CHAIRMAN
MR ALEX SLOAN (' 71 ) SCHOOL COUNCIL CHAIRMAN
OPPOSITE PAGE LEFT : MR BATTY ADDRESSES BOYS AND STAFF IN THE QUADRANGLE . RIGHT : MR BATTY HANDS THE MICROPHONE BACK TO MR SLOAN AS COUNCIL DEPUTY CHAIRMAN REV DR JOHN WILSON APPLAUDS
RESPECT – THE DOMINANT FORCE GUIDING OUR COMMUNITY
IT IS CRITICAL TO INSTIL THE CORE VALUE OF RESPECT IN THE MINDS OF OUR BOYS
In the April 2021 edition of Great Scot I reflected with optimism that the worst of the pandemic might have been behind us . That optimism was clearly premature , but I want to resist the temptation to dwell on all the difficulties that have continued to flow , and focus instead on an undoubtedly bright future for our School .
On 19 May I stood in the main Quadrangle to share with the senior boys and staff that our Principal – Tom Batty – had made the decision to return to the United Kingdom in 2022 to be closer to his family . As I addressed the boys it struck me what a significant moment this was . Tom is just the ninth Principal in the 170 years since our School was established . There are very few , if any , organisations
in Australia today that could claim such longevity and stability of leadership .
It now falls to School Council to identify our next leader , a task that we understand will be the most important thing we will do as school custodians , and a task made all the more momentous when we reflect on the exceptional leaders who have gone before .
As our community is no doubt aware , the search for our tenth Principal is now well underway . Advertising was conducted in Australia and internationally in late June and has attracted a high quality field of candidates . Council is now conducting a series of interviews , and would hope to identify and appoint the outstanding candidate before the end of calendar 2021 . Beyond the obvious educational and managerial
2 Great Scot Issue 163 – September 2021