Great Scot 162_April 2021_T_ONLINE | Page 50

FOUNDATION
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SCHOOL COUNCIL CHAIRMAN , ALEX SLOAN (' 71 )
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The Scotch College Foundation hosted this year ’ s Three Councils Cocktail party , held in the new Keon-Cohen Dining Hall on Thursday 11 March .
Foundation President , Associate Professor Doug Lording AM (’ 64 ) welcomed the assembled guests , and gave a brief overview of the Foundation ’ s plans for 2021 . New School Council Chairman , Alex Sloan (’ 71 ) then stressed the importance to Scotch of the Councils in terms of the School ’ s governance and prosperity . OSCA President , Andrew Wilson (’ 78 ) shared OSCA ’ s plans for the year , themed around the notion of the Cardinal Thread .
The event also provided opportunity for the respective School support groups to acknowledge the Hon Dr David Kemp AC (’ 59 ) for his outstanding eight-year term as Chairman of the School Council . In response , David spoke of the challenges of keeping the School functioning in 2020 during the pandemic , and acknowledged the fundamental role that Principal Tom Batty and the School Executive played in achieving this objective .
David also noted the support of the three groups comprising the School Council –
Group A ( consisting of Presbyterian Church representatives ); Group B ( consisting of OSCA representatives ); and Group C ( consisting of members appointed by Council ). He discussed the importance of integrity , and how it helps organisations to resist the tendency to be swayed by the immediate pressures of the day .
‘ Institutions have pressure placed on them from the outside . Some will take delight in deriding an institution for what it is and for what it represents ,’ David said . ‘ But pressure can also come from within , when people try to use an institution for their own benefit – to promote themselves and to use the organisation as a forum through which they can realise their private ambitions . Institutions can be torn apart by these two forms of pressure .
‘ What distinguishes Scotch from many other institutions is that neither of these pressures is evident in the way the School is administered . As Scotch has evolved into a modern institution , it has always stood on very firm foundations , and has sought to embrace the whole of humanity in its mission to work towards making the world a better place .
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1 . TOM BATTY , HON DR DAVID KEMP AC (’ 59 ), ALEX SLOAN (’ 71 ), ANDREW WILSON (’ 78 ), ASSOC PROF DOUG LORDING AM (’ 64 ). 2 . RICHARD LOVERIDGE (’ 80 ), JON ABBOTT , ROB MCLAREN (’ 73 ). 3 . STEPHEN WEBSTER (’ 73 ), JAMES DOUGLAS (’ 84 ), JAMES ADAMS (’ 05 ), JAMES PATERSON (’ 93 ). 4 . MIKE SIM (’ 78 ), REV GRAHAM NICHOLSON , KIRSTEN MCLEOD . DUNCAN MCGREGOR . 5 . DEBORAH STIRLING , DAVID YU , FIONA PEARSE .
‘ That was the vision of Scotch ’ s founder , the Rev James Forbes , and it is Scotch ’ s view today .’
50 Great Scot Issue 162 – April 2021