Hantsport Veterans Memorial Scholarship Foundation – Hantsport & Area Historical Society

Did you ever wonder what happens to the collection taken at the Hantsport Remembrance Day Service on November 11^th?

It is given to the Hantsport Veterans Memorial Scholarship Foundation. On April 30^th, 1962, fifteen people met with the Mayor; Dave Freeman acting as Chairman. Others attending included: John Harvie, Doug Cuvilier, John Morse, Rev. Pyke, Merrill Hyson, Al Harlow, Evangeline Phillips, Carl Peach, John Folker Jr., Donald Davison, John Allard, Eugene Dukeshire, Harold Burden and Rev. Blanchard. This was the beginning of the Foundation and, with the assistance of the Town Solicitor, a committee was formed to draw up By-Laws. The first Officers were elected at this meeting: Chairman – John Harvie, Secretary – Merrill Hyson and Treasurer – Al Harlow.

The Foundation is named to honour those who served from Hantsport and Area in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War. The Royal Canadian Legion, Lucknow Branch No. 109 of Hantsport and the Ladies Auxiliary, always had a representative on this committee, until the Hantsport Branch officially closed in June 2012. St. Clair and Eudora Patterson held these two positions on the committee for many years until 2014. In November 2016, the By-Laws were revised and the word Veterans added to the name.

Since the early sixties, the Foundation has met at least once yearly. The committee collects and welcomes donations to add to the Remembrance Day Service collection. This has allowed a scholarship to be offered every year to a deserving student or students from the Hantsport area. Stewart Hyson received the first scholarship in 1964 in the amount of $50.00. Since then, the scholarship has helped toward the cost of a university or college for 77 individuals. The Foundation meets to consider student applications and to award the scholarship(s). It is presented at the school of the deserving student(s) at their graduation.

The current members of the Veterans Memorial Scholarship Foundation are: Chair-Marie Doucette, Vice Chair-Harold Bulger, Treasurer-Mary Pyke, Secretary-Steve Miller and committee members Peter Johnston, Peter Murray, Paul Maxner, Rebecca Maxner, David Folker and Carmen Dewar-Miller, and Robbie Zwicker. From the financial statements, the first identified Remembrance Day collection was $39.46 in 1965. In the past few years, that amount has grown to over $2,000 at one point. This collection is the major contribution being added to the Foundation funds annually. Individuals and/or groups may make donations to the Foundation through e-transfer at any time through Mary Pyke at HantsportScholarship@gmail.com Please use Hantsport as the security password. If you wish to have a receipt for income tax purposes please email that same address with your information. Those donating by cheque can send it to the Hantsport Veterans Memorial Scholarship Foundation c/o Hantsport School P.O. Box 392 11 School Street, Hantsport, NS B0P 1P0.

In 2018 there were 5 recipients which was due to the donation to the Hantsport Veterans Memorial Scholarship Foundation from the estate of the late John Harvie who was a long-time member of the committee well into his 90s.

Last year marked the first year following a new format which considers the academic and extra-curricular activities of the applicants. This has proven to show that these young students are hard-working, productive members of our community. The recipient for 2023 was Brett King who is attending the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.

Now you know where the Remembrance Day collection goes and the opportunity those funds and other donations has afforded many Hantsport and area students.

The following is a list of the recipients since its beginning:

1964 Stewart Hyson $50.00
1965 David Freeman $75.00
1966 Carol Cuvilier $125.00
1967 David MacInnis $125.00
1968 Audrey Oldershaw $150.00
1969 Donald Porter $150.00
1970 Leslie Rogers $175.00
1971 Julie Comstock $175.00
1972 Kevin Fraser $200.00
1973 Peter Lund $200.00
1974 Leah Clark $250.00
1975 Maureen McGinn $250.00
1976 Jane McGinn $300.00
1977 Laurel Clark $300.00
1978 Melinda McGinn $300.00
1979 Lorraine O’Dell $350.00
1980 Paulette Newcomb $450.00
1981 Andrew Harvie $500.00
1982 Theresa Newcomb $500.00
1983 Heather MacMillan $300.00
1983 Stephen Marsters $300.00
1984 Trudy Pettigrew $600.00
1985 Angela Connors $600.00
1986 Lisa Gaudet $650.00
1987 Wanda Cleveland $650.00
1988 Lloyd Starratt $750.00
1989 Sydney Swaine $700.00
1990 Susan MacMillan $750.00
1991 Marie Doucette $800.00
1992 Tracey Talbot $800.00
1993 Jan Zwicker $800.00
1994 Carla Shaw $800.00
1995 Melissa Grey $375.00
1995 Arlene Doucette $375.00
1996 Steven Sanford $600.00
1997 Abe Zebian $700.00
1998 Jill Sanford $800.00
1999 Kerri Burgher $800.00
2000 Melissa Kelly $800.00
2001 Morgan Dunbar $500.00
2001 Julie McCarthy $500.00
2002 Natasha Ewert $1,000.00
2003 Ashley Harding $1,000.00
2004 Dustin Currie $1,000.00
2005 Heather Harding $1,000.00
2006 Shaun MacFarlane $1,000.00
2007 Ben Jamer $1,000.00
2007 Heather Babin $1,000.00
2008 Nataleah lnvine $1,000.00
2008 Justin Barkhouse $1,000.00
2009 Kelsey Carey $1,000.00
2010 Lindsay Coldwell $1,000.00
2011 Michael Gnemmi $1,000.00
2011 Jessica Zinck $1,000.00
2012 Ally Loiselle $1,000.00
2012 Morgan McNeil $1,000.00
2013 Christina Travers $1,000.00
2013 Rachel Newcombe $1,000.00
2014 Courtney Garland $1,500.00
2015 Darcy Fuller $1,500.00
2016 Luke Oulton $1,500.00
2016 Will Newcombe $1,500.00
2017 Jillian Miller $1,500.00
2017 Lex Corbett $1,500.00
2018 Ben Pelton $1,500.00
2018 Abbey Miller $1,500.00
2018 Hannah Coldwell $1,500.00
2018 Nathaniel Maxner $1,500.00
2018 Lindsay Myles $1,500.00
2019 Noah Pyke $1,500.00
2019 Jess Fuller $1,500.00
2020 Heidi Maxner $1,500.00
2020 McKinley Bezanson $1,500.00
2021 Rebecca Kelley $1,500.00
2021 Anna Syme $1,500.00
2022 Julia Newcombe $1,500.00
2023 Brett King $2,000.00

Taped Interviews with
Maurice “Moss” Smith
Hantsport, NS – Summer 1975
OFY Project – Historical Insights

BEAZLEY RACE & MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP:

When we formed the Legion way back after the second war, I got up and said, “Now, Comrades, These Legions are for doing something – – work for something, have a little object and view.”

“Well, have you got anything?”

“Yes, I have. I’m thinking right now. I think I do right now.” I said, “We could hold a road race to the memory of Dick Beazley, killed in Holland.”

“Well, all right. What would we have?”

“Well, a five or six mile road race, or if it’s on a track, all right.”

That went over and it’s been going on ever since. This will be twenty-nine years this year, I think, and I’ve started every one of them. Anyway, it (the Legion) went on for a number of years and I got up again and I said, “We’re not doing a thing. We should have another little project. Let’s get busy on it.”

“Well, have you got something?”

“Yes, let’s raise money for a scholarship for the town.”

“Well, how much money would you want to get?”

“My thoughts are, ten thousand dollars.” (Well, that’s a long ways away from it now, but it’s working there.)

There was a lot of opposition. I fought it, kept it going. To make it easier, I said we’d bring the town council in on it, mayor and councillors, meet them and let them subscribe, and they did and the lodges gave some. Well, now we gave $250 last year, and there, I think it’s worthwhile. It isn’t so big, but it’s worthwhile to win it. I was thinking about it today – – the girl or boy that gets it. A lot wanted to give it to some family that didn’t have the money. No, I didn’t want it that way. I wanted it for the highest marks of the student. Make it bigger that way too. Well, I had my way; it went that way and still is.

There’s an odd man in our committee, and I’m him. I come up with the last say. I would move that the student receive the scholarship and Mr. Harlow always favored me. I didn’t look at what money somebody had or what his grandfather had, I just took the honour of the pupil making the highest mark and winning it. That’s what counts, isn’t it? If they want to give another one to some underprivileged child, then I’ll go along with it. If that’s the object, then I’d be all for it. A lot didn’t agree, but they more or less do now. But we can’t give it to everyone.