Background:

Bob Blackie influenced Scottish Country Dancing in North America in so many, many ways. He was committed to excellence in teaching and, through that, the promotion of excellence in dancing, at whatever level. He was committed to and deeply loved and supported the Teachers' Association (Canada). During his term as Chairman, he took a leadership role in starting the Teachers' Association (Canada) Summer School - a school that every year encourages dancers of all levels of expertise in the improvement of their dancing skills in an environment of great teaching, fine music, and wonderful camaraderie.

Scope and Purpose:

In his memory, longtime friend Ed Jones established the Bob Blackie Memorial Endowment to provide, as far as possible, a full scholarship annually to a Scottish Country Dancer to enable the dancer to attend a full week of the Teachers' Association (Canada) Summer School. The scholarship must be used toward the cost of tuition, meals, and lodging for any given year's Summer School. In the event the interest produced by the Bob Blackie Memorial Endowment becomes sufficient, the award may also be applied toward travel costs for the recipient.

Criteria for Selection:

Based on the following criteria, an award will be made each year provide an applicant meets all the criteria listed:

• the dancer must have participated in Scottish Country Dancing for at least two years;
• the dancer must have demonstrated a genuine love of and interest in Scottish Country Dancing;
• the dancer must have a desire to improve his or her dancing skills;
• the dancer must have a commitment to maintain the best in Scottish Country Dancing;
• preference will be given to a dancer with a demonstrated financial need.

Application Process:

A dancer may apply for the Bob Blackie Memorial Scholarship by submitting a letter of application to the Teachers' Association (Canada) which addresses in detail each of the above five criteria. A letter of reference from at least one Scottish Country Dance teacher must accompany the application letter. The reference letter(s) must also address in detail each of the five criteria. Scholarship applications should be sent to the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by the deadline specified. (The deadline is April 1st.)

Selection Process:

The selection of the scholarship recipient shall be made by a committee consisting of the Teachers' Association (Canada) chairman, vice-chairman, past chairman, treasurer, and Summer School director which shall review all applications received by the deadline. The scholarship shall be presented to the recipient as a pre-paid scholarship (i.e. waiver of tuition, meals, lodging etc.) At this time, the recipient shall receive background information on the establishment of the scholarship as well as suitable biographical material on Bob Blackie.
After attending Summer School, the recipient shall send a report on his/her experience to the Teachers' Association (Canada) for publication in TACTalk.