The Schoolhouse scholarship program is administered by The Thousand Islands Foundation (TIF). Candidates for the Grindstone Island Scholarship must be direct lineal descendants of an ancestor who lived year round on the Island, and must live within a 35 mile radius of Grindstone. Scholarships are intended for post high school, college or vocational programs. Applications are available from the high school guidance counselors at Thousand Island, LaFargeville, Alexandra Bay, and Lime Central schools. You also may obtain an application by contacting Ms. Nancy Taylor-Schmitt at the TIF (315) 686- 5594, ext. 1000; PO Box 1000, Clayton NY 13624 or phone (315) 686-3258.

Anyone wishing to give to our Scholarship program is welcome to do so through the Thousand Islands Foundation who administers our portion of their endowment. Please make checks payable to the Thousand Islands Foundation and note in the memo space on the check it is for the Grindstone Schoolhouse Scholarship. Send to our treasurer Brenda Patch, PO Box 54, Clayton, NY 13624. Should you wish to give securities, please contact Ms Lou Green at RBC Dan Rauscher in Watertown (315-788-2100) for delivery instructions for the T. I. Foundation’s brokerage account. Please notify the Schoolhouse’s Treasurer, Brenda Patch of your gift at the above address.

We are pleased with our relationship with the TI Foundation and hope to steadily increase our segment of the Foundation’s Endowment. This would allow us to help more lineal descendents of one time year around Island residents to meet the ever increasing cost of college and vocational training.

Scholarship Program Expanded to Honor Mary Lou Rusho

The GIRHC lost a beloved friend when board member Mary Lou Rusho passed away last fall.  Mary Lou was one of the original trustees for the charter to create the Grindstone Island Research and Heritage Center as a museum with the State of New York and she served on the board continually until her death.  Mary Lou, a retired elementary school teacher, was a devoted advocate of the Scholarship Program that she helped to develop.  To honor her memory the GIRHC board has established “The Mary Lou Nunn Rusho (MLNR) Memorial Scholarship” to be given each year in her name.

All GIRHC scholarships are intended for post high school, college or vocational programs.  The MLNR scholarship will be similar to the regular GIRHC scholarship with two notable differences.  The first difference is that the MLNR scholarship may be awarded to either a descendent of a year round resident OR a descendent of a summer family that has resided on the island for numerous generations.  The second difference is that there is no limit on the distance that the applicant resides from Grindstone.  The applicant must still meet all of the requirements of the TI Foundation criteria and complete the appropriate application process.

To award the first beneficiary money for the MLNR scholarship the scholarship fund must be endowed with a minimum of fifteen thousand dollars.  Currently we have collected $2,200 dollars in donations and have received a generous pledge of $5,000.  There is still a long way to go to make the “Mary Lou Nunn Rusho Scholarship” a reality and we need your help.  the Thousand Islands Foundation is the administrating agency for our scholarship program.  Donations may be made payable to The TI Foundation with a note on the check that is for the Mary Lou Nunn Rusho scholarship.  Donations should be mailed to Carrier Bay Business Services, 135 Bay Lane, Clayton, NY  13624.