RUFFED GROUSE SOCIETY
CAROLE AND RUSS DYER CHAPTER
GEORGE SOULE SCHOLARSHIP

The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) (www.ruffedgrousesociety.org) is a national
organization dedicated to the preservation of forest lands and natural habitat for
wildlife, particularly the ruffed grouse and the American woodcock. Its vision is to
create landscapes of diverse, functioning forest ecosystems that provide homes
for wildlife and opportunities for people to experience them.

The Russ and Carole Dyer Chapter of the RGS is located in mid-coast Maine. Each
year the Chapter awards a scholarship to a Maine high school senior who will be
majoring in a field related to the work of the RGS upon entering college. The
scholarship is in the honor of George Soule, a local sportsman and very successful
decoy carver from Freeport, Maine, and founder of the Ruffed Grouse Society in
Maine. 

PREREQUISITES FOR SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

1. The applicant must be a graduating senior from a Maine high school or a permanent Maine resident.
2. The applicant must have a grade point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale.
3. The applicant’s college major must be in a field related to natural resource conservation, such as, but not limited to, wildlife biology or ecology, environmental science or studies, or conservation law enforcement. Applications with majors not in the natural resource conservation field will not be considered.
4. Although it is not a prerequisite to be awarded the scholarship, applicants who hunt (particularly upland bird hunting), fish or trap will be given preference in the application process as these sports reflect who we are as an organization, in addition to our conservation efforts.
5. The applicant must maintain a 3.0 or better GPA through the first semester of college.

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION PROCESS  & TIMING

1. It is preferred that the scholarship application be done on-line. If that is not possible the applicant may e-mail the application to Greg Millert, gmillertme@gmail.com.
2. The applicant must have two letters of recommendation. At least one of these letters of recommendation must be from a teacher, guidance counselor, coach, etc. who knows the student in the school setting. Recommendation letters may be uploaded on the website or  sent to Greg Millert, gmillertme@gmail.com. (uploading is preferred.)
3. The applicant must submit, in addition to the application form and other required documents, a one or two page essay introducing themselves and describing their need for the scholarship, the reason they are pursuing their college major, and a bit about their connection to the outdoors and hunting, fishing or trapping.
4. Applicants may be asked to participate in an on-line interview with the scholarship committee.
5. All scholarship application documents must be submitted on line or by e-mail to gmillertme@gmail.com by March 15.
6. The scholarship will be awarded/announced on or around March 31. The actual payout of the scholarship will take place at the end of the winner’s first semester of the freshman year of college, after providing a transcript showing the appropriate college major and a GPA of 3.0 or better. The scholarship pay-out will be made directly to the college.

Questions regarding the scholarship or the application process may be sent to
Greg Millert, gmillertme@gmail.com or 207-577-4726.