NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1975 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 332

SENATE BILL 626

 

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE TOWN OF HIGHLANDS TO ACCEPT FUNDS AND TO ESTABLISH AND ADMINISTER A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR GRADUATES OF HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1. The governing body of the Town of Highlands is hereby authorized to accept gifts, contributions and donations of real and personal property, subject to the terms or conditions imposed by the grantor or trustor, for the purpose of establishing an academic scholarship fund and program for graduates of the Highland High School. No public funds shall be used to establish and administer the scholarship fund.

Sec. 2. The governing body of the Town of Highlands is authorized to deposit and invest moneys in the fund in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 159-30(a), (b) and (c), provided, however, that the Local Government Commission shall have no power or authority over the scholarship fund. The scholarship fund shall be audited each year by the person or firm auditing the accounts of the Town of Highland and the expense of the audit shall be paid from the moneys in the scholarship fund.

Sec. 3. The governing body shall appoint a scholarship committee, consisting of five members who shall be residents of Highlands school area. One member shall be a businessman of the area and shall serve for an initial term of three years. One member shall be a Minister of the Gospel or a church leader of the area and shall serve for an initial term of two years. One member shall be a citizen of the area who is active in community affairs and shall serve for an initial term of one year. Thereafter each of these terms shall be for three years. One member shall be the principal of Highlands High School and shall serve during his tenure as principal. One member shall be the attorney for the Town of Highlands and shall serve during his tenure as town attorney.

The town governing body shall appoint to fill any vacancy occurring in the committee some person having the same qualifications as required for the member causing the vacancy. The appointment shall be for the unexpired term.

The town board shall have the power and authority to remove any member of the scholarship committee at any time when the board determines that removal is in the best interest of the scholarship fund.

Sec. 4. Duties of the scholarship committee.

(1)       The committee shall recommend to the town council procedures for the management of the scholarship funds and render advice and make recommendations as to the appropriate manner of investing the funds, subject to the provisions of Section 2 of this act.

(2)       The committee shall oversee the administration of the scholarship fund affairs, endeavor to solicit additional contributions from members of the private sector of the community, and generally use its best efforts to promote and perpetuate the continuation of the scholarship fund and program.

(3)       The committee shall accept applications for scholarships from seniors of the Highlands High School who anticipate furthering their education in either colleges, universities, or vocational training schools. Having interviewed and/or screened all applicants, the committee shall submit to the town council a series of recommendations concerning disbursal of all investment income and, possibly, disbursal of all or a portion of the principal of the scholarship fund to the applicant(s) deemed worthy by the committee. The town council shall review these recommendations and either accept or reject the same.

(4)       Upon acceptance of the committee's recommendations, the town council shall cause the scholarship fund to be awarded in the manner recommended by the committee. Payment of scholarship funds may be made either directly to the institution in which the recipient is enrolled or, alternately, to the recipient personally.

Sec. 5. No member of the town governing body or of the scholarship committee shall receive any compensation for services rendered under this act.

Sec. 6. This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 19th day of May, 1975.