About us
The primary objective of the Trust is to promote Scouting in the ACT, and by the provision of funds to Scouts ACT, contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials as individual citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.
In other words, our goal is to help Scouts ACT make sure that all young Canberrans who want be Scouts have the opportunity to do so, and to enjoy a high-quality, life-enriching program as Scouts.
Our governance
- honour the memory of Arthur Shakespeare as a respected citizen of Canberra and a life-long supporter of The Scout Association of the Australian Capital Territory; and
- promote the knowledge of, and assist by the provision of funds, The Scout Association of Australia ACT Branch in its objectives of contributing to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.
In March 2015, the Arthur Shakespeare Foundation for Scouting Pty Ltd (ABN 89 603 834 537) (the Company) was established to be Trustee for the Trust. The Company is an Australian proprietary company limited by shares.
The Trust is a public ancillary fund covered by Item 2 of the table in section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. The Trust has Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status.
The Trust and the Company must adhere to all relevant Australian laws, including the Taxation Administration (Public Ancillary Fund) Guidelines 2022 (the Guidelines).
- hold investments that create capital growth and generate income;
make distributions from the Trust to Scouts ACT each financial year that are in total equal to the minimum annual distribution rate in accordance with section 15 of the Guidelines. - encourage environmentally and socially responsible outcomes.
The Trust is intended to be enduring in nature and therefore has a long-term horizon. Its risk tolerance and investment composition are regularly reviewed with this in mind. The Trustee maintains a diversified portfolio of assets.
The Trust is committee to ethical, sustainable and impact investing principles. In practice, this will generally involve screening out companies from investment whose primary company income is sourced from gambling, casino operations, tobacco, firearms, oil and/or natural gas. This may also involve screening out companies with poor track records regarding environmental pollution, animal testing, labour rights violation, human rights violation or unethical corporate governance.
| Director | Role | Date Appointed |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Lambert | President and Chair | 2015 |
| Neville Tomkins OAM JP | Director, ex officio as President, Scouts ACT | 2015 |
| Brent Juratowitch | Director, ex officio as Chief Commissioner, Scouts ACT | 2022 |
| Karen Williams | Treasurer | 2022 |
| Zyl Hovenga-Wauchope | Director | 2020 |
| Laura Pierce | Director | 2020 |
| Karen Billington | Director | 2024 |
| Peter Stevenson | Director | 2024 |