The James R. Griffith Merit Scholar Award is provided to help offset member fees for participating in PCMB / PCCS programs. The program is named for a former Plymouth Director who is credited with building our the nationally recognized Marching Band.

To assist in the process of acceptance, review and determination of applications, the Canton Community Foundation (CCF) will maintain the PCMB endowment fund which was established in December, 2008. The Foundation is organized to accept gifts for the purpose of investing and managing the PCMB Scholarship Fund. The earnings from the fund are the source of the annual Financial Aid and Merit Scholarships, the annual distribution shall be distributed 85% to Financial Aid and 15% to James R. Griffith Scholar Award Merit Scholarship. The information submitted to the Canton Community Foundation is not shared with the PCMB Board. The Treasurer will receive a notification of the award amounts. The CCF maintains both this award and the PCMB Financial Aid program.

The deadline for submitting the application is September 14th of the current year.

The James R. Griffith Scholar Award Merit Scholarship is based upon multi-faceted criteria with a 100-point scale, to be completed by student. The maximum allotment $100.00. A student may receive a merit-based award one time in their 4 years at high school.

1. Grade Point Average (up to 40 points)
2. Recommendation Letter (up to 15 points)
3. 200-word Essay (up to 15 points) – Essay should answer one of the following questions:
   Returning students – What advice would you give to incoming freshmen?
   New Members – What do you hope to gain from participation in this program?
4. Special Circumstances (up to 15 points) – Attach a written description of any special circumstances to which additional consideration needs to be extended.
5. Leadership/Outside Activities/Community Involvement (up to 15 points) – List community service activities completed (excluding PCMB events), activities or groups in which you have consistently participated, leadership roles that you have assumed and any awards or recognition received.

Mail completed application to:

PCMB Scholarship Fund
Canton Community Foundation
50430 Schoolhouse Road, Suite 200
Canton, MI 48187

griffith merit scholarship application.pdf

This scholarship has been established in the name of Douglas Preston McKelvey. Doug was a 2006 graduate of Plymouth-Canton High School where he was an active participant in the Plymouth-Canton Marching Band. Doug played the trumpet and thoroughly enjoyed participating in competitions including four trips to the State and Grand National Championships. Doug made many friends through the marching band. He also obtained his first job out of college as a result of his connections with people through PCMB. In addition to music, Doug learned discipline, leadership skills, how to work hard, as well as share his many talents with others. Doug died in 2016 at the age of 27. We would like to honor Doug’s memory by helping others in the Plymouth Canton Marching Band gain a similar life changing experience!

Purpose

To provide financial assistance to a P-CCS Marching Band student of which the participation fee imposes a financial hardship on their family.

Amount to be awarded

$1000 (non-renewable) will be awarded to two students.

Criteria

• High school Student at P-CCS
• Active member of the P-CCS Marching Band
• Financial assistance is needed to off-set the cost of the participation fee
  

Application Requirements

• Completed application form (see attached)mckelvey financial scholarship application.pdf
• Short Essay (500 words maximum) on what role participating in the P-CCS Marching Band plays in your life or the reason you wish to join the band, and the lessons learned from those experiences.

Memories of "The Apple Man"

by Gerry Olexsey, Past President
Plymouth-Canton Music Boosters

L. John Miller, also known as "The Apple Man" passed away in late June of this year (2009). L. John was a great supporter of this program and more importantly, a friend to all the students. This evening we honor L. John for his devotion to the Plymouth Canton Marching Band. You will recognize our special tribute by the single red balloon during our festivities today.

I would like to introduce you to the L. John Miller other wise known as “The Apple Man”. If you have been part of this organization for only the last four years you and your student probably do not know the real “Apple Man”. You may have heard of him and you know there is an award named after him, but you have never had the real “Apple Man” experience. He is much more than some old guy that delivered apples to the buses.

I first met L. John late in the 1998 marching band season. I must admit I was a little leery of him when I first saw him. You have to remember, I was not real excited about my son joining this marching band thing and to me everything and everyone different was bad or suspicious. The first thing that came to mind when seeing and older gentleman delivering apples and talking to high school kids was “dirty old man”!!! Then my son got a call from “The Apple man” right before Nationals and I went through the roof. I gave my son the third degree ---what did he say? What did he ask? What did you say? Etc. Come to find out, my son was one of about 200 kids that received a similar call. Something “Apple Man” did every year to wish the kids good luck. If the kids were freshman and nervous (like my son) he would spend all the time the student wanted on the phone.

I started to think that “The Apple Man” must be a pretty decent guy. I introduced myself at Nationals among the crowd of people around him talking to him. I thought in that crowd he would never remember. He did and since that time he greeted me every time he saw me.

The introduction does not end here. If you ever went to a competition when L. John and Kari (his wife) attended (every competition), you knew who was the first one out his seat cheering the kids. It was L. John up first, and trust me you could hear him. By the way, when I mentioned cheering the kids, it was not only our kids. It was every kid in every band. He made sure every kid passing in review got the same intensity. You know how must of us wane as the review goes on – not L. John, the first student received the same as the last from “The Apple Man”.

You must be thinking that L. John was one heck of a marching band fan. Yes, he was. However, do not limit him. He was at every concert!! Guess who was the first out of his seat at every concert?

Guess who was at every GLI, every car wash and every fundraiser? Guess who had the total spirit of the program? Guess who had it figured out long ago? He wasn’t just “The Apple Man”. He was and is part of the spirit of this program. He is a role model to all that are involved in this program.

When I became president I got to know L. John a little more. I had the privilege of presenting him a plaque from the boosters when he moved to Walla Walla. I must say presenting that plaque brought a tear to my eye. A tear because he deserved it and a tear because we were losing Kari and him.

L. John was a very rich man. I do not believe he was a wealthy man. In fact I have no idea how much money he had. His riches were in terms of the people that knew him and loved him. I am talking in terms of thousands of students, parents and staff that knew him as “The Apple Man” and much more. You too can meet L. John. At the next competition or event, try and be the first one out of your seat and give every student the recognition they deserve and see how it feels to be “The Apple Man”.