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Summary of the Fund

Beginning in 2005, the After Hours Community Band established a fund to provide scholarship opportunities for students of concert band instruments at the Communty Music School of Webster University in Saint Louis, MO. In December 2022, the AHCB Board renamed the scholarship in tribute to René Sanders for her extensive and lengthy service to the organization. One or more scholarships are provided each year, with the recipient selected by the Community Music School. Over the life of the program, the fund has donated $21,253 in scholarships.

A portion of the AHCB operating budget is designated for the scholarship. Recognizing that others might want to participate in this effort, we place collection baskets at the three major AHCB public concerts.

More About the Fund

At major concerts sponsored by the After Hours Community Band (AHCB), you will see either baskets or boxes identified for Scholarship Fund. We’d like you to know a little bit more about this effort. Some time ago, some of our members encouraged us to consider establishing a scholarship fund for the purpose of lending financial support to students engaged in the study of an instrument. We appreciate all the support and encouragement we’ve received over the years (and continue to receive) in our endeavors to learn our craft and bring our musical talents and fun to others.

A number of options were considered and we arrived at a solution that allows us to help students. Recognizing that administering a program for scholarship requests is a complex and delicate process, our solution was to place the funds with a top-rate institution, which already had plenty of deserving students and the structure in place to process requests and select recipients for any scholarship awards. Our only requests were that the scholarship funds be awarded to a student who had a pending financial request and who was taking lessons to learn an instrument that is typically found in a concert band.

We found our solution in the Community Music School of Webster University. We have been sending an annual check since 2005.

In December 2022, the AHCB Board voted to rename the existing scholarship fund to the René Sanders After Hours Community Band Scholarship in tribute to René Sanders who was a founding member of the AHCB, joining in 1986, and passed away in 2022 while still an active member of the bassoon section and AHCB Board Secretary. René held several volunteer Board positions over her time with the band such as Performance Committee chair, Member-at-Large, Treasurer and President. She provided a core of stability to the organization for many years.

Each year, a portion of the AHCB’s annual operating budget is designated for scholarship purposes. Recognizing that others might want to participate in this effort, we began placing collection baskets (or boxes) at the three major concerts we sponsor each year so that others can also participate, as well as taking online donations. Once a year we take the monies collected at concerts and the portion of band funds budgeted and send it to the institution.

Donating to the Fund

In addition to the baskets or boxes at AHCB concerts, donations by check are gladly accepted at:

After Hours Community Band
20 Briarwick Trail
St. Peters, MO
63376

Please designate the donation for "Scholarship Fund".