Charles Lush Memorial Scholarship Fund

Charles Lush Scholarship Fund

Charles Lush was a student at Trinity Christian Academy and a member of the Trinity Band on tuba back in the late 70’s. He was chosen as drum major for the Conquerors Marching Band for the 1980 marching season. On Friday, Oct 17, 1980 the band played for over 1500 delegates at the annual FACCS convention, which that year was held in Orlando. On his way back to his house he was tragically killed in a car accident near his home. The shock and trauma of this event took place one week before the first band competition. The band spent the next day crying a grieving when we met for what was supposed to be a band practice. The following Saturday we went on to the contest with no drum major. Mr. Cordell directed from the sideline. The following week Mike Beardon, a very good senior trumpet player in the band who wasn’t marching, stepped up and agreed to take a crash course in conducting and finished out the season for the band in an admirable way.

It was decided even before Charles’ funeral that the Band Booster Club wanted to establish a Charles Lush Memorial Scholarship Award to help others remember his legacy with the band not only as drum major but a good tuba player. This award was established to help needy band students every year further their musical training through summer study and workshops. The booster club wanted the funds to be used primarily to assist students with the expenses of attending drum major camp during the summer. Mr. and Mrs. Lush were honored with the desire of the Band Boosters and gave what was in Charles’ savings account to begin the scholarship. The parents requested that monetary memorials to Charles be given to the Trinity Christian Academy Charles Lush Scholarship Fund.

The first recipient of the award was Ray Poole in 1981. Other recipients that are shown on the award plaque are Ginny Sweet, Jennifer Skaff, Billy White, Denise Bazemore, David Hess, Belinda Nix, Debbie Phillips, Terry Dubousky, and Julie Cash. The records are incomplete after 1990 and the gifts for camp were not always presented as an official award honoring Charles even though the name of the award is still listed in the band manual each year. The band booster club picked up the mantel for the funds and has paid the way for every drum major to attend camp from 1981 to the present if scholarship funds were not available. Most students receiving help have gone to the FSU drum major camp.

Our current goal is to reactivate the Charles Lush Memorial Scholarship Award and to acquaint a new generation about who he was and how his life impacted all of us. We would like for band families, alumni, and friends to have an opportunity to contribute to this fund to help our future drum majors and leaders to be able go to summer camps in his memory. It costs about $400 to attend a week of camp.