Vernon Morning Star – Piping bursary available:

“Piping bursary available”

The McIntosh Girls Pipe Band Society awards an annual bursary to a deserving piper or drummer who wants to attend Piping Hot Summer Drummer, a school that is held at every summer at Silver Star Mountain.

Preference is given to anyone who was ever a member of the McIntosh Girls Pipe Band, and their relatives and friends.

When there is no applicant from that priority group, the funds are awarded to other individuals so all interested pipers and drummers are encouraged to apply. The funds are usually awarded to children and the names of promising young pipers and drummers have sometimes been put forward by pipe majors.

The McIntosh Girls Pipe Band flourished from 1946 to 1966 under pipe major Hilma Martens (nee Foote), who started the band with her parents. Her dad had been in a military pipe band and took charge of marching and drills.

The uniforms were made by Mrs. Foote. Hilma was pipe major and took lessons from an eminent piper, Mr. Barry, who was stationed at the army camp in the post-war period. The young women travelled all over North America.

When membership dwindled in the mid-1960s, the band folded.

Members formed a society which awards the annual bursary of about $400, depending on available funding sources. Donations will be accepted toward the bursary.

“Pipers and drummers coming up now have to compete with much stiffer competition that we ever did,” said Jan Mattock, who was a drum major in the band.

“Piping Hot is taught by the Simon Fraser Pipe Band, world champions and great teachers. They have classes for piping, base drums and tenor drums, leading a band and more.”

The McIntosh Girls Pipe Band Society currently has about 40 members including active alumni Birdie Cooney, Joanne Georgeson, Gloria Trierweiler and Jean Wetherill. Hilma Martens is now in her 80s and lives in Kelowna.

She is active on the bursary committee with Maureen Soichuk, also a former pipe major, and Mattock.

The deadline for application is April 30 each year.

Interested pipers and drummers should phone Soichuk at 250-542-3088 for information on the application process.

The process includes a letter from the student detailing their piping or drumming background and why they want the bursary, and a reference check with the applicant’s pipe major.

(Via www.bclocalnews.com – Read Full Article.)