DCA-Dale R. Michels Endowed Scholarship
To encourage students to pursue careers in construction, the Association founded an endowed scholarship in 1998 to distribute $5,000 each year among one or more students who are enrolled in colleges or trade schools. Beginning in 2006, the amount increased to $15,000, to be distributed annually. To be eligible, scholarship applicants must be dependents of DCA members or member-company employees.
The DCA-Dale R. Michels Endowed Scholarship, which was named in memory of Honorary Member Dale R. Michels, was originally funded by an endowment of $100,000, taken from the proceeds of DCA’s Annual Auction. Michels Corporation and others contributed significant amounts to the fund. The program is administered by the Dale R. Michels Scholarship Committee, which oversees the annual application and award process. Applicants are judged on academic and community achievements, college entrance test scores, financial need, and two short answer questions.
Applications are mailed in October and due back to the DCA office no later than early January. Scholarship recipients are announced at DCA’s Annual Convention in February/March.
Check back in the Fall of 2012 for the 2013-14 applications
Curtis H. Allen Scholarship
Bentonite Performance Minerals (BPM) funds a scholarship in honor of the late Curtis H. Allen and makes an annual contribution of $2,500 into the fund. The DCA manages the scholarship according the current practices at DCA. The scholarship goes toward any form of education that would benefit the membership of the DCA or industries supported by the DCA. This scholarship will be dedicated to students going to a trade or vocational school with a focus on this industry.
Two members of the selection committee come from Halliburton companies (Bentonite Performance Minerals LLC or Baroid Industrial Drilling Products) as permanent members of the committee.
Check back in the Fall of 2012 for the 2013-14 applications
James R. Upton Scholarship
The DCA Board of Directors authorized $4,000 annually for a period of five years, for the purpose of providing scholarship opportunities for students of the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, in memory of former DCA Managing Director James R. Upton.
Two scholarship recipients are selected by the Cherokee Nation, based on criteria set by them, from graduates of the Sequoyah High School in Talequah, and awarded annually.
Check back in the Fall of 2012 for the 2013-14 applications
DCA-Lyons’ Grant Program
Deceased Past President and Honorary Member Bob Lyons was widely known for his commitment to community service, education, charitable causes and the DCA. Bob was instrumental in establishing the DCA Annual Auction in 1991, which to date has raised over two million dollars for the scholarship program, the DCA Safety Congress, and the association’s office and staff. To give back to the association, Bob’s widow, Jan Lyons, a strong DCA supporter in her own right has authorized the donation from the Lyons' Foundation of $25,000 over a five year period. Discussions were held at the DCA 46th Annual Convention and it was determined that a fitting distribution of these funds would be best applied by establishing individual grants to persons or organizations that are affiliated with the DCA. The grants are based on emergency financial needs or requests to support community activities.
As of February 2010, we have distributed $3,000 for the Lyons’ Grant. There was a recommendation that the Board approve an annual award of $5,000 from the DCA Annual Auction proceeds to keep the Lyons’ Family Grant financially solvent. This funding will augment the original $25,000 grant from the Lyon’s family.