In 1974, the ESC established the Entomological Society of Canada Scholarship Fund as a registered charity. The initial objective was to raise sufficient capital to provide investment income sufficient for an annual post graduate scholarship of $2000 to $3000. By 1985, the fund (now called “The Annual Scholarship Fund”) provided sufficient investment income to cover the cost of two postgraduate scholarships, each of $2000, values that have not changed since. From 1990 onwards, research travel grants and postgraduate scholarships, normally totalling $8000 annually, have been paid from the Annual Scholarship Fund.

Since 1991, five additional award funds have been established (Kevan, Borden, Biological Survey, Dosdall and Danks Scholarship Funds). These all are financially healthy with the scholarships being entirely covered by investment income. So healthy are the Kevan, Biological Survey and Danks funds, that there have been recent increases in the value of scholarships awarded from them. Sadly, investment income from the Annual Scholarship Fund is not sufficient to cover the cost of postgraduate and research travel scholarships withdrawn from it, and the deficit is covered by donation and silent auction income that is therefore not available to increase capital. Consequently, it has not been possible for the values of scholarships from this, the ESC’s original scholarship fund, to keep pace with inflation. The only remedy is a major increase in donations directed to the Annual Scholarship Fund. Donations to all ESC Scholarship Funds are welcome but the Annual Scholarship Fund is in greatest need.

To read more about the ESC Scholarship funds, see pp. 199–200 of the December 2018 ESC Bulletin, downloadable from http://esc-sec.ca/publications/bulletin/. To donate to any of the Scholarship Funds, go to https://members.esc-sec.ca/donations/ . Those who now have automatically-renewing membership should note that, unlike former times, options for donations do not pop-up during membership renewal. In-kind donations in the form of capital property can be accepted, as can bequests. All donations are tax-deductible.

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