SOLDIERS’ SONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 20 June 1936, Page 4

SOLDIERS’ SONS

SCHOLARSHIP FUND ALMOST EXHAUSTED Established in 1920 for the purpose of providing scholarships for the children of returned soldiers, the Trentham Scholarship Fund will probably be exhausted in 1937. An endeavour was made last year to raise £4OOO to keep the fund going, but this could not be done. “In accordance with the Dominion Council resolution the committee approached the trustees of the Trentham Scholarship Fund with a view to obtaining an extension of one year in the eligibility period (i.e. raising the limit of eligibility for bursaries for children born prior to Ist July, 1920, to Ist July 1921),” the annual report of the N.Z.R.S.A. states. The trustees were very sympathetic and agreed to amend the rule, as requested, if sufficient finance was provided to enable the cost of the additional allocations of bursaries to be met. Decision ,on the matter was withheld until the next meeting when progress as to the extra finance was to be reported. The committee explored every possible avenue ■ for the raising of the necessary

! amount (£4000), including the Unemployment Board, the Elizabeth Smith Estate Trust Fund, and the K : Lissie Rathbone Fund, but without any definite result. Therefore, as the finance ; was not forthcoming, the trustees regretfully decided not' to amend the rule. _ ' .•):■ -■■■ “The present position is that • the whole of the funds available for 1936 have been. allocated and no further applications can be • entertained until October. 1936. New applications are to bo advertised for at that date, but the number of new awards granted will be dependent entirely on the number of renewals of existing awards that have to be considered. | “It is not likely, however, that there will be any funds available after 1937, and the Trentham Scholarship Fund will then close down. “In view of this the committee feels that it is appropriate to record, on behalf of. the hundreds ;of ex-servicemen throughout the Dominion whose children have participated in the provisions of the fund, its sincere thanks and appreciation to the trustees of the Trentham Scholarship Fund for the care and attention so willingly given' to the administration of the fund since its inception in 1920.”