Culver

Alumni and Community

Scholarship Fund

Dear (Culver) (Monterey) (Aubbeenaubbee) Alumni,

  “Invest in the Future with Dollars from the Past”

 Next year over 55% of the members of Culver Community High School (CCHS) Class of 2006 will be pursuing higher education at 4-year institutions.  The state average is nearly 70%.  In addition to the traditional 4-year schools, many CCHS graduates will be pursuing Associates degrees or vocational training at other institutions.  But did you know just one year at Purdue now costs almost $15,000, including tuition, room and board?  One year at IU-Bloomington costs more than $16,000.  Even a full time load at Ivy Tech costs more than $3,000 annually.  Plainly stated, many CCHS families struggle to make ends meet.  In fact, over 40% of Culver High School students receive free or reduced lunches.  The state average is 32%.

Studies show that, compared to high-school graduates, college graduates have:

• Longer life spans;
• Greater economic stability and security;
• Higher voting rates; and
• Greater community service and leadership.

“Invest in the Future with Dollars from the Past”

This year the Culver Kiwanis Club, working with CCHS and hopefully you, has initiated two new, ongoing and long term programs (see enclosed brochure): 

1. An endowment program set up through the Marshall County Community Foundation (MCCF) to be used to award scholarships to worthy students graduating from CCHS;
2. A recognition program that will honor distinguished alumni who graduated from the Culver Community High School and its predecessor schools (i.e., Culver, Monterey, and Leiters Ford-Aubbeenaubee High Schools).

 The primary goal of the Culver Kiwanis Club is to support the youth of our community.  In the past few years the Club has contributed to many local activities that support our youth, including awarding several small scholarships to worthy seniors of the graduating classes of CCHS (four $500 scholarships in 2002 and five $500 scholarships in 2003).  Regardless of these past efforts, we are only scratching the surface of the need, and our organization wants to do better.  In the future we would like to give more and larger scholarships to help lower the financial barriers to higher education for the graduating students of our community.  To learn more about the Culver Kiwanis and our new programs please visit our website at http://www.culverkiwanis.org.

“Invest in the Future with Dollars from the Past”

 Using seed money from a few local charitable individuals and the CHS class of 1957, the Culver Kiwanis have already deposited more than $27,500 in an MCCF account called the Culver Alumni and Community Scholarship Fund.  Of special note is the $25,000 contribution that Ralph Winters (MHS Class of 1954) and his wife, Barbara (MHS Class of 1955), have deposited into the fund to jumpstart our program and to challenge and spur other alumni contributions.  (See also the attached brochure for our plan to recognize contributors of this size and greater).

 The MCCF is a tax-exempt public charitable foundation established in Marshall County in 1991 for purposes such as the one we have initiated.  The MCCF establishes permanent funds, invests the assets held in the fund, and distributes investment earnings to the funding organizations.  Contributions to an MCCF scholarship fund live into perpetuity.  Investment principal can never be spent.  Only income from investments can be used toward the funding of scholarships.  You should know that: The Culver Kiwanis are funding the cost of mailing this letter and other promotional activities out of its own operating fund.  In the case of the MCCF endowment fund that we have just opened, every single dollar earned from your contribution (with the exception of a 1% fee charged by MCCF to manage the fund) will be used for scholarships.  To learn more about the MCCF please visit their website at http://www.marshallcountycf.org/.

 As part of our Kiwanis’ scholarship endowment effort we are seeking both large and small contributions from alumni and other community citizens.  Regardless of the amount given, all contributions to the MCCF are tax-exempt.  Our short term goal this year is to raise $100,000.  We have a long term goal to raise $1 million and more over the next several years.  If you and/or any of your classmates would choose to help this worthy cause please write your checks to: Marshall County Community Foundation.  In the memo line of the check identify it as supporting the “Culver Alumni & Community Scholarship Fund”.  Checks should be sent to:

           The Culver Kiwanis Club

            P.O. Box 103

           Culver, Indiana  46511

This is our first attempt at notifying alumni of our programs.  If you have any questions, advice, or simply would like to hear more about our programs please visit the websites provided above or feel free to contact any of the following persons: 

David Baker (FY 2004 Culver Kiwanis President) via e-mail: damabaker@culcom.net

Jim Boswell (Committee Chairman) (574) 842-2356 or via e-mail: jboswell@skyenet.net.

Jim Weirick (Finance Chairman) (574) 842-3713 or via e-mail: jweirick@culcom.net

Ralph Winters (Distinguished Alumni Chairman) via e-mail: theralph@culcom.net

 In advance, the Culver Kiwanis would like to thank you for your interest and consideration of this request.  With your help we believe that we can build upon our ongoing efforts to support the youth of Culver, our community, and the students of your graduating high school.

 Sincerely,                     Sincerely,                     Sincerely,                     Sincerely,

David Baker                 Jim Boswell                  Jim Weirick                   Ralph Winters

President of                  Chairman of                 Committee Finance        Committee Distinguished

  Culver Kiwanis               Committee                   Chairman                   Alumni Chairman

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