Schwenksville Elementary fourth-grader receives McNaughton Memorial Scholarship

SCHWENKSVILLE — The Robert H. McNaughton Memorial Scholarship was founded in June 2014.

McNaughton was an instrumental music teacher for 35 years. He began his career in 1977 and came to the Perkiomen Valley School District as our high school band director in 1980.

During his 12-year tenure in our high school, he took his band on 10 major trips — Florida/Disney four times, Williamsburg/Busch Gardens twice, Annapolis, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Quebec City one time each.

From 1992 to 2012 he taught 4th & 5th grade band in our elementary schools. He also served as the high school assistant varsity golf coach.

McNaughton played saxophone and clarinet with the Red Hill Community Band for most of his life. He died on the golf course in Myrtle Beach on March 5, 2014, at age 61.

There are five band scholarships given in his name each year until the scholarship fund is depleted.

They are as follows:

• $300 to a high school senior member of the jazz band who is going on to study education in college. The scholarship check is to be directed to the bursar’s office of the given college or university.

• $100 to four fourth-grade band students, one from each elementary school for the purpose of private study on their instrument in the summer between their 4th & 5th-grade years. The funds are to be given directly to the private teacher or studio chosen by the parents as guided by the elementary band directors. The elementary student should love their instrument and love playing in the school band.