The HFIAW was thrilled to continue the tradition of honoring late General President Emeritus William G. Bernard by drawing the names of members’ families who would receive scholarships for the next academic year.
Established in 1990, the Florence Bernard/Alta Miller Scholarships are awarded annually to HFIAW members, their spouses and/or children, who are starting or continuing their education at an accredited college, community college, trade or technical school during the 2023-2024 school year. Scholarships can also be awarded to support special education programs for our members and their families.
This year’s drawing was held during the Welcome Reception of the 2023 Local Union Officers Conference, The Master Apprenticeship Competition and the Joint Apprentice Conference, creating a memorable experience for all attendees.
The Florence Bernard/Alta Miller Scholarship has received strong support from the general membership for decades. After the scholarship fund was established, members began contributing one-half of 1 cent per hour worked.
At the 2017 Convention, a resolution was passed to increase the hourly contribution to 1 cent per hour worked, ensuring the fund’s financial stability, and allowing for the annual awards to increase to $5,000.
General President Terrence M. Larkin, retired IIIATF Administrator Thomas A. Haun and Assistant to the General Secretary-Treasurer Christina Bouchard had the honor of overseeing and announcing the random draw of scholarship winners during the reception.
The winners were randomly selected from a large tumbler containing a card for every scholarship applicant. The cards were drawn by selected special guests and the spouses of the IAHFIAW General Executive Board members. This included: Barbara Larkin, Kathleen (Katie) Reap, Janine Raffray, Janet Damaris, Angela (Angie) Johnson, Gloria Logan, Jennifer (Jenn) Schultz, Annette Lister, Jordyn Larkin, Carrie Wolf, Tammy Whitenect and Melisa Silkas.
The celebration and drawing of the 33rd Annual Florence Bernard/Alta Miller Scholarship recipients at the Hilton Americas-Houston provided an enjoyable kick-off event for the busy week ahead. Be sure to check out the Winter edition of The Journal, where a complete list of the 2023 scholarship recipients and general information about each winner will be published.