New WMO Endowment Fund
In September 2014, a new Wheatland Music Organization Endowment Fund was established within the Mecosta County Community Foundation (MCCF), a component of the Fremont Area Community Foundation. It was established to help support the Scholarship fundtoward traditional arts experiences for children, youth and adults statewide. Wheatland’s Scholarship committee, made up of youth and adults, make award decisions based on greatest financial needs and potential for growth to preserve the traditional arts. The committee also determines awards from applicants to the Jenine Stickler Memorial Fund, another endowment held by MCCF. A portion of the earnings from each endowment fund is distributed each year thereby continually growing the fund through reinvestment and additional donations. Donations may be sent to Mecosta County Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1012-C, Big Rapids, MI 49307 with the name of the Fund in the memo line. Scholarship applications may be printed or downloaded from www.wheatlandmusic.org or call 989-967-8879 and ask that one be mailed to you.
Scholarships
The Wheatland Music Organization, Inc. (WMO) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve as a regional resource center, and to preserve and present traditional music dance, arts and crafts. One of the ways that WMO meets this mission is through the Elyce Fishman Scholarship Fund and the Jenine Stickler Memorial Fund.
The purpose of the Elyce Fishman Scholarship Fund is to provide funding to enable residents,giving preference to children and adults from the mid-Michigan area, to enhance their growth and education in the areas of traditional music, dance, arts and crafts. Traditional arts are learned person to person, passed from generation to the next, and influenced by culture, family, ethnicity, and era; they often represent a place or a group of people and can express the thoughts and feeling of a point in history. Examples of traditional music are folk music, olde time, bluegrass, Cajun, French Canadian, blues, Great Lakes, and more. Traditional dance styles may include clogging, Celtic, step-dance and more. Puppetry and storytelling are examples of traditional performance art. Traditional craft arts include stone building, pottery, basket making, quilling, quilting, bead work, spinning, wood carving and more.
The Blissfest Music Organization has given funds to the Elyce Fishman Scholarship Fund earmarked for traditional arts applicants from Northern Michigan or the Eastern Upper Michigan Peninsula area!
Download the Application package
(Be sure to read instruction at the bottom of this page.)
The Jenine Stickler Memorial Fund was established by friends and family to have a permanent and sustainable designated memorial fund in Jenine’s name – an endowment within Mecosta County Community Foundation that serves Mecosta, Osceola, Lake & Newaygo Counties. The Jenine Stickler Memorial Fund earnings will be distributed by Wheatland Music Organization to help children or youth (ages 3-18) with demonstrated financial need to obtain art “tools and equipment” so they can take part in school, community, church and other personal pursuits. Included might be acoustical musical instruments (violin, bass, piano, flute, etc.) or art supplies/equipment (dance shoes, a potters wheel, etc.). Eligible children/youth would live, or attend school, in Mecosta, Osceola, Lake, Newaygo or Montcalm Counties.
Download the Application package
(Be sure to read instructions at the bottom of this page.)
Donations are gratefully accepted for both scholarship funds. Please contact scholarship@wheatlandmusic.org for details.
You can also download the donor form here: Donor Form
PDF Application Instructions:
Download and save the scholarship PDF-application.
You may email your application package to Scholarship@wheatlandmusic.org, OR mail to:
Scholarship Committee
c/o Wheatland Music Organization
PO Box 22
Remus, MI 49340
To save the application to your computer:
1. Note: The new revised applications are not form-fillable using your computer.
2. Read the guidelines. There are no deadlines but submit at least two weeks before your event/activity
3. To save the application to your computer, click on download for the Elyce Fishman or the Jenine Stickler Memorial Fund application.
4. Locate the file on your computer, open it, print it write your information in the fields on the application, OR, write each question and your answers on a separate piece of paper
or directly into an email. Every question must be answered.
5. Sign (if you are under 18 have your parent/guardian sign) and then scan the completed application and 2 reference letters (3 letters if one is by someone who will financially benefit)
and email all to scholarship@wheatlandmusic.org
OR, mail all, along with other materials, if any, to the address above. Other materials might be a camp flyer or IF you are applying to the Jenine Stickler
Memorial Fund be sure to include the catalog page or purchasing information about the item(s) you wish to purchase.