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Scholarships and Durant Rotary Art Auction

by Southeastern Foundation
Feburary 21, 2008

Tommy Sleeper, President-elect of the Durant Rotary Club and Sali Mahdy, scholarship recipient

DURANT, Okla. ­ Every spring, many current and future students at Southeastern Oklahoma State University seek assistance in financing their college education They do so by applying for scholarships through the Southeastern Foundation. In fact, now until March 1, 2008, the Foundation is accepting applications from students. A wide variety of scholarships are available and many have very specific criteria for applicants. Most require at least a measure of academic performance, many specify a need for financial assistance, several are restricted to particular degree programs, some are designated to residents of a particular city, county or state, and other criteria. Many scholarships include multiple qualifying criteria.

The Durant Rotary Club Scholarships are among those offered to current SOSU students with a record of good academic performance, a determinable financial need, and a preference for sophomore or junior class standing. While many individuals have donated an amount of money significant enough to create an endowed scholarship, the Durant Rotary Club is the only civic organization with such endowment. The more than $20,000 earned by club activities and donated and maintained as a corpus in the Southeastern Foundation generates enough interest for two $1000 scholarships each year.

Members of the Durant Rotary Club plan to add to the scholarship endowment with some of the proceeds from the club’s next fund raising event, Durant Rotary 3rd Annual Art Auction. Scheduled for Saturday, March 1, 2008, in the Massey Building, the auction will feature works such as LeRoy Newman, Jan Wooster Scott, Marcia Banks, and Tarkay from the Perry Berns Gallery.

After two years of sponsoring this art auction, Rotary Club members anticipate the event with excitement. The quality of the art, the range of subjects, and the variety of art are easy reasons to explain this enthusiasm. Another reason the members are pleased to host the event is that it is affordable art, beautifully framed, documented and ready to display in any home or office. All net proceeds go to worthy causes. In addition to the Durant Rotary Club Scholarships some of the proceeds will be used for the SOSU Hogan Collection Restoration Project and for Rotary’s Bryan County Third Grade Dictionaries Project.

If interested in learning more about the March 1, 2008 Durant Rotary Club Art Auction or to receive an invitation, contact Dr. Theresa Hrncir at 580-745-2570 or Mr. Pat Lynch at 580-924-9458.