact, been increasing
nicely. Over the the four years from 1998 to 2001, these donations
have gone from $9,600 to $15,900 to $24,700 to $31,800. That
is a rate of growth any business would envy.
However, in absolute terms, it still doesn't buy much in scholarships.
Our Foundation offers 36 scholarships each year, all of $2,000
value except the Millennium, which was awarded for the first
time last year for $1,500. All of these scholarships are funded
by APEGGA, which initiated them quite a few years ago.
The value has not been increased during that time and so have
not kept pace with the hugh increase in student fees. Yet
now costs a student more than $4,000 each year just for tuition,
and other fees and books are on top of that.
The board of the Foundation has now set a goal of doubling
the amount paid out in scholarships by the close of applications
in May of the year 2003. The goal is to pay these out of voluntary
donations, recognizing that some of that revenue will be needed
for campaign expenses. The campaign details are still being
considered, but will obviously need to be low cost.
More Donors Needed
So keep those donations coming in! The emphasis in the campaign
will be to increase the number of donors from the present
level of about 900. We will need more like 3,000 to 4,000
donors to meet our goal, but this should be possible considering
APEGGA total membership is about 35,000. Future articles will
keep you posted on our progress toward doubling the scholarships.
Meet the New Team
Your Foundation had its Annual General Meeting on March 11
and elected a new team to take us toward our new goal:
Tony Howard, P.Eng., President
Gerry DeSorcy, P.Eng., Acting V.P.
Norman Orr, P.Eng., Treasurer
Other members of the Board of Directors:
J.D.Hole, P.Eng., and Chrys. Dmytruk, P.Eng., both continuing
members; and Ron Lawson, P.Eng., Jack Shaw, P.Eng., and Philip
Shum, P.Eng., all new members.
I move to the ranks of past president. I've enjoyed the challenge
of writing these columns -- so much so that I may just come
back from time to time as guest columnist!
|
