Introduction
The increasing cost of a higher education is a common concern among parents. Scholarships to help fund college tuition are more important assets than ever to today’s youth. With this in mind, the Oklahoma Bowling Centers Association has formed a foundation to be called the Oklahoma Grand Prix Scholarship Program.
The Grand Prix Point program for Scholarship Awards is a program designed to reward participation in youth bowling. With continuous participation in an organized youth league and tournaments, each bowler will earn points which will be converted into scholarship dollars upon graduation from high school.
The Youth Committee of the OBCA is responsible for administering this program within the guidelines and the structure adopted by the Board of Directors of OBCA as Trustees of the foundation.
Basic Structure
Each USBC Youth region will be responsible for developing and adopting a local Grand Prix point valuation system. This system should be based upon league participation and tournament participation. Once a local plan is developed and adopted, this plan must be forwarded to the OBCA Youth Committee for review and approval.
Other responsibilities of the local group will be local fundraising, enrollment to participate in the program and reporting of local points for each participating youth bowler. All monies raised at the local level must be forwarded to the Foundation of the OBCA within 30 days of the completion of the event or receipt of the money.
At Oakwood Bowl, each youth receives a point for each league game and each fundraiser they participate in. They receive five points for each tournament they participate in.
General State Wide Administration
The Board of Directors of OBCA, the Trustees of the Foundation of OBCA and the OBCA Youth Committee have designated the State OBCA office to do the recordkeeping of this program.
The Administrator of the Foundation of the OBCA is bonded for $500,000. All record of local funds and individual points and fund records are on computer which is stored in the State OBCA office. Proper backup and duplication of these records will be stored off site.
Participation
All OBCA member centers are eligible to participate in the Grand Prix Scholarship Program.
Eligibility And Registration Of Youth Bowlers
This program is open to any certified youth bowler. A $5.00 yearly registration fee is required to enter and continue in the program. The necessary forms must be completed and mailed with a check for $5.00 per registered bowler. Check is to be made payable to Foundation of OBCA.
Eligibility
If a youth bowls at more than one center, the bowler should register through one center and we recommend that center to be the one the bowlers considers to be the “home” center. The bowler is, however, allowed to earn scholarship funds from each center participating in the Grand Prix Scholarship Program. Each bowler in the program will be issued an identification number. In addition, we will require address, phone number, social security number and birth date so that confusion between bowers with the same names will be a minimum.
At least once a year, each bowler in the program will receive a report of points accumulated each year and the amount of scholarship dollars to their credit. Bowlers must continue participation in a certified league, with a lapse of no more than nine (9) consecutive months, or all accumulated monies will be forfeited.
However, if a bowler can not continue, he/she may opt to pay the $5.00 per year registration fee until they graduate from high school and keep the monies they have accumulated. They will not, however, receive additional monies. Once a bowler drops out of the program at any time, for any reason, those funds credited to the dropped bowler will be returned to the centers’ general scholarship fund for re-distribution.
Requirements For Awarding of Scholarships
The recipient must enroll within 24 months of high school graduation in an accredited post-secondary educational institution. This may be a college, university, accredited trade school or an accredited vocational-educational school.
Simply receive a Request For Funds form from the OBCA office and return the completed form in order for the educational institution to be issued payment. A copy will be sent to the recipient’s home to inform them that payment has been made. The funds must be distributed for direct school fees or for educational related expenses only. Funds not used buy the recipient will be returned to the centers’ scholarship fund for redistribution.
Grand Prix Scholarship Fund Silent Auction
The Greater Enid Youth Bowling Association fundraising silent auction table will be held this 2014 year during the week of November 10th. We would appreciate any donations for this event.
You can donate a prize of any sort to put on the auction table or you can sponsor the table for only $25.00. If you choose to sponsor the table your company will be posted on the wall at the bowling center for a month so your company will get some extra advertisement for your money.
Your support will mean a great deal to our organization. All money we raise will go to the Grand Prix Scholarship program. This money is given to children in our youth program no matter how skilled they are at the game. They can be a new bowler or a bowler that has been in the program for years. We are trying to raise as much money as we can since we know that scholarship money is hard to come by these days.
Bowl-Aroma Candle Sales
It is $7.00 for each candle or $84 for 12 in a case. An 8 oz. candle burns 52 hours.
Ask about special pricing for fundraising use. All proceeds go to Youth Scholarship Fund. Call 580-233-8712 or see front desk to purchase candles.
