The who...
The Morse High School Scholarship Fund started in 1959. The Class of 1909 gave $200 to the Morse High Scholarship Fund, half to be given out as a scholarship at graduation, half to be held in the newly named MHS Alumni Scholarship Fund.
The MHS Scholarship Fund is a nonprofit created to provide scholarships to expand access to higher education for graduates of Morse High School, Bath, Maine.
The what...
In 2023 the following scholarships were awarded to deserving seniors. The Morse Scholarship Committee funded 83 scholarships in excess of $295,650 to the scholarships listed below marked with an (*) asterisk.
MORSE HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The humble beginnings of the M.H.S. Scholarship Fund have been related several
times but still bear repeating. At the annual banquet of the Alumni Association in 1959,
the Class of 1909 made a gift of $200, half of which was given as a “scholarship” the
following year. The idea of establishing a permanent fund soon caught on as reunion
classes started making substantial gifts to the worthy cause. Over time several
bequests and gifts from outside organizations helped the fund to grow and for many
years to prosper under the guidance of John W. Coombs, Class of 1941, who volunteered his services for over 35 years.
Our funds are currently managed by Vigilant Capital Management, LLC of Portland.
The market value of the Fund as of March 31, 2023, was over $4,340,000 thanks in
great part to the bequests from Granville and Berenice Colby and Harriet M. Flye, a
former teacher, as was Mrs. Colby.
In 2000, the Trustees of the Fund voted to allot 5% of the Fund’s market value to
scholarships and prizes. We also receive the annual interest from a million-dollar
educational trust bequeathed by Muriel L. McCaffrey to benefit Morse High graduates
who have need. At Commencement 2023 over $298,000 will be awarded via more than
83 scholarships ranging from $500 to $10,000.
We encourage reunion classes to continue adding to the Alumni Fund as well as any
one of the fifty named funds we oversee so that the size of awards may be increased
in these times of escalating costs in institutions of higher learning. Information about
establishing a named fund may be obtained from any member of the Board of Trustees
Jessica Avery, President; Brad Walfield, Vice-President; Lauri Rainey, Treasurer; Kim
Williams, Assistant Treasurer and Scholarship Coordinator; Leslie Gallant Secretary;
Brian Hatch, David Soule, Jr., Holly Bisson Lowe, James Harper, Leigh Ann Card,
Geniene Marco and Deborah Cashman
Submitted by Lauri Rainey, Class of 1979 on behalf of fund President, Brian Hatch,Class of 1968.
The why...
Words from recipients:
This scholarship is incredibly generous and helps tremendously to ease the financial strain of classes. Thank you very much for your generosity. I'm proud to be a Shipbuilder!
Thank you so much for the scholarship. It means so much to have a community like Morse that gives to students and values their education. It means so much to me to receive this scholarship.
The how...
The selection and distribution of scholarships from the MHSSF is an multi step process:
1. The MHSSF determines the amounts to be dispersed for each scholarship.
2. Each interested student applies for consideration through the submission of the Senior Plan worksheet to the Morse High School Guidance Department.
3. The Guidance Department prepares a master spread sheet which compiles data supplied by the students.
4. The Guidance Counselors meet to review the students' data and make recommendations on who should receive which scholarships based on the criteria established for each scholarship by the MHSSF. Selections take into consideration a student's need and scholastic achievement.
5. A larger committee comprised of representatives from each MHS Department along with the Guidance Department staff, meets to discuss candidates for scholarships resulting in modifications to the list.
6. The entire MHS Faculty is invited to attend a meeting where the list of students selected to receive scholarships is presented, reviewed, modified fi appropriate, and accepted.
7. This final list from the MHS is presented to the MHSSF for review.
8. At the annual graduation ceremonies, those students receiving scholarships are notified of the name of the scholarship(s) being awarded.
9. Following graduation, personal letters to award recipients listing the value the scholarship (s) are distributed.
10. Following successful completion of the first semester, disbursements to applicable colleges to those award recipients who will continue into their second semester are made.
