General
We are pleased to be able to provide scholarship funds to those who might not otherwise be able to come to camp. We offer both work scholarships and what we call "named" scholarships. These named scholarships have been established to honor people who have made a significant contribution to country dance, music and song and to help support the education of future musicians and leaders by making camp accessible to people who might not otherwise afford to come.
We also offer a one-to-one match of some scholarships sponsored by local groups. Information on these is sent to the CDSS Group Affiliates in January.
Our work scholarships are for campers with financial need, the named scholarships are for practicing teachers, leaders and musicians.
Scholarship applicants must register for camp and at least pay a deposit; any deposit is returned if CDSS cannot offer the scholarship requested and needed.
Applications received after March 20, the registration processing and lottery date, are processed in about a week.
Work
WORK SCHOLARSHIPS
These scholarships reduce the camper fee by $180. Work Scholarships entail approximately 90 minutes of work every day: at Pinewoods, as dishwasher helper; at Timber Ridge, Ogontz and Cavell, the work includes assisting the Camp Director in various tasks. All campers age 14 and up are eligible for work scholarships.
If you are applying only for a work scholarship, fill out only the work scholarship portion of the online camp registration form, or questions #1-3 on the Scholarship Application Form (pdf). There are additional jobs that give larger scholarships; most of these are assigned by February, but you may inquire for this year and for future years by checking the appropriate line on the form.
Named
NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS
Named Scholarships are available as well. Some are simply need based and some are for potential or practicing teachers, leaders, singers and musicians of English and American country dance and song. This aid is usually in addition to a work scholarship.
If you are interested in applying for a named scholarship, select named scholarship and answer all the questions in that section of the online camp registration form. Or answer all the names scholarship questions on the Scholarship Application Form.
Click on the name to read more about the person and the fund.
Intended Use/Recipients: to supplement work scholarship as needed
These supplement work scholarships in cases where the need exceeds the normal work scholarship award.
Intended Use/Recipients: ages 15 - 30
This fund is used specifically to make our adult weeks financially available to youth age 15 - 30. Used in conjunction with a work scholarship, this fund could reduce the camper fee by 1/3 to 1/2.Intended Use/Recipients: morris/sword dancers with financial need
Steve Adams, longtime dancer with the Marlboro Morris Men, Thames Valley International, 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.
Intended Use/Recipients: all weeks
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.
Intended Use/Recipients: promising students of early music who have not previously attended
Provides annual scholarships to CDSS's Early Music Week at Pinewoods, to promising students of Early Music, with leadership potential, who have never been to Early Music Week.
Intended Use/Recipients: promising students of Early Music Week staff at Early Music Week
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.
Intended Use/Recipients: all adult dance weeks
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.
Intended Use/Recipients: aspiring leaders and teachers of English or American Dance
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 is used each summer to grant scholarships for aspiring leaders and musicians at our summer programs.
Intended Use/Recipients: young folk singers and musicians
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.
Intended Use/Recipients: people involved with dance research and reconstruction
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.
Intended Use/Recipients: English country dancers at English Week and Adult & Family Week at Timber Ridge
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.
Intended Use/Recipients: all Family and Campers’ weeks with preference for families who are new to CDSS programs
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.
Intended Use/Recipients: recorder and viol players at Early Music Week
For many years throughout the 1980s, 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.
Intended Use/Recipients: dancers and musicians aged 15 - 30 with financial need at English Dance Week
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.
Intended Use/Recipients: morris and sword dancers, leaders, or musicians
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.
Intended Use/Recipients: folk singers and musicians; morris and sword dancers, leaders, or musicians
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.
Intended Use/Recipients: English Dance Week, with a preference for people from the South
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.
We will publish a list of named scholarship recipients. By submitting an application you have given your consent to CDSS to publish your name, should you receive a scholarship.
Matching Scholarships
MATCHING SCHOLARSHIPS
Summary
CDSS can match up to half the expenses of coming to one of our Camp programs if a Group Affiliate offers a scholarship.
What is the purpose?
We want to give participants an awareness of the variety and breadth of resources available to them, by introducing them to new dances, songs, teaching methods and styles; to new people whom they may hire; and to people who may have organized similar events.
Who is it for?
Interested groups can choose from among your up-and-coming leaders, musicians, callers, or administrators someone who you feel will be enriched by the experience, who will put into action the information they learn at our programs, and who has a commitment to your group and is interested in helping it.
How many scholarships are there?
We were able to match a total of 10 applications with $4,015. We will try to meet each qualifying application. If we have more applicants than available funds, CDSS will select among the applicants, giving priority to people who have never been to one of our programs and who have not been scholarship recipients in the past as well as some priority to groups that have not received this match in the past.
What is provided?
CDSS will pay up to half the expenses of coming to camp if this amount is matched by the sponsoring group. Covered expenses can include the camper fee as well as travel costs. Travel cost matching funds are based on fixed amounts designed to cover basic transportation costs from different parts of the country. No travel is covered if driving from less than 100 miles to camp.
Application
If your group is interested in this scholarship for one of your members, please fill out the top part of the application form, have the individual fill out the second half and return it to CDSS by mail, email, or fax. We will review all applications near March 14, 2016 and you will be notified of our decision in April.
Application Process
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Please note that camp applications must include a deposit to hold a space while scholarship applications are being considered. A full refund will be given if you must cancel due to insufficient scholarship aid.
To apply for a scholarship, register for camp and fill in the scholarship part of the application. If you have already registered for camp, you may fill out this online form or fill out the Scholarship Application Form (pdf) and return it to CDSS.
Scholarship applicants must register for camp and at least pay a deposit; any deposit is returned if CDSS cannot offer the scholarship requested and needed.
Applications received after March 20, the registration processing and lottery date, are processed in about a week.