Andover Garden Club Offers $1,000 Memorial Scholarship

The Andover Garden Club is seeking qualified students to apply for the Ruth I. Cleveland Scholarship Fund, which memorializes the late Ruth Cleveland, a long-term resident of Andover who served as president of the Andover Garden Club from 1954 to 1956. The memorial scholarship is given annually in recognition of Cleveland’s efforts to enrich the lives of garden-club members in the pursuit of all the arts and sciences.

The Ruth I. Cleveland Scholarship Fund was initially funded by her two children, Ann C. Lange, an internationally known floral arranger, artist, and lifelong resident of Andover, who herself served as president of the Andover Garden Club from 1985-1987, and the late Byron R. Cleveland, Jr. It grows yearly through donations from the Lange family and the Andover Garden Club.

Applicants for the scholarship must be graduate or undergraduate students pursuing the study of the arts and/or sciences.

“Mother taught English and French in the Lawrence school system for many years. In addition, she was a skilled gardener and flower arranger who loved all the arts--especially painting and sculpture,” said Ann Lange. “We wanted the scholarship to reflect her broader interests, so we didn’t limit it to horticulture, landscape design, or floriculture, but instead opened it up to any student interested in studying the arts or sciences.”

Ten Other GCFM Scholarships Available

The Ruth I. Cleveland Scholarship Fund is one of eleven scholarships administered by the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc. (GCFM), the parent organization of the Andover Garden Club. The ten additional scholarships are available in amounts up to $1,000 for students majoring in horticulture, floriculture, landscape design, conservation, forestry, agronomy, city planning, environmental studies, land management, botany, biology, and allied subjects. In 2014, GCFM awarded eleven $1,000 scholarships.

The deadline for submitting applications is March 1, 2015. Applicants must be residents of Massachusetts, have a minimum grade average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale), exhibit good character, and demonstrate financial need. Applications, financial aid forms, and scholarship descriptions can be downloaded from the GCFM website at http://gcfm.org/Education/Scholarships/GCFMScholarships.aspx.

National Garden Club Scholarships

In addition the scholarships offered by AGC and GCFM, every year their parent organization, National Garden Clubs Inc. (NGC), awards scholarships of $3,500 each. These are available to Massachusetts college juniors, seniors, and masters graduate students who are sponsored by GCFM. To be eligible, applicants must have at least a 3.25 GPA (on a 4.0-point scale) and be majoring in agriculture education, agronomy, botany, biology, city (rural and urban) planning, economics, environmental conservation, floriculture, forestry, horticulture, land management, landscape design, plant pathology/science, wildlife science, and/or other related or allied subjects.

Students wishing to apply for NGC scholarships should also apply for the GCFM scholarships. NGC application forms are available at http://www.gardenclub.org/scholarships and are also due March 1, 2015.

For further inquiries, please contact the GCFM Scholarship Secretary Kathie Jones by email at gcfmscholarship@aol.com or telephone at 413-458-2886.

About the Andover Garden Club

Founded in 1927, the Andover Garden Club (www.andovergardenclub.org) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that encourages the study and practice of horticulture, landscape design, and floral design; aids in the beautification of the town of Andover; and helps protect and conserve natural resources. A member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc., and National Garden Clubs, Inc., the club provides both financial and hands-on support to a variety of municipal, educational, and environmental organizations throughout the region. Information about joining the Andover Garden Club is available from AGC membership chairs Linda Carpenter (978-475-7430, lcarpenter1@comcast.net) and Ronnie Haarmann (978-475-4414, rchaarmann@comcast.net).