EDITORIAL
DURGA KAMTE EDITOR GREAT SCOT
Walking into school every morning , I am reminded just how privileged we all are to call Scotch College ‘ home ’. Boarders stroll down from their boarding home to their day home , well satisfied after a hearty breakfast , secure in the knowledge that their second family – mates and staff – have their backs . Already at this early hour , musicians congregate in the foyer of their home , the James Forbes Academy , and spaces in the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for Science fill with boys ready to engage with each other on upcoming tasks , or just to catch up . Newly developed hubs for boys to interact – meeting spaces in the English Department , the Centre for Learning , St Andrew ’ s Square , the Keon-Cohen Dining Hall , and the Spencer Centre for Design and Technology – reveal animated faces and excited voices . Rowers complete their training on the river and prepare for the school day , and sports training is in full
swing on the ovals , tennis courts , and within the Glenn Centre .
It is easy to take our surroundings for granted , but none of these developments would have been possible without the foresight , strategic planning and careful management of the many whose behind the scenes efforts have made them possible : School Council , senior management , the men and women in the Scotch Foundation and the Development Office , and many other members of the Scotch Family .
Conversations in classrooms are often overlooked , as these may be dismissed merely as spaces for content delivery . However , the breadth and depth of relationships established in these learning environments testify to the relational learning model at Scotch . Few topics are off the table , as boys hotly debate , or quietly contemplate , the foundations of our society . When and why was a patriarchal model of social control established , and to what extent is this model challenged today ? What constitutes success ? Why should plays by dead white men still be studied today ? To what extent has technological progress improved our lives – and who remains disadvantaged ?
Amid the big questions on what we accept , and what we need to challenge , the real connectedness emerges , as boys and teachers share their life experiences , their certainties and vulnerabilities , and their common and divergent perspectives on real world concerns . Often it is in these spaces , just as much as in tutor groups and in formal Assemblies , that honest conversations can be held on misogyny , attitudes to gender and sexuality , and discriminatory attitudes towards minority groups .
To effect change and to redress harmful social attitudes , as Mr Batty notes in his letter to parents , requires a concerted effort from parents , boys , staff and those in the wider community .
The inherent dignity of the individual is a tenet of the School ’ s statement of intent . It is therefore heartening to note that in our shared home , boys have demonstrated their ability and willingness to reject repugnant attitudes that they recognise have no place in our society .
On the theme of connectedness , the fourth and final instalment of the history of the Scotch Foundation clearly shows how Scotch has richly benefited from the close involvement of the Scotch Family with the School , and the School community ’ s key role in the development of Scotch .
Also related to the theme of connected lives , OSCA President Andrew Wilson (’ 78 ) speaks in this edition about the Cardinal Thread , which continues to draw the Scotch Family together .
Most encouragingly for the future of OSCA , Andrew says , the Cardinal Thread is being significantly strengthened between Young Old Boys by the Young Old Boys themselves . Meanwhile , OSCA is continuing to deliver its strategy of providing reasons to connect , ways to connect and opportunities to give back .
49 50 68
GILLESPIES ’ DELIGHT Recognition of a longstanding commitment to Scotch
FOUNDATION HISTORY – PART 4 Into the future with confidence and optimism
A TARTAN FOR THE SCOTCH FAMILY A colourful symbol of our Scottish heritage
www . scotch . vic . edu . au Great Scot 3