Chester Methodist Men award three college scholarships for 2011-2012

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ For the 50th year in a row the Methodist Men's organization at the First United Methodist Church in Chester have presented local students with scholarships to attend college. This year three Chester Methodist students have been presented awards from the UMM. The 2011-2012 recipients include Pastoral Candidate Gary McDaniel and current college students Adam Lutz and Molly Herschbach. The scholarships were presented during the regular church service Sunday May 29, 2011.

The scholarship program began in 1962 as a memorial to Jerry Lamkin who was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Chester. Lamkin was the son of George and Katherine Lamkin of Chester who were also active members of the Methodist Church. Jerry was very active in the church and the church youth group. He was also extremely active in numerous functions and activities conference-wide.

On his way home to Chester from school one icy January evening, Lamkin was tragically killed in an auto accident. He was so well thought of by the people of the Methodist Church Conference that a Jerry Lamkin Scholarship was started to keep the memory of Lamkin alive.

From 1962 to 1972 the scholarship was funded and administered by all of the Methodist Men's organizations in the conference. In 1972 the organization of the conference changed and there was no longer a structure and administrative body to continue the scholarship program. At that time the Methodist Men of Chester accepted responsibility for the program and have funded and administered the Lamkin Scholarship every since.

Records are not available prior to 1983; however since 1983 the Methodist Men of Chester have presented 57 Lamkin scholarships to 44 different students totaling $18,750.00. In the early years of the program applicants had to be members of the Methodist Church and had to be attending McKendree College with the goal of being a preacher to be eligible for the Lamkin Scholarship.

Since 1972 those requirements have been relaxed. Now applicants only have to be members of the First United Methodist Church in good standing who support the church with time, talents, gifts and service. For the 2011-2012 school year Gary McDaniel was the applicant chosen to receive the Lamkin Scholarship.

Gary McDaniel graduated from Chester Grade School and Chester High School. He has been employed since graduating from high school and in the past several years has been called to serve the Methodist Church in a pastoral capacity. He has been attending Licensing School of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference at Illinois Wesleyan University.

Gary has been extremely active in the United Methodist Church in Chester serving on numerous committees, singing in the FUMC Choir and volunteering for most every function and group associated with the Church. He is a Lay Speaker in the Church and has traveled throughout the Chester area speaking at various churches when needed to fill a pulpit.

McDaniel served as an officer in the United Methodist Men's Organization and was instrumental in creating the FUMC Car Care Ministry which assisted numerous members and people throughout the community in getting their automobiles repaired. His ministry saved numerous people who were stranded while traveling through Chester and had nowhere to turn when their cars became disabled.

Gary is a true "go-to-guy" in the Church and throughout the community always willing and ready to help a fellow human being when needed or asked. He is a regular volunteer at the Area Christian Food Pantry and takes part in various activities of the First United Methodist Church in the Great River Conference.

McDaniel has been studying for the ministry and recently accepted a position in the First United Methodist Church organization as a full-time pastor in Middleton, Tennessee. He began his pastorship Sunday June 26 and serves three small churches in the Middleton area.

At the end of July McDaniel will take his certification test at I.G.R.C License School after which he will still have five-years of service to fulfill in Methodist Churches. He is currently a Certified Lay Speaker and once he passes his licensing exam he will be a Licensed Local Pastor. At the completion of all of his schooling McDaniel will be a Seminary Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church.

When questioned about how his new career-path McDaniel noted, "The studies are stressful and it is difficult getting to know the membership in three different churches, but I know where I need to be at this time and I love my calling."

McDaniel's parsonage is located at 125 Robin Circle in Middleton, Tennessee, 38052. He can be reached by phone at 618-615-3581 (cell) or 731-376-9995 (parsonage).

In 1997 Elbert and Mabel Hoppe founded the McNelly/Hoppe College Scholarship Program at the First United Methodist Church in Chester. The United Methodist Men's group also administers this program. Criteria for eligibility for the McNelley/Hoppe Scholarship are very similar to that of the Lamkin Scholarship.

The Hoppe's established the McNelly/Hoppe Scholarship in loving memory of their parents, John and Caddie Hoppe and John and Ellen McNelly, and Mabel's brother, the Rev. Hugh McNelly. Hugh graduated from McKendree College and Drew Seminary in New York and became a Methodist preacher. He served charges in New York and New Jersey before retiring in 1985. On July 25, 1997 Rev. McNelley died at the age of 87.

During the 15 years of the McNelley/Hoppe Scholarship Program, the Methodist Men have awarded 48 scholarships to 34 different students in the memory of the Hoppe's and the McNelly's totaling $28,750.00.

The recipients of the 2011-2012 McNelly-Hoppe Scholarships are Adam Lutz and Molly Herschbach, both of which are active members at FUMC.

Adam is the son of Mike and Susan Lutz of Chester. Adam is receiving his second Methodist Men's College Scholarship. Next fall he will be a junior at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri (Mizzou).

Adam graduated from Chester Grade School in 2005 and Chester High School in 2009 after which he attended Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville and Red Bud. His career path is Computer Science/Engineering.

His high school GPA was 3.9 and his college GPA to date is 3.0. At Chester High School Adam was active in music, sports and most the drama programs. He was a member of the National Honor Society, Drug Free Youth, CHS Swing Choir, Band and Honor Roll.

Adam remains active in the Chester Municipal band in the summer months and serves his church musically by playing his trumpet for special functions. He plans to graduate from Mizzou with a bachelor's degree in 2014.

Molly Herschbach is receiving her first United Methodist Men's College Scholarship. Molly is the daughter of Jack Herschbach of Chester and Cheryl Herschbach of Chester.

She graduated from Chester Grade School in 2006 and Chester High School in 2010. While at CHS Molly was active in Concert Choir and she was an honor student.

Molly has a love for animals and was been actively involved with the Sparta Humane Society from 2006-2007. In the summer of 2009 Molly volunteered at the Dessert Breed Arab Stables. Horses are her real passion. She assists local horse enthusiast Judy McFadden with her horses and enjoys riding and caring for animals of all types.

While in both high school and college Miss Herschbach has maintained a "B" average. For the past year Molly has attended Anthem College in Fenton, Missouri. Her current career path is massage therapy. She plans to graduate from Anthem in July 2011 with a degree in Massage Therapy.

The Methodist Men of the First United Methodist Church in Chester are extremely proud of the three UMM College Scholarship recipients for the 2011-2012 school year.