Tribune staff reports

The annual meeting of the board of managers and officers of the Greater Seymour Trust Fund recently was conducted in Seymour.

Trust officer Brandon Hunsley reported the fund has awarded more than $5.31 million since it was established in 1969 by the late E.S. Welch to serve the cultural, scientific, religious, literary and educational needs of the community.

The trust receives funds from the public as gifts or bequests to be held by the trustee, Jackson County Bank.

Hunsley, an assistant vice president with the bank, said 2,588 scholarships have been paid in the amount of $3.98 million since the inception of the fund and $1.32 million in grants have been distributed. Grants totaling $227,750 were awarded throughout the previous fiscal year. There also were 124 scholarships awarded for the 2014-15 school year in the amount of $332,352.

There are currently 39 individual funds within the Greater Seymour Trust Fund, which continues to receive support from the community.

The board of managers allocates the money from the funds for a wide range of public purposes. The low administrative cost of 0.85 percent will allow the board to allocate $494,000 in distributions for the year ending June 30, 2016.

The board consists of members of the community and the president and trust officers of JCB.

The current board of managers is Chairman, Robert Vondielingen; secretary, Jan Warren; Max W. Ernest; the Rev. Ralph Blomenberg of Immanuel Lutheran Church; Brett Hays, president of Seymour Jaycees; Seymour Mayor Craig Luedeman; David M. Geis, president and CEO of JCB; George F. Spray, a JCB vice president and trust officer; and Hunsley.

Contributions to the trust qualify as charitable contributions, which can result in income tax and estate savings.

For information about the trust fund, visit greater seymourtrustfund.com or contact Hunsley in the trust department of JCB at 812-522-3607.