Calgary South Rotary - Blackmont Capital Stay-in-School Program
	Prepared By: Gary Nazar, Chairman & Bryan Targett, Vice Chairman SISSP, April 25, 2007

Background

During the year 2000, the Calgary South Rotary Club in conjunction with Blackmont Capital (Originally Yorkton Securities, then First Associates) originated a Rotary Stay-In-School-Scholarship Program.  The schools that have been chosen are Sherwood Community School and Terry Fox Junior High School.  The Falconridge Elementary School will recommend suitable candidates for Terry Fox Junior High School. Each of these schools is situated in the City of Calgary.   Presently approximately 55 Calgary South Rotarians with spouses and partners are involved in making this program a success.

 Purpose

Many young people who have the ability to attend Post Secondary School, will not get an opportunity to do so because of limited family financial resources.   Calgary South Rotary and Blackmont Capital Stay-In-School Scholarship Fund (CS/BC Fund) has been designed to provide financial assistance to selected students.

It is also believed that all grade 6 students, attending Sherwood and Falconridge Schools, have been motivated by the program to gain a post secondary education.   Improved morale of teachers and a greater awareness by parents of educational opportunities available to their children should also be an outcome of the program   

The Fund

Blackmont Capital has committed money to the end of 2007.  The Calgary South Rotary Club has augmented the contributions of Blackmont Capital by various fund raising activities.   Blackmont Capital provides investment advice to the Fund.  The Fund is separate from any other Rotary Community Service funds in the form of an Annuity.

Blackmont Capital is donating to the  program (SISSP) a yearly monetary support in the amount of approximately $15,000 to the end of 2007. To the present Blackmont Capital has donated in excess of $150,000 to the SISSP and has indicated that there is a possibility that Blackmont will continue to be a major contributor to this program. During mid December 2005, Mr. Donald Gray, President of Peyto Energy, made a major donation to the Stay In School Scholarship Program in an approximate amount of $250,000. Further to receiving these considerable donations, during 2005 and 2006, The Petrie Foundation has donated $500,000 to further assist in growing the Stay In School Scholarship Program.

These funds are invested in the form of two Annuities (Blackmont Capital and The Calgary Foundation) presently at an amount totaling in excess of $1,600,000. The interest earned by these Annuities is used cover the students’ Education offered by this program.

The plan is to build an Annuity from which the interest realized will ultimately pay for the tuition and books for selected students to attend a Post Secondary Program. During the first five years two students were selected annually for the program. Due to the considerable generosity of Mr. Donald Gray and The Petrie Foundation commencing the school year 2005 - 06, the program has increased its selection to four students per year and for each year thereafter.

Students selected into this program are each connected with a mentor commencing in grade seven through their whole educational process until they graduate from a Post Secondary Program.

The first two students will be entering university or college during September of 2007. At an estimated cost of $5,500 to $7,500 per year/student a Total Annuity in a minimum amount of $2,500,000 will be required by the year 2015. One of the biggest fund raising events is the Supreme Windows Annual Golf Tournament.  Individuals can also make tax-deductible contributions to the SISSP. Your checks may be directed to Bryan Targett, telephone number 403.253.3990 payable to Calgary South Rotary Stay In School Scholarship Program (Noted, for the SISSP.)

Student selection is based on two main factors: 1) the student must have the academic ability to graduate from high school and meet university entrance requirements throughout the complete program and 2) The student must come from a family that clearly does not have the financial means to pay for a secondary education.

Since the inception of our program in the year 2001, to present we now have 16 students in the program with the intention of 4 students being chosen before school is out at the end of June each year thereafter.

The success of this program can be mainly attributed to those that have donated generously and to the large number of volunteers that have given their time in living up to the standard of “Service Above Self”.