By Matt Mackinder
Clarkston News Editor

Back in 2021, the Antique Motorcycle Foundation (AMF) decided to award financial scholarships to students, typically college students or those at trade schools, who are studying motorcycle repair or restoration skills.
These skills include repair, painting, metal working skills, electrical maintenance, and welding.
Clarkston students are encouraged to apply for these scholarships if they are enrolled in this type of training, said 42-year Clarkston resident Roger Smith, a retired Pontiac police detective who was unanimously re-elected for the third term as Antique Motorcycle Foundation national president on July 14 at the National AMCA motorcycle meet in Wauseon, Ohio.
“Clarkston-area students are absolutely welcome to apply for these unique scholarships,” said Smith. “Interested students can email me anytime at rsmith481@yahoo.com if they have any questions.”
While the pandemic initially slowed the progress, four scholarships were awarded to students at Central Carolina Comminity College in late 2022. AMF will be awarding similar financial assistance to students annually from 2023 forward. Students chosen will receive $1,000 to $1,500 each from the AMF.
The AMF was established in 2008, and its scholarship grants committee is made up of Smith, Bill Murar, John Fiorino and Denise Rich-Gross. They have been working on a program to encourage and support a new generation of students to pursue or continue an education in motorcycle repair and restoration. To accomplish this, the AMF wanted to offer scholarships to qualified students typically in community colleges with motorcycle repair/restoration certificate/degree programs.
“We contacted 10 institutions across the country, including Oakland County Community Colleges, with motorcycle repair/restoration programs but unfortunately, like many other endeavors, when COVID hit, many things came to a standstill with schools suspending classes,” according to a recent AMF newsletter. “As the cases of COVID reduced and the restrictions were lifted, the committee once again jumped into action and reestablished relationships with various institutions, but the landscape had changed somewhat. Some schools reduced their programs, and one decided to end their program completely. In addition, the committee never anticipated the hurdles we would have to jump through to give scholarships to the students directly. Many institutions had their own foundations and wanted the AMF to donate to those foundations.”

PHOTO: Roger Smith shows off his 1979 Honda CBX 1000. Photo provided by Roger Smith