AMA Scholarships Awarded
SINCE 1970, AMA Scholarship Awards have been made in varying amounts to carefully screened applicants who were doubly distinguished by their high grades in school and an active career in modeling competition. Also stressed were their rounded-out individual activities and special interests. In selecting these scholarship winners, a number of considerations thus were made: activities, class rank, grade average, and national test results. The most desirable candidate is one who takes part in a variety of modeling, school and community activities, as well as being academically inclined. By sponsoring the Scholarship Program AMA perceived the opportunity of giving its members an active part in advancing the interests of their hobby, showing the organization as one interested in its young members—beyond the building and flying of model airplanes.
The number and amount of scholarships vary according to the number of applications, the applicants' qualifications, and the amount of money available in the scholarship fund. Applications are considered and evaluated by the AMA Scholarship committee, composed of the following:
Bob Stalick, Albany, Ore., Chairman; Cliff Telford, Bethesda, Md.; Bob Underwood, St. Louis, Mo.; John Worth, Fairfax, Va. This committee, following its rating study, makes recommendations to the Executive Council concerning the number of winners and the amount of the award to each.
The initiator of the AMA Scholarship Program was Matty Sullivan of Pylon Brand Products who made a substantial contribution for this purpose years ago. The Executive Council, which is the AMA policy making body, followed suit and authorized an apportionment of dues and solicitations for additional contributions to fund the program on a continuing basis.
Meanwhile, however, the Executive Council is re-evaluating the Scholarship Program in terms of cost effectiveness. Some problems with the program include meager PR benefits (despite a considerable PR effort), low participation, eligibility of a very narrow age group. Also there appears to be some doubt as to whether the program money fulfills a real need—most applicants have indicated they are going to college anyway. At the same time there is a need and demand for better Junior programs. The council is therefore considering the possibility of a change in direction concerning AMA expenditures regarding youth activities. The future of AMA's Scholarship Program beyond 1975 thus is currently in doubt.
When the current review is completed an announcement will be made regarding any future scholarship programs. But, for now, the 1975 winners were an outstanding group and they deserve recognition for their great achievements.
Joseph P. Mekina ($1,000), Barberton, Ohio, was planning attending the University of Cincinnati in the Fall of 1975—to study aeronautical engineering—when he was awarded first place in the AMA's 1975 Scholarship Awards. A graduate last June of Barberton High School, he is a member of the Cleveland Free Flight Society and the Goodyear Model Aircraft Club. He was most active in both H.S. activities as well as model building. A rare-type of modeler, he built and successfully competed in virtually all types and categories—CL, FF, RC and Indoor—traveling widely to numerous meets. He has won 14 Nats trophies and 115 in all at AMA-sanctioned contests. He's built over 50 models and still has almost all of them. And he has helped others. For three years he instructed kids—starting with Delta Darts—in the C.Y.O. program. He led them into other indoor types and graduated them into outdoor flying.
At Barberton High Joseph made time for many activities, while achieving a grade average of 4.239 out of a possible 5.00. He stood third from a total enrollment of 506. He was a member for three years of the Science Club—its secretary in the third year. In his Senior year he was a member of the National Honor Society. In his Sophomore year he won his letter in baseball. Other activities there included the Fishing Club, Junior Achievements, Physic Assistant (2 years). He has many special interests besides: bike riding, swimming, fishing, camping.
Mark D. Bauer ($750), Norridge, Ill., graduated in May 1975 from Loyola Academy, in Wilmette, Ill., where, percentage-wise, his grade average was 94.6 out of a possible 100. Mark stood 13th in a total enrollment of 442. He had planned entering Illinois Institute of Technology, in Chicago, where his planned major was Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. In H.S. Science Awards he was on the first place team for the Loyola University Math Contest in both 1974 and 1975. He belonged to the Math Club for four years, two of which he was president. He also belonged to the Bike Club for two years, Chemistry Club for one year and the Camera Club for one year. Other activities included tennis, intramural basketball, H.O. trains and slot cars.
Mark has been a member of the Chicago Aero Angels since 1968, and was their secretary in both 1974 and '75. In seven years of competition he has won 103 trophies and various plaques. Bauer started young. In five years as a Junior he won 74 trophies, six of them from the Nationals in 1971 and '72, one a first in CL Stunt. In 1973, his first year in Senior competition, he won 11 trophies—the big one his first in Scale at the Nats—in such varied CL events as Balloon Bust, Stunt, Goodyear, Sport Scale, Old-Time Stunt and, of course, Scale. In 1974, still a Senior, he won 18 trophies, now including community activities he belonged to the Teen Club. Gerald Geraghty ($750), San Jose, Calif., graduated from the Silver Creek High School, San Jose, this past June. He was to enter the University of Southern California in September 1975, shooting for a major in Telecommunications. He combined scholarship, activities and interests with an active and many-faceted "career" in model airplane building and flying.
In high school he belonged to an honor society—California Scholarship Federation—for four years. His grade average was 3.77 out of a possible 4.00 and he stood 20th out of a total enrollment of 337. He received an Outstanding Achievement Award in Advanced Biology and won letters in Freshman Football, JV Football, Frosh-Soph Swimming, and in Varsity Swimming. As a modeler he belongs to the Oakland Cloud Dusters and the National Free Flight Society. Skipping over his first three activity-crammed years in high school, Gerald, as Senior, was team captain of Varsity Swimming; President of the Varsity Club; Student Body Athletic Commissioner; was in the Tennis Club, participated in School Radio through KSCH and a lifetime member of CSF.
Very much the serious competitor, Gerald ran up a most impressive modeling activity record. He joined NFFS way back in 1967, took four places in that year's Nats as a Junior. Two more places were added at the 1968 Nats, and a first in NFFS Coupe. In 1971 he took four firsts at the Nats and four other places; in 1972 was Senior Champion of the U.S. Free Flight Championships held at Taft. In 1972 and '73 he manufactured Driftwood Hand Launched Gliders. In 1974 he was Vice President of the Oakland Cloud Dusters and Event Director Indoor HLG at TAFF FF Championships, which role he played again in 1975. His high places taken in smaller meets are too numerous to mention. Gerald was, indeed, a well rounded scholar and model airplane builder during his H.S. years.
Soter P. Slomski ($500.00), Lyndhurst, Ohio, graduated from Charles F. Bush High School in 1974 and is majoring in mechanical engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., where he is now in his second year. His high school grade average was 3.71 out of a possible 4.00 and he stood 42 out of a total enrollment of 750. At Cornell he finished his Freshman year with a 3.57 out of a 4.00 grade point average. At Cornell, he is a member of the National Honor Society and of the Debate Team, reaching the National Forensic League's Level of Excellence.
Soter is a member of the Lyndhurst Barnstormers M.A.C., formed in 1972 by himself with only five others. He was elected Secretary in that year as the club grew to 40 members and became an AMA Charter Club. He thinks of himself as primarily a control-line flier, including Piston and Slow Combat, Goodyear, Stunt, A Speed, FAI Combat, Balloon Bust, and 1/2A Combat. On the free flight side he goes in for 1/2A Gas, Outdoor and Indoor HLG, and Easy B. He's competed in numerous meets, mostly throughout the midwest and including the Oshkosh Nationals. He's had six firsts, and quite a few other high placings. During the past few years he's built 26 control-line planes, mostly from plans, and seven free flight models.
Gary S. Haffke ($250), Vineland, N.J., graduated from Vineland Senior High School in June of 1974. He is now a Sophomore at Drexel University in Philadelphia where he is majoring in Mechanical or Aeronautical Engineering. Like the other AMA scholarship winners, he possesses a first-rate scholastic record, participated in many H.S. activities, has special interests, and has most actively followed his model airplane hobby, also competing in a wide variety of meets, including the Nationals. With a grade average percentage-wise of 87 out of a possible 100, he stood 85th in a total enrollment of 800 plus at Vineland Senior High. Gary is a member of the South Jersey AeroModelers and was club secretary in 1974.
In Science Awards, Haffke took second place in the National Math Contest in 1973. He also belonged to the French Club, Ski Club, Psychology Club, Math Club, the Senior High School band and participated in the Ping Pong Tournament. As if those activities were not enough, his special interests include over 200 awards for State, Regional, and National Meets in Competitive Roller Skating, which sport he participated in from the age of five. He was commissioned Competitive and Test Roller Skating Judge in all phases of skating.
As a modeler he, too, builds and flies an amazing variety of types, including both free flight and control-line, and has competed—and taken awards—in such things as Balloon Bust, 1/2A FF, CL Stunt, Goodyear Racing, 1/2A Speed, Scale, Combat, HL Glider, Rat Race, FAI Team Race. He flies RC for sport. For all of that he found it necessary to build "only" 30 planes. So, like all the other awardees, he is to be complimented on his across-the-board approach to his hobby as well as his scholarship.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
