Scholarships

Application Deadline: May 15, 2024 (Note New date)

Award Date:  June, annually.

The Lyme-Old Lyme Lions scholarships are intended to recognize individuals who have demonstrated exemplary service to our community, and/or show a high level of self-sufficiency in their non-academic endeavors. These awards are awarded in memory of four Lyme-Old Lyme Lions: Harold J. Nickerson, Ralph Kehoe, Lew Krause, and Donald McCue. These were extraordinary Lions who supported the efforts of students in our community.

We encourage all applicants who have participated in community service to apply, since this criterion is valued more highly than any other by the Scholarship Committee. Each applicant is requested to write a short essay about themselves. Letters of reference from individuals who supervised an applicant’s community service work, as well as teachers, coaches or other supervisory persons, are strongly encouraged.

 Please mail completed applications to the Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club Scholarship Committee, P.O. Box 32, Old Lyme, CT 06371. Applications and letters of reference may be mailed separately and must be postmarked by May 15. We regret that no applications or references postmarked after this date will be considered. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT APPLICANTS MUST ABIDE STRICTLY BY THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH IN THE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION.

Scholarships will be awarded at the Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club meeting in June.

Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Scholarships are funded by the Lions’ Super Bowl Sunday Scholarship Breakfast and other Lions fundraising activities held throughout the year. If you are part of the local academic community, please support the Scholarship Pancake Breakfast fundraiser.

                                       Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club Scholarship Program

                             Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club   P. O. Box 32    Old Lyme, CT 06371

Up to 4 annual scholarships may be awarded to high school seniors or post-secondary students who meet the following criteria:

Eligibility Criteria–To be eligible to apply, the applicant must:

  1. Be a resident of Lyme/Old Lyme.
  2. Be a high school graduating senior, or presently in or have been accepted to and planning to attend a technical school, post-secondary training program, community college, or an accredited college or university, in the fall.
  3. Be committed to various forms of community service, and have a record of public service to the community, as documented in this application, and/or your resume.
  4. Have financial need in your ability to pursue a post-secondary education.
  5. Graduate students are NOT eligible for our Lions Club Scholarship.

Application Process:

  1. For high school seniors: Either obtain an application from the Guidance Office or go to the Lyme/Old Lyme Lions Club Website, lymeoldlymelions.org, Scholarship Tab,  and download/print a copy of the application, complete it in full, add all required attachments [e.g., Recommendations, references, resume, transcripts, essay] and send it to the Lions Club address indicated.   
  2. For community college, college, university, and technical/vocational school applicants: Go to the Lyme/Old Lyme Lions Club Website, lymeoldlymelions.org, Scholarship Tab, and download/print a copy of the application, complete it in full, add all required attachments [e.g., Recommendations, references, resume, transcripts, work experience, essay] and send it to the Lions Club address indicated.  Alternatively, your institution of higher learning may wish to directly supply or help you supply the Lions Club with the required information.
  3. Application should be returned to the Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club Scholarship Committee, PO Box 32, Old Lyme, CT 06371 and postmarked NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2024.
  4. Provide the Scholarship Committee with a high school, community college, technical/vocational school, college, or university official transcript.
  5.  Write an essay about yourself.
  6. In your resume, or in writing if not included in your resume, describe how you have participated in community service activities while in school or out of school.
  7. Include two letters of reference, one being from an individual who has known you as a student or an employee (teacher, coach, counselor, supervisor), and one from a person who has observed or known of your community service work. The reference must not be a relative.
  8. You may be asked to participate in an interview with the Lions Club Scholarship Committee as part of this process.
  9. The recipient(s) will be notified by mail, and will be invited to attend a Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club meeting where the scholarship(s) will be awarded, in June 2024.

Click here to download scholarship application for 2024:

2024 Lions Scholarship Application 3-01-24 Final

Lyme/Old Lyme Lions Club Scholarship History:
     Awarding a scholarship to graduating high school senior for their achievement was a priority for the newly founded Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club fulfilling its Mission, “To Serve” the community.
     Our Lions Club was chartered in April 1972 with ties to educators in the school, Lion Mike
Rubitski, a well-liked high school teacher, was a charter member of the Lions Club.  Following
Mike to join were Frank Balboni, Reggie LaCasse, Ralph Kehoe, Regis Stirling, and Mike Sicord.
     The Lions awarded the first scholarship in 1975 to honor Harold Nickerson because of his
community service as a Lion. A second scholarship was added in 1991 to honor Ralph Kehoe
who was an active Lion and supportive of all athletic student activities. During the Korean war,
Ralph served in the Army Infantry and was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and a
Purple Heart. In 1994, a third scholarship was added honoring Lou Krause, an active community member and a broadcaster on local TV.
     The Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club continued to award three scholarships for 24 years to students who exhibited athletic and academic excellence. In 2018 a fourth scholarship was added and honored Lion Don McCue because of his community service and involvement in the Lions Club. Don was renowned globally for his metallurgical knowledge of Titanium metals.
     From 2018 to the present, four scholarships were awarded to graduating high school seniors including during the Covid pandemic. In 2022, five scholarships were awarded to students because of their outstanding achievements scholastically, athletically and because of need. The diverse and outstanding credentials of candidates in 2022 initiated a need to re-evaluate our selection process.
     Beginning in 2023, Lions will award scholarships not primarily based upon academics or athletic achievement but upon community service and financial need. Scholarships will be awarded to
high school seniors as well as students returning for additional education that result of life
changing occurrences or simply a career change.  These values are consistent with our Lions Mission “To Serve”, and we wish to support everyone’s dream for a healthy and contributing life of service.  
     The number of scholarships, size of the award and award amount is a function of the number of
applicants, the Lions Scholarship annual fund-raising results and the reserve set aside for future
scholarships. Scholarship amounts may vary from $1,000 to $3,000 or more depending on the previously
mentioned circumstances.