Giving to Special Funds
We rely on donations to "special funds" for funding scholarships and grants, publications, special projects, and for supporting our library and archives. If you are considering a special gift to CDSS we encourage you to contribute to one of our existing funds (see list below) if its goals are appropriate, or to contact us about establishing a new fund.
For information about contributing, contact Robin Hayden, Donations, CDSS, Box 338, Haydenville, MA 01039-0338, 413-268-7426 ext. 107.
Leadership Funds
Outreach Funds
Ellen
Bray Fund
May
Gadd/Phil Merrill Fund
Scholarship Funds
General
Scholarship Funds
CDSS
Scholarships
The
Youth Scholarship
Work
Scholarships
Named
Scholarship Funds
Genevieve Shimer Publications Fund
Ellen Bray Fund
This fund was established in 1993 from a bequest from the estate of Ellen Jane Bray of Virginia, to be used to support our programs. We have used this fund for scholarships, for support of leadership programs, and for support of new camp programs.
May Gadd/Phil Merrill Fund
The Gadd/Merrill Fund was established in 1979 to provide funds for special programs that advance the aims of the Country Dance and Song Society. May Gadd was a guiding light for CDSS from 1927 until her death in 1979; she served as National Director until 1972. Phil Merrill was Music Director for many years and inspired numerous musicians and dancers; he died in 1985. The Fund offers support to CDSS members and groups in the form of loans and grants to activities that make dance and song available to a wider community in various ways, including event backing, publication loans, research grants, and other special projects. The Gadd/Merrill Fund is also used each summer to grant scholarships for aspiring leaders and musicians at our summer programs.
General Scholarship Funds
Direct donations to the Scholarship Fund and much of the income from auctions at each camp session support these funds which are used at our camp programs.
These supplement work scholarships in cases where the need exceeds the normal work scholarship award.
This fund is used specifically to make our adult weeks financially available to youth age 15-25. Used in conjunction with a work scholarship, this fund could reduce the camper fee by 1/3 to 1/2.
Each week there are certain tasks, above the normal camper jobs, but which do not interfere with participation in the scheduled program for which we offer a scholarship.
Named Scholarship Funds
Steve Adams Memorial Fund
Steve Adams, longtime dancer with the Marlboro Morris Men, Thames Valley
International Morris Men, and the Green Mountain Mummers, died in the collapse
of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. His family and friends asked
that we set up a memorial scholarship fund in Steve's name. The fund offers
scholarships at CDSS summer programs to ritual dancers with financial need.
Christoffer Carstanjen Scholarship
This scholarship is made possible by an annual gift from the family of
Christoffer Carstanjen. Christoffer was a dancer and a Pinewoods camper from a
young age; a member of the Berkshire Morris as a teenager; and part of the
Marlboro Morris Men until his death at age 33 on September 11, 2001. He will be
remembered for his generosity, his positive spirit, and his unquenchable good humor.
His teammates dubbed him "Mr. Wonderful," a nickname he adopted with
enthusiasm. It is the wish of the family to celebrate his life and to pass on
his spirit of generosity with this annual scholarship, which was made possible
through donations from friends, family, and the dance community at large.
Grace Feldman Fund
This fund was established in 1991 to honor Grace Feldman, longtime Program
Director of Early Music Week at Pinewoods. Grace is a member of the Playford
Consort, and teaches at the Neighborhood Music School in New Haven. The fund
supports Early Music Week in many ways, including funding apprentice and
special faculty at Early Music Week and providing scholarships for students of
Early Music Week faculty.
Mary Kay Friday Memorial Scholarship Fund
This fund was established in 2001 after Mary Kay's death, through gifts from
her many friends. Mary Kay, of Washington, DC, was a dancer and dance caller,
and an invaluable organizer in both the Folklore Society of Greater Washington
and the Baltimore Folk Music Society. She served on the CDSS Governing Board
and Executive Committee from 1988 until her death, including a term as
Secretary, and had been a CDSS representative to the Pinewoods Camp board since
1999. The Fund provides scholarships to our dance weeks at Pinewoods and Timber
Ridge for those who might otherwise be unable to attend, as a legacy to Mary
Kay's spirit of inclusiveness and joy. Note: This fund is separate from the Mary Kay Friday Fund for
Leadership Training.
Michele Godbout Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Godbout Fund was established in 1976 in memory of a bright young dancer and
folk musician, active in CDSS until her accidental death at age 18. The Fund
aims to provide two permanent scholarships to Pinewoods Camp, one at Folk Music
Week and one to a dance week. The intent is to award the scholarships to
persons who would greatly benefit from the Pinewoods experience and who could
not otherwise attend. At this time, this is the fund in most need of additional
support.
Ed Helwig Fund
This fund was established in 2000, in memory of Ed Helwig, longtime dancer and
CDSS supporter from Larchmont, NY. Ed was one of the founders of the Country
Dancers of Westchester, and was a notable fundraiser for Pinewoods Camp. With
his dedicated interest in historical dance manuscripts, he was a lifelong
inspiration and support to his wife, English dance leader and historian
Christine Helwig. The unique and valuable function of this fund is primarily to
provide scholarships and other support for dance research and reconstruction.
Bob and Kathleen Hider Fund
The Hider Fund was established at the request of the family of Bob and Kathleen
Hider of New Jersey upon Robert's death in 1996. Kathleen joined CDSS in 1927
when it was still the English Folk Dance Society, and held the highest award
given by EFDSS, the Folk Certificate in English Country, Morris, and Sword
Dancing. She died in 1991. Robert was a longtime member of CDSS who was
involved in folk dancing from his teen years. He was a teacher of English
country, morris, and sword dance, as well as a square dance caller and folk
singer. The Fund provides scholarships specifically for English country dancers
to attend our summer programs.
John Hodgkin Scholarship Fund
John Hodgkin of Philadelphia and New York City was a longtime CDSS supporter
and our treasurer for many years. He worked tirelessly during his life in
support of our programs and activities. (English and Family Week campers will
long remember him as the Hobby Horse.) This fund was established by gifts from
his family and friends after his death in 1994, for use at our Family Weeks,
with preference given to those who haven't previously attended.
Jennifer Wedgwood Lehmann Scholarship Fund
For many years throughout the 1980's, Jenny Lehmann of New Jersey was a member
of the Early Music Week at Pinewoods faculty. The memorial fund was established
in 1993, seeded by donations from the Princeton Recorder Society and by Jenny's
husband. It provides a scholarship to Early Music Week for deserving recorder
and viol players.
Peter Redgate Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Redgate Fund was established in memory of Peter Redgate, a dancer and
musician from London and Toronto, Ontario, who died in 1999. Peter was born in
England, and danced on several morris and country dance teams there before
immigrating to Canada in 1958. He was an active dancer and musician in both
London and Toronto; because of his skill and grace as both a dancer and
musician, he was much in demand by English country dance groups and morris
teams. The Fund provides scholarships to English Dance Week at Pinewoods,
giving particular preference to applicants between the ages of 18-30.
Karl Rodgers/PMM
Scholarship
The Karl Rodgers scholarship is made possible by an annual gift from the
Pinewoods Morris Men, who offer it in memory of Karl Rodgers. Karl was a
founding member of the Pinewoods Morris Men in 1964. A few years later, he
helped found the Village Morris Men in New York City; soon afterwards, he
helped establish the Greenwich Morris Men. He was squire of the Pinewoods
Morris Men in 1972, and started the team's newsletter, which became the
springboard for the American Morris Newsletter. Karl's other main interest as
squire was in providing aid for morris dancers to attend the English dance
sessions at Pinewoods, for the purpose of eventually becoming teachers and
foremen themselves. His efforts led to the PMM Scholarship, which was
established by the team in 1974. After Karl's death in 1978, the team formally
renamed the scholarship in his memory.
Bruce Weigold Scholarship Fund
This scholarship fund was created to honor Bruce Weigold (1954-1990), funded by
donations from his family and friends. Bruce was an artist, a blacksmith, and a
printer, as well as a dancer, musician, and instrument maker. He was a founder
of the erstwhile Rose and Thorn Morris team. The scholarship is awarded to a
wide variety of campers, reflecting Bruce's many interests - a folk singer or
folk musician, or a morris or sword dancer, leader, or musician.
Janie Winkles Scholarship Fund
Janie Winkles of Little Rock, Arkansas, was a member of CDSS and a Pinewoods
camper for nearly 20 years until her death in 1996. She was a founding member,
officer, and teacher of the Arkansas CDS, and squire of the Arkansas Traveller
Northwest Morris and Garland Team. The fund in her name was created by friends
and fellow dancers to be used for scholarships to English Dance Week at
Pinewoods, with a preference for people from the South.
Genevieve Shimer Publications Fund
Genevieve Shimer (1913-1990) devoted a large portion of her life to teaching English country dancing. She was a leading teacher of the English dance series in New York City and at Pinewoods Camp for over 40 years, taught workshops throughout the USA and Canada, and regularly led sessions at Berea College's Christmas Country Dance School and at John C. Campbell Folk School. She did a great deal of work for CDSS, serving in time as National Director, Vice President, and President, and was coauthor, with Kate Van Winkle Keller, of The Playford Ball.
Because our publications were especially important to Genny, we created the Genevieve Shimer Publications Fund in 1990 to honor her. The Fund is set up as a permanent revolving fund to pay the production costs of our books and recordings; income from their sale goes back into the Fund to be used for further projects. Gifts to the Shimer Fund are particularly important, as they allow us the means to fund and produce projects which might otherwise remain wishful visions.