Lambton IPM scholarship fund seeking applications for 2023 awards

In 1991 the International Plowing Match welcomed thousands of visitors to its site just outside of Petrolia.

All these years later, it continues to have an impact on Lambton County through the annual IPM scholarship.

Trustees of the fund created by local organizers of the event are offering three scholarships of $2,000 each this year to students entering their second year of post-secondary education.

Sept. 15 is the deadline for applications, which are available by email at [email protected].

There is “good interest each year,” said Bryan Boyle, with the IPM scholarship.

Often, “10-plus” applications are submitted annually for the scholarship awards which are based on community involvement, academic record, as well as financial and discretionary need, he said.

In 2022, the trustees increased the amount of the individual scholarships from $1,000 to $2,000.

That move was made “to help keep up with the realities of the cost” of education, Boyle said.

The scholarship’s individual awards started out at $2,000 three decades ago but decreased over time because of declines in interest earned by the fund.

“Even with returns we’re getting, it will probably outlast our involvement, or us,” Boyle said about the outlook for the scholarship fund.

‘We just got thinking rather than nickel and diming it and ensuring” scholarships were funded each year with only interest earned it was “more important to give a decent award,” he said.

The 1991 International Plowing Match welcomed more than 90,000 visitors over several days to the massive farm show and plowing competition hosted by a group of local volunteers.

Organizers in Lambton decided not to follow the typical pattern where local committee members received modest per diems from local profits the event earned, with the rest going to charity.

Instead, with encouragement from plowing match chairperson, the late Leonard McNeil, the Lambton volunteers decided to put the local profit into the scholarship fund after using a little bit of cash to hold a roast beef supper to thank everyone who helped.

That left “still well over $100,000” for the scholarship fund, Boyle said.

“We thought this would be a more meaningful way of spending it.”

Since then, more than 100 scholarships have been awarded.

“It gives that little constant reminder of all the excellent volunteerism that happened in the match,” Boyle said.

While academic achieve is part of the scholarship program’s criteria, “the main thing is community involvement,” he said.

“That’s very much in the spirit of the plowing match volunteers.”

This year’s scholarships will be announced at the Brigden Fair on Thanksgiving weekend.

[email protected]