The John P. Burke
Memorial Fund Scholarship

To be considered for a scholarship, the candidate must submit a completed application with the following information to the John P. Burke Memorial Fund by June 1st:

Eligibility

At the time of applying, the applicant must have completed a minimum of two (2) full golf seasons, not including the current year, of successful work at a member club of the Rhode Island Golf Association in the following areas:

• Golf Operations including a caddie, golf shop operations worker, cart or bag room operations, and practice range.
• Golf Course Maintenance staff.
• Clubhouse staff who work in the “front areas of the clubhouse” directly serving golfers.
  • Includes wait staff, food and beverage servers, on-course food facility/cart and locker room staff.
  • The student must be a regular or seasonal employee and have a work schedule of minimum of 18 hours per week.
• Applicants may apply as seniors in high school or during their college careers.

Requirements

To Be Considered For A Burke Scholarship:

1. Candidate must provide information demonstrating an acceptable scholastic record at an accredited secondary school, a verifiable homeschooling academic record or at an accredited undergraduate college/university.
2. Candidate must provide the requested financial information.
3. Candidate must be above average in character, integrity and leadership as demonstrated in participation in extracurricular, civic and/or community activities.
4. An interview with the Scholarship Committee is required. Note: A completed information package is required in order to schedule an interview.
5. It is the applicant’s responsibility to see that all the required documents and information is submitted.

Endowed Scholarships

Endowed Scholarships are permanently restricted funds that are invested to ensure the existence of the scholarship in perpetuity.  The Endowed Scholarship program has grown since the inception of The Burke Fund.  Today, we offer 11 Endowments:

Dr. William F. Brennan Family Scholarships
Awarded annually to a student attending Providence College

Doan Scholarship
Awarded annually to a student attending Brown University

Michael McCampbell Memorial Scholarship
Michael McCampbell was a graduate of Bishop Hendricken class of 2003 and a member of the golf team.  He was also a graduate of the University of Rhode Island class of 2008 where he was the captain of the men’s golf team.

Father Lennon Memorial Scholarship
Father Joe Lennon was well known for his love of golf and was honored by the RIGA in the fall of 2008 for his dedication to the sport.  Fr. Lennon was a member of the Burke Fund Selection Committee for over 40 years.  Fr. Lennon was three-time winner of the R.I. State Seniors’ Golf Association Championship and organized and compete din many charity golf tournaments over the years.

New England State Senior Scholarship
The NESGA was founded in 1922 to encourage friendly competition amongst members 50 and older.  They have members representing more than 60 golf clubs in New England and have established a Charitable Giving Fund to give back to golf.  Since 1998, the NESGA has made annual donations to each of the New England caddy scholarship organizations.

Fran Reavy Memorial Scholarship
Fran Reavy passed away in 2009 at the age of 63.  Fran was a member of the RI Army National Guard and served with the Military Police at West Point from 1968-1969.  He was a member and past President of Lincoln Country Club and a member of the RI Golf Association.

Rhode Island State Seniors Golf Association Scholarship
The Rhode Island State Seniors’ Golf Association is a non-profit association formed in 1948 to promote golf and good fellowship among gentlemen 55 and older who are members of Rhode Island Golf Clubs.  The RISSGA feels it is important to give back by contributing to selected golf organizations in Rhode Island.

Edward J. & Virginia M. Routhier Scholarship

George T. Ryan Memorial Scholarship
George Ryan, passed away in 2004.  George served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and was a proud and patriotic American.  Thomas Ryan, former Chairman, President and CEO of CVS Health established this endowment in memory of his father.

Jim Tanner Memorial Scholarship
Jim Tanner, “JT”, started his career by caddying at Pawtucket Country Club in 1949 and then worked in the pro shop in 1952.  He then served as caddy master at the club until retiring at the age of 84.  He was inducted into the Professional Caddy Association half of Fame in 2010, the RI Golf Hall of Fame in 2015, and the Pawtucket Country Club Hall of Fame. 

Joseph J. Sprague, Sr. Memorial Scholarship
The Joseph J. Sprague, Sr. Memorial Scholarship is in loving memory of Joe Sprague, Sr.  Mr. Sprague was the first four-year recipient of The Burke Fund Scholarship.  He began caddying at Wannamoisett Country Club when he was nine and later won the State Caddy Championship in 1948, 1950, and 1951.  Mr. Sprague won the club championship at Wannamoisett seven times and in 1986, was named the first executive director of the Rhode Island Golf Association.  He also served on The Burke Fund board for more than 25 years.