Y-Men’s Service Club Scholarship Fund

The Y-Men’s Service Club Scholarship Fund supports students from any high school located in Marion County (Ohio) with a 3.0 grade point average or higher. Special consideration is given to family members of Club members in good standing.

The Y-Men created this scholarship with the intent of creating a permanent fund to help local students further their education and to create more awareness of the Y-Men’s Service Club. They describe themselves as “a loose confederation of men that want to get together, socialize, and provide service projects for our community.” Over the years that service has taken for the form of shelter houses at city parks, but their main focus is on building wheelchair ramps for people in need.

Their scholarship fund had its beginnings as far back as 1980, when the club members created and managed a scholarship from an estate gift from founding member William D. “Fibber” McGee. When the scholarship was migrated to Marion Community Foundation in 2024, the Y-Men established it as a memorial to McGee and his wife, Pearl “Molly” McGee.

The Y-Men’s Service Club has been a part of Marion since 1943 and seeks to make a difference in the lives of Marion citizens. They are well known for their annual Christmas tree sale, held each November since 1949, and the wheelchair ramps they build with the proceeds. Club members build approximately 17 ramps each year.

The Y-Men have had a summer golf outing fundraiser for 15+ years and receive support from OhioHealth, Marion County Council on Aging, and Modern Woodmen, in addition to Marion Community Foundation.