The W.L Brewer Memorial Scholarship Fund
The W.L. Brewer Scholarship Fund is designed to aid employees of Ford & Lincoln Dealerships in the Orlando Region and their children. Education is a very valuable yet costly experience. This program is the Parts & Service Club's way of helping our fellow members and their children on the road to a successful future.
Pictured is the late Bill Brewer displaying the Fred Jones Award, which is presented by the Club to a member for outstanding contributions and dedication.
Bill's wealth of knowledge and his gentlemanly manner make him an inspiration to those of us lucky enough to have known him.
History
The following is excerpted from the cover story entitled "The Ace of Clubs" by Claudia Capos in the September 2000 issue of Dealer World Magazine.
"Nearly a decade ago, three members of the Orlando Region Ford Parts & Service Club took a gamble. The Club had recently produced and sold 100 sets of parts management training videos, but instead of keeping the $25,000 in proceeds for club use, Parts Managers Bill Brewer, Bob Sigmon and Richard Bennett set up an endowment fund. They hoped to help the sons and daughters of local parts, service, and body shop employees gain a college education.
The three managers decided to name the scholarship in honor of Brewer, three-time president of the Orlando Club and mastermind behind the videotape project.
And the trio's bet continues to pay off. In the past eight years the fund has grown tremendously, thanks to donations from other Florida Parts & Service Clubs, parts suppliers, and various vendors. Today the Brewer fund totals nearly $120,000 and working only off the interest, provides nearly $6,000 annually in scholarships."
Today
Today the fund has grown to over $300,000. In 2015 the Board voted to make the most significant change in the fund since it's inception nearly 25 years ago. Rather than just awarding the interest from the endowment, from now on, half of the proceeds from the Club meetings will also be distributed. This will enable the Club to award up to $13,000 in scholarships this year!
Awards & Eligibility
Awards
The Scholarship Committee will award scholarships annually. Awards typically range from $500 to $2,000. Total awards for the year will not exceed the combination of the annual interest earned by the endowment fund plus one-half of the proceeds from the previous year’s annual meeting after all expenses have been met. Applications are graded by the scholarship committee to determine individual award amounts.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a scholarship, you must be:
A dependent child (up to the age of 26) of a Ford or Lincoln dealership parts, service, or body shop employee who has completed at least two years of employment by the application deadline (March 1st) or:
An employee of the parts, service, or body shop department in a Ford or Lincoln dealership within the Orlando or Miami regions who have completed at least two years of employment by the application deadline (March 1st).
Either a current high school senior or a high school graduate who plans to enroll or is currently enrolled in a course of study at an accredited community college or university.