Civic clubs aren't just excuses for business people to get together each week for lunch, or for fellowship. Their main business is providing ways for folks to work jointly for the betterment of their community.

One such effort by the Marietta Kiwanis Club, of which this columnist is a member, is the awarding of substantial scholarship money each year to deserving local students.

"Over the past years our club has established and contributed to several scholarship endowments, the interest income from which is used to make annual scholarship awards to deserving college students in our community," says retired insurance executive Jack Wilson, who is serving on the club's Scholarship Committee.

The following Marietta Kiwanis Scholarships are made possible through the generous financial gifts of individuals, businesses and community residents throughout Cobb County. The Kiwanis Club is encouraging all qualified individuals to apply for one of the scholarships described below. You don't have to be a member of the club, or related to someone in the club, in order to earn most of the scholarships. Chairing the Scholarship Committee is Dr. Lynn Black, vice president and provost of Kennesaw State University.

The club handed out more than $16,000 in scholarships last year.

Here are the scholarships available:

* The Kiwanis Club Of Marietta Founders Scholarship/ Fred And Drucilla Beck Scholarship: It is a memorial scholarship fund established at Kennesaw State College in 1976, now Kennesaw State University, in honor of the five charter members of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta who were living at that time: former Marietta Mayor Howard "Red" Atherton, retired Marietta High School Principal Shuler Antley, funeral home director Norman Medford, Marietta Housing Authority executive director Ed Baskin and Fred Beck.

* The Turner-Howard Scholarship: This is a graduate or undergraduate scholarship available to Cobb County or Marietta City School System staff members or their dependents to attend any "public" college, university or postsecondary school in Georgia. That scholarship is named for the late Jimmy Howard, former Kiwanian and a former associate superintendent of Cobb schools.

* The Jane and Ebbie Lance Scholarship: This is an undergraduate scholarship established in 1993 in honor of Kiwanian Ebbie Lance. The scholarship is available for students entering or attending Chattahoochee Technical College. The scholarship is based on academic achievement and financial need. Ebbie Lance was a distinguished past president of the club.

* The Marietta Kiwanis Special Education Scholarship Fund: This is a scholarship established in 1992 to assist teachers or students who wish to specialize in teaching the "Special Students" of Cobb County.

* The E.W. Chastain Scholarship: This scholarship was established to honor the dedicated service of Kiwanian Emory W. Chastain, retired Cobb educator, past president of Kiwanis and still one of its most active members. An undergraduate scholarship is available to a student entering or attending Southern Polytechnic University, Chattahoochee Technical College or Kennesaw State University who has been a member of a Kiwanis Key Club or Circle K for a year or more.

* The Raymond Steve Tumlin Scholarship: This is memorial scholarship established in 2003 by the Marietta Kiwanis Club to honor the late Steve Tumlin, Sr., a dedicated Marietta Kiwanian, business, civic and community leader in Cobb County. Tumlin was owner of Tumlin Lumber, founded the Kennesaw State University Foundation and was the father of new Marietta Mayor Steve "Thunder" Tumlin. The scholarship is available to a graduate or undergraduate student entering or attending an accredited college or university and who is currently a member of a Kiwanis sponsored youth organization or who is the son, daughter or spouse of a currently active Marietta Kiwanis Club member.

* The Bill Kinney Journalism Scholarship: This scholarship was established in 2006 in honor of this columnist, the associate editor of the Marietta Daily Journal. It is available to a graduate or undergraduate student entering or attending any accredited college or university that is pursuing a journalism degree. Selection emphasis will be based on financial need and academic performance. Among past recipients of this scholarship was Ashley Hungerford, at the time a journalism major at Auburn University who went on to cover the Cobb courthouse for several years as a fine young reporter for the MDJ.

Applications for the Founders/Beck Scholarship should be submitted to Kennesaw State University. Information on that scholarship is available at www.kennesaw. edu/scholarships. If interested in one of the other seven scholarships, go to the club's Web site at mariettakiwanis.org, print out an application and then mail to: Marietta Kiwanis, Attn: Pat Huey; PO Box 3191; Marietta. GA; 30061.

The March 31 deadline is just around the corner. Good luck.

Associate editor Bill Kinney's column runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays.