Posted on 09/24/2007 7:44:50 PM PDT by TheMom
I need objective opinions.
For the second year I am the president of athletic booster club at TheGirls school (not that big of a deal, we are only 10 strong). Every year the booster club gives scholarships to qualifying seniors.
The criteria for qualifying is (1)The parent(s) must be paid the dues ($10.00 or $15.00) by a certain date; (2) The parent(s) must have accumulated a certain number of volunteer hours by a certain date; and (3) The student must have a 2.5 GPA. The certain date is April 15th.
If the above criteria is met, the student fills out a the scholarship form, then interviews with the scholarship committee. The committee then decides which students will receive a scholarship, then sends the students a letter of congratulations which includes a specific deadline to return important information (the main information needed is proof of enrollment).
Simple right? This year we have drama.
The parents paid their dues several days past the deadline, the check was misplaced by our treasurer and was not deposited until four months later The treasurer should have contacted the parents before depositing the check. The check bounced because the account was closed.
Neither the student, nor the parents send in the important information by the deadline. According to the parent the student was planning to attend one college, but at the last moment was recruited by another – with the offer of a full scholarship for the freshman year. Neither the student, nor the parents informed anyone on the committee of this change until three weeks after the deadline. The parent claims she thought she sent an email, but was very busy during the week of the deadline trying to prepare to get her child to an out of state college. No proof of enrollment was sent in for the initial college choice.
The scholarship committee denied the scholarship. This evening the parent appealed the decision during our regular meeting. The committee met after the meeting to discuss the appeal and decided to meet with the parents later this week to discuss their decision.
BTW – the parent knows that her $15.00 check bounced (which technically means she is not a member of the booster club), and she did not bother to bring in cash this evening to cover the check and the $5.00 bank fee.
If you were on the scholarship committee what would you decide?
Abusing the TC Memorial Shoot ping list for advice.
Thanks!
You’re kidding, right?
I guess, based on all the rules that were abused, I’d be having to deny the scholorship. It’s sad for the student, but they knew the rules going in.
I hope it wasn’t you! :D
No, even not considering the bounced check, as you stated, they paid their dues late (before it was lost) and they failed to file the proper paperwork in time. I’m sure you have some well deserving students who followed the rules and could use the scholarship.
What good are rules if they are bent? (This is how Liberals look at any rule or law, i.e., they claim they are a "victim" and try to elicit sympathy to look the other way).
That's my .02.
Just curious, knowing all of this information, why did the parent appeal the decision. All of this can’t look good on them.
I know what the answer should be, but I also know the parents involved. Want to make sure personal opinion is not clouding my judgment.
Wasn’t me. I play by the rules. ;-P
Sorry, the first act in your drama dooms the scholarship. The dues were paid late. End of story. Invest this year’s scholarship. No mercy.
Since the booster club’s treasurer wasn’t any more diligent than the parents in question, I’d say the scholarship should be given (after the parent forks over the dues). Otherwise it’s sort of a “pot calling the kettle black” scenario.
I knew dat! :D
There are always folks who want to have their way without
playing by the rules.
If you have the money you might still give it, minus the fees and check. The kid sounds like he/she is going to need some help. Maybe next time you could make the kids responsible for registering. They might do a better job meeting deadlines:’)
NO.
They didn’t meet the qualifications because THEY DIDN’T BOTHER TO MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS.
If they value this scholarship so little, give it to someone to whom it will make a difference.
They appealed thinking the committee would feel sorry for the daughter (it is her loss) and reverse the decision.
Do the “rules” say you can make exceptions to the “rules”?
Well, I wouldn’t hold the bouncing of the check against them, since that was the club’s fault for failing to deposit it in a timely manner, nor would I make a big deal of the check being submitted a few days late, if it was less than a week, for example.
But the student and parents missing deadline after deadline for filing information indicates they don’t want the scholarship badly enough to follow the rules as laid out. No scholarship.
If the student already has a full scholarship to a school...find somebody else that could use the scholarship (especially since "rules" were broken by the parents of the applicant.)
The daughter has learned a valuable lesson by seeing the mistakes of her parents. That has to be worth far more than the scholarship.
The dues being paid late can be forgiven.
The college enrollment info was not sent in by the deadline, nor was the committee contacted.
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