Since 2020, the Great Meadows Conservation Trust has awarded Betty Schmitt Memorial scholarships of as much as $1000 each to graduating seniors who are planning a college education in any of the environmental sciences. Each year, a scholarship is awarded to a senior from each of the three GMCT towns of Glastonbury, Rocky Hill, and Wethersfield. The awardees are selected by the teachers or counselors in each school.
This program was begun by a very generous $10,000 donation by the family of Betty Schmitt, who passed on October 15th, 2020 after a courageous battle with cancer. Betty was a very influential member of the GMCT having served on the board of directors multiple times and holding the chair of the Land Acquisition Committee for many years. We have Betty to thank for the the acquisition of numerous parcels and for her carefully prepared instructions for evaluating the criteria for and the steps of the land acquisition process.
The Schmitt family’s $10,000 seed donation has been supplemented by memorial donations received in memory of other prominent GMCT members when GMCT has been named to receive memorial donations in the obituaries of those who have passed. In 2024, legacies from three Trust members, Jim Thompson, Phil Lohman, and Bob Pulford bolstered the scholarship fund. Members and the general public can of course donate to this fund at any time.
To keep the grant program going, the board of directors has voted to utilize funds from an annual grant received from the estate of the Wolcott family. This grant has been awarded without specific instructions as to its use and is a vital source of funds for this program.