Associated Women for Lipscomb carry forward mission
Chris Pepple |
The name may have changed this year as the Associated Ladies for Lipscomb (A.L.L.) will now be known as the Associated Women for Lipscomb (A.W.L.), but the mission remains the same: to raise funding for need-based scholarships, to support the university as it provides an academically excellent Christian education, and to foster friendships among women interested in furthering the efforts of Christian education. The Associates were formed on April 16, 1982, when Willard Collins, then serving as president of Lipscomb, hosted a luncheon for twenty women and challenged them to form a new organization that would support and encourage the tradition of excellence initiated by university co-founders David Lipscomb and James A. Harding in 1891.
"Changing our name to 'Associated Women for Lipscomb' will not change anything about our reason for existing or the achievement of our goal of helping students attend Lipscomb University. But perhaps it will help to better identify our organization in this, the 21st century," said Reba Keener, founding director.
"The new name is a fun, creative way of updating the same wonderful organization as it continues to raise money for need-based scholarships. It's time to have a fresh, new identity as we move forward," added former director Gerry Sciortino.
A.W .L. raises funding for scholarships in three ways: through membership fees, fund-raising events, and special item sales. In 2007, during the 25th Anniversary Gala, Rhonda Lowry shared the exciting news that the scholarship fund had reached the $1 million mark.
"I come with a happy heart full of joy tonight as I tell you that the Associates celebrate a 25-year history with the announcement that we have reached an endowment of $1,040,675. And, just because we've reached this goal, it's not the end. It's the end of the beginning. We want to build on this amazing heritage. This group has given away more than $1.5 million in scholarships." said Lowry, wife of President L. Randolph Lowry.
“We are still building on that legacy,” said Laura Sears, current director for A.W.L. “This is an exciting time to be a part of this association.”
Today, there are chapters of A.W.L. in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. Each is dedicated to providing scholarships so deserving students may attend Lipscomb.