Scholarships Offered from Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting
The Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting [EOCS] 2004 scholarship program is being offered to high school Boy and Girl Scout seniors of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The scholarships are made possible by the EOCS Scholarship Endowment Fund and are not based on need. Annually the EOCS awards $1,000 for first place and $500 for the runner-up.
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The committee evaluates the candidates using the following criteria: [1] be a registered active member of a Boy or Girl Scout unit, [2] have earned the Eagle Scout Award for boys or the Gold Award for girls, [3] be an active member of an Eastern Orthodox Church and have earned the Alpha-Omega Scout Religious Award, [4] have demonstrated practical citizenship in their church, high school, scout unit, and in the community, [5] scholastic achievement.
In addition to the 2004 scholarships being made available, the EOCS Scholarship Committee has announced the winners of the eleventh annual national scholarships. Georgia A. Giannopoulos of New Hyde Park, NY and a member of St. Paul Greek Orthodox Chathedral was selected from a large pool of applicants from throughout the United States and received a check for $1,000 as the first place winner for 2003. She will be attending Lyola College in Maryland concentrating on studies in the field of Biology. Steven Rugh, of Monongahela, PA and a member of The Nativity of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church received a check for $500 as runner-up.
Steven has been an active member of scouting for 13 years starting out as a Cub Scout and graduating into Boy Scouts where he earned the highest award in scouting, the Eagle Scout Award. He also earned the Chi-Rho and Alpha Omega, the Orthodox Scout Religious Awards along with a number of leadership positions and recognitions. After receiving his Eagle Scout he continued to excel and earned the Bronze and then the Gold Palm.
In addition, Steven was a member of three community bands as well as the school band, very active in his church’s youth programs, served and held leadership positions in numerous school clubs, and received a number of academic awards and recognitions.
Because of Steven’s scholastic achievements and being an all-round spectacular individual, he was accepted by a number of colleges and universities. He chose Virginia Technical University in Virginia because of his desire to major in computer science, of which they are one of the nation’s leading universities in this program. While he has a very busy agenda, Steven still makes time for his church activities and his music.
The deadline for the 2004 scholarships is May 15, 2004. For information and applications for the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting Scholarships, contact EOCA Scholarship Chairman, 862 Guy Lombardo Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520
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EOCS is responsible for creating, expanding, and enhancing the faith of Orthodox Christian boy and girl scouts. EOCS was organized in 1960 by the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas [SCOBA] and is responsible to them by providing religious activities for Orthodox scouts on a national level. EOCS’s beliefs accord with the Scout Law and Scout Oath, that religion is an integral part of a scout’s personal moral development.
For information on the EOCS and their events and programs, check out their website at www.eocs.org or contact them at: EOCS, 862 Guy Lombardo Ave., Freeport, NY 11520.