History of Hallandale Scholarship Fund

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In 1960, Mrs. Chester Norteman attended Class Night at South Broward High School and was disappointed when not one civic or service organization from Hallandale Beach appeared on the stage to present an award to a Hallandale student. Mother of a graduate, she realized how much an award of even $100 (then) would mean to a student planning to work his way through college. To arouse interest in scholarships, she wrote to the organizations in town saying “discuss it, give it some thought and perhaps take some action.”

In September 1960, S. Lee Crouch, President of the Hallandale Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, urged by Ross Amos, invited all Hallandale civic and service organizations to form a Council of their Presidents or Representatives to serve as a clearinghouse for community projects and a vehicle for cooperative action. At the October meeting of the newly formed Hallandale Community Council, Ernie Pinto, Kiwanis representative suggested scholarships as a Council project. After meeting with Frank Schwall, Guidance Counselor at South Broward High School, the Council named its first Scholarship Fund Committee: Charles Knorr, Edna Norteman, Betty Sapienza, Theresa Wipple and Chairman Pinto. Donations from twelve organizations netted $400 that year and the first award was presented by President Ernie Pinto to Richard Sullivan on June 7, 1961.

Since then the Hallandale Community Council Scholarship Fund (as it was known) has recognized the achievements and promises of hundreds of Hallandale Beach resident graduates with financial awards ranging from $100 to $5000 each, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Plaques are awarded to Honor Cord Graduates (many who do not have a need for financial assistance).

Students apply for scholarships through the aid of the Guidance Counselors at their own schools. In turn, the Counselors provide the Committee with additional information… cumulative average, extracurricular activities, results of achievement, aptitude and college entrance tests. The choice of school is left to the student but the Committee requires that his or her application be accepted and the student enrolled before any funds are disbursed.

Scholarship students have attended local community colleges, state and private universities across the country (including Harvard) and such foreign universities as Universidad de las Americas and Columbus International in Spain. Some students also receive financial help for continued studies in vocational/trade schools.

Usually, scholarships are for the first year of advanced education. If a student proves to be good college material during his or her first year, supplemental financial assistance is available to continue.

In 2009 the Hallandale Community Council Scholarship Fund, Inc. became the Hallandale Scholarship Fund, Inc. and continues to provide scholarship awards to graduating residents of Hallandale Beach in area high schools.