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THOMAS W MCCORMICK SCHOLARSHIP FUND, CORP.

The Thomas W. McCormick Scholarship Fund, Corp., referred to as “the company”, was incorporated on December 30, 2004, as a Florida non-profit corporation. Its primary purpose is to provide scholarships to deserving students while filling the overall need of these students in an exchange student environment to other countries. This program is designed to promote education, encourage people to experience other cultures, and enrich their lives.

The specific approach used by the company is to write a letter to the principal of all the Broward County high schools describing the scholarship program and outlining the qualifications the Company looks for in each student. Enclosed with the letter is the student exchange program application. (Please see appendix A) This letter requests the school to forward the applications of any students who are both interested and qualified for the scholarship along with their biography and recommendations. The following is an outline of the qualifications for students participating in the scholarship program:

Students must be a member of the Thomas W. McCormick Scholarship Fund
Students must be from the ages of 16 to 18 years old for High School Students and 18 to 24 years old for college students.
Students must have an overall GPA of 3.5.
Students must be of sound character and come from a family with sound values and morals.
Students must have a record of being well disciplined.

Upon receipt of student applications, recommendations and biographies, a committee reviews each applicant with the process of eliminating those who do not qualify according to the criteria outlined above. Those eliminated, receive a letter stating their elimination and the reason. Interviews are schedules for the remaining applicants. The interviews screen each student so that the number is narrowed down to 4 to 6 of the best students depending on the amount of funds available. Each student and their parents are required to sign a “consent form” (please see appendix B) and a “waiver of responsibility”. (Please see appendix C)

The company provides the airlines tickets, travel insurance, and accident/liability insurance. The host family provides housing, food, and entertainment for a four-week period usually in the summer. We are in collaboration with the city officials of the host city/state/country. The host city/state/country provides language classes, culture classes, and special trips.

Cities abroad participating in this program with the company are then exchanged for the students the company has chosen from Broward County. After our student stays abroad and terminate their 4 weeks abroad, they will return to Broward County. Then the student from the host family abroad will come to Broward County to stay with our student’s family and we sponsor that student’s educational program at the language school in Broward County. The student’s family in Broward County will return the hospitality for 4 weeks. This has been a successfully proven solid educational program.

When the students return from abroad, they provide board members with a report of their trip, what they have learned, both culturally and educationally, and photographs or a video of highlights of their trip.

Services to “Members” of the Thomas W. McCormick Scholarship Fund, Corp

To further its mission, the Company offers individuals several different membership opportunities. A central database is used to track each member’s membership. There are four levels of membership: students, individuals, family, and corporate. Student memberships are $25.00 and include high school, college, and post-graduate students. Individual memberships are $50.00 and are for one person living alone. Family memberships are $85.00 and include a husband and wife or two partners living under the same roof. Corporate memberships are $250.00 and include 3 employees of a corporation. Student and individual members are entitled to 1 vote. Family members are entitled to 2 votes. Corporate members are entitled to 3 votes.

The company will maintain a centralized database available to all members, updated on a regular basis, which provides an accurate record of the members, their membership status, current contact information and membership date.

Additionally, a website was created so that the members will have access to each other, as well as access to planned fund-raising activities.

Member services and benefits will primarily be conducted through Vice President/Committee of Membership. The company anticipates that a broad membership base will quickly be established, providing the financial resources to further its exempt purpose and activities. All contributions from professionals, corporations, and other donors will be used to further the goal of the Thomas W. McCormick Scholarship Fund, Corp.

Increasing Awareness of the Thomas W. McCormick Scholarship Fund, Corp.

A youth ambassador club has been formed. The purpose of the club is to stimulate enthusiasm of students to donate volunteer time and to “give back” to the community and increase awareness of the Thomas W. McCormick Scholarship Fund, Corp among our youth. The club is comprised of a President, a Vice President, and committee members. Various duties of the members might include decorations and/or registrations for various fundraising events, clerical help, and increasing communication skills with other countries.

In addition, the company will sponsor and attend regular socials open to both members and the public. Two examples of these kinds of events include our “signature event” which is the annual Boat Parade Celebration held during the boat parade each year in December and other socials. All events are held in Broward County.

Nuccia McCormick

As a child, Newton McCormick was a soprano and during high school performed at the Opera House in Rome, Italy. She remained involved with the opera throughout her life, serving as a member of the Opera Society and helping to fundraise for the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. In 2008 she received a Divas & Diamonds nomination from the Opera Society.

In 1984 Newton McCormick moved from Saudi Arabia to Greenville, South Carolina, where she started Greenville’s first Sister Cities International program, established Greenville’s first sister city relationship with Ferragamo, Italy, and served as president.

The McCormicks moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1986. At a reception at City Hall, Mayor Cox learned of her Sister Cities experience and asked her to revitalize the inactive Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International (GFLSCI). As president and later chair, she helped revive three dormant sister city relationships—Rimini, Italy; Medellín, Colombia; and Gold Coast, Australia—and subsequently helped establish 14 additional sister city relationships. In 1986 the Broward Economic Development Council presented Newton McCormick a certificate of appreciation for her contributions to Broward County’s cultural and economic community.

In 1991 Jim Naugle became mayor of Fort Lauderdale and worked closely with Newton McCormick and the GFLSCI committee to pursue Venice, Italy, as a sister city. In August 1991 he joined the delegation to Venice—the first “friendship” sister city visit—but after Venice later elected a new mayor unwilling to twin with U.S. cities, McCormick and GFLSCI continued pursuing a relationship for several more years.

In October 1992 Newton McCormick was nominated Woman of the Year by the Italian‑American Chamber of Commerce and received the Chairman Emeritus for Life award from Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities International. In 1992 she also received a plaque from the City of Fort Lauderdale for outstanding leadership as president of GFLSCI.

In 1999 the municipality of La Romana recognized Ms. McCormick with a plaque in gratitude for her help with sister city initiatives. In 2000 the Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale presented her a plaque for support of the Revelers Ball 2000 and for organizing two benefit events at her residence. In 2005 the city of Cap‑Haïtien, Haiti, recognized Newton McCormick for her considerable support in promoting and developing that city.

In 2006 she received the Distinguished Volunteer of the Year award from Sister Cities International headquarters in Washington, D.C., and the International Women’s Merit Award from the Broward International Women’s Club. After her last official sister city visit to Venice in June 2006, she secured a commitment from Venice’s mayor, Massimo Cacciari, to become an official sister city with Fort Lauderdale. Venice officially became a sister city to Fort Lauderdale on May 18, 2007, and the relationship was highlighted at the 51st Annual Sister Cities International Conference’s Grand Gala Veneziana on July 21, 2007, attended by about 800 guests.

Newton McCormick was appointed general chair for the annual Sister Cities International conference held in Fort Lauderdale in July 2007, an event announced in 130 countries and more than 2,300 communities worldwide; she also received the International Citizen Diplomat Award for Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities for organizing the 2007 Diplomat’s Gala.

In 2008 Newton McCormick received the International Woman of the Year Award from the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT).

After initiating negotiations with Duisburg, Germany, the city became an official sister city with Fort Lauderdale in 2010. She was invited by the mayor of Duisburg to attend the German‑American National Day ceremony on October 6, 2010.

As of November 2011, Newton McCormick had visited 13 of Fort Lauderdale’s 17 sister cities and traveled on behalf of the city to prospective sister city partners including Cape Town (South Africa), France, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland.