EDITORIAL
DURGA KAMTE EDITOR GREAT SCOT
In a challenging year in which often the only certainty was uncertainty , we in the school community strived to maintain routines , and as best we could , to provide a sense of ‘ normality ’.
By the end of Term 4 , after a staggered return to school , the buoyancy and high spirits among boys and staff were palpable . In their final reflections , boys commented on what they had learned about themselves – personally and about their academic journeys during the online learning experience . Some were buoyed , as their innate motivation kicked in , while others wryly acknowledged completing homework after a full day on screen was a step too far .
As one Year 11 boy noted : ‘ The “ aura ” of the School and a return to ' normal ' routines was exhilarating . There is no Scotch experience , except with Scotch boys and staff , and in Scotch grounds .’
In a series of firsts , boys were farewelled in new ways . Year 12s experienced the Presentation Evening and Torch Ceremony in person , in Memorial Hall , as they gathered in House groups , while parents vicariously shared the experience via live broadcasts .
Fortuitously , circumstances allowed for a new format of valedictory celebration , on the manicured grounds of the ovals ( Main , Lower and Meares ) with parents in attendance . Final Assemblies too , in Memorial Hall for prize-giving , and in the Quad for a school-wide announcement of 2021 school leaders , presented a fitting close to a year where gatherings via Zoom were the norm .
Inspiration , as Mr Tom Batty rightly notes , is not a product of classroom teaching . Boys find inspiration through myriad routes – a passing comment overheard , a thread followed on a website , a line from a poem that strikes a nerve , a painting that beguiles and confounds , a philosophical riddle that haunts sleep , a challenging question from the Chaplain that requires careful thought to respond .
As boys find inspiration from the influence of others , including thinkers that inspire their teachers ’ thinking , equally teachers are immensely inspired by their students . In the pages of this edition you will find evidence of boys who have been inspired to transcend boundaries imposed by lockdown to take part in online challenges , including public speaking and debating , mathematics , science and technology , chess , and an array of musical performances .
In his article in this edition , the President of the Scotch College Foundation , Associate Professor Doug Lording AM reflects on the wisdom and inspiration which , in 1973 , led the then Principal . Colin Healey and the Chairman of the School Council , Sir Laurence ( Laurie ) Muir (' 41 ) to set up the Foundation . Scotch has since been blessed with a Foundation which continues to fulfil the aspirations of its founders . The third of a series of four articles outlining the history of the Foundation appears in this edition , covering the period from 1997-2009 , which was time of extraordinary energy and change .
For a fine example of inspiration and dedication to the development of boys in his care we need look no further than mathematician and former Scotch teacher and mentor , Ken Evans (’ 47 ), who turned 90 in July . An article about Ken appears in the OSCA section of this edition .
In another article in the OSCA section , former School Captain , Lachie Strathmore (’ 15 ), Chair of OSCA ’ s Young Old Boys ’ Committee , writes about the innovative ways his committee is devising for our youngest Old Boys to maintain connections with each other , and to engage with the wider Scotch community . For example , the committee launched a series of Zoom sessions outlining ‘ what to expect from life after Scotch ’. Inspired by the success of its initiatives in 2020 , the committee is looking to an expanded program in 2021 .
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MAXIMUM BANDWITH ! Innovation in our online band ensembles
SCOTCH BIRTHDAY ZOOM EMG members celebrate Scotch ’ s birthday online
THE CARDINAL THREAD OSCA helps to strengthen an invisible connection
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