EDITORIAL
CHRISTOPHE TAYLOR EDITOR GREAT SCOT
Just as in the title of the Middle School Drama production Puffs or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic , in this edition of Great Scot , there seems to be a desire to keep a certain pandemic unnamed , as much as possible , mindful of our return to a new norm with shifting paradigms .
More than ever , being mindful – in the sense of being aware of the world around you and the role you play within it – constitutes a vital quality in helping our students to untangle the ever-increasing amount of information they are subjected to . Indeed , our Scotch boys are faced with the central paradox that in this digital age of easily accessible data , they need to decipher through material even more carefully in order to become mindful of what truly matters .
In 1946 , Dr Colin Macdonald Gilray OBE MC ( Principal 1934-53 ) mentioned in the Annual School Report the need ‘ to inculcate consideration and respect for others , to guard [ boys ] against propaganda by training in clear thinking , to convey certain standards of value through the very sharing in the common life of the School , and to promote reverence through regular worship .’
Written in a post-war Australia , Dr Gilray ’ s awareness of the dangers of misinformation still resonates in a post-lockdown society ( not to conflate the two ). Undeniably , it is through the common values embedded within the Christian ethos of our School , as well as the activities that tie us together as a family , that our boys will be best equipped to appreciate and assess the world around them .
Through these pages , you will be able to read first-hand brilliant accounts of our students ’ mindful experiences such as Dion Whitfield and Noah McCaig sharing why National Reconciliation Week is of such importance , Christopher O ’ Connell recounting his remarkable Public Speaking feats or Euan McLean ’ s encounter with Director-General of National Intelligence , Andrew Shearer (’ 83 ), sharing eye-opening world perspectives .
Moreover , after two years of being unable to fully express themselves , it is not only vital to listen to our young ones ’ awareness and understanding of society , but also to allow them to do so in good humour . One just needs to walk around the School to quickly observe how joyous their educational experience is . Be it the New Zealand Ski Trip , the 24-Hour Hike , the array of musical concerts , the return of the Tattoo or the Cordner-Eggleston Cup , which adorns the front cover , these experiences combined to help our Scotch boys to look at their lives with a positive mindset .
I also note from the Archives section how Graham Whitford ’ s (’ 56 ) sense of humour back in 1956 has pervaded through time and adorns the current Keon-Cohen Dining Hall . Another great example of how a joyous approach contributes to a sense of community and camaraderie that has lasting benefits .
As a result , these anodyne moments also lay the foundations of future engagements within our boys ’ communities as leaders and agents of change , such as those shared within these pages from the Scotch Foundation and OSCA . You will read about the extraordinary achievement in securing scholarships in perpetuity for three Indigenous students , as explained by Tim Shearer (' 85 ), as part of the Rioli Family Indigenous Scholarship , the return of the much-loved OSCA Annual Dinner , the Year 12 Mother and Son Breakfast run by OSCA at Kooyong Tennis Club or the many OSCA clubs ’ reports .
If more proof was needed of how mindful our Scotch Family is , just read the incredible achievements by some of our Old Scotch Boys such as Dr Graeme Lister (’ 61 ) who after a career in the lighting industry , now plays guitar around New York jazz joints , or from the Obituaries section , the remarkable legacy of Professor Brian Fowell Buxton AM (’ 56 ) whose influence on the development of cardiac surgery , particularly throughout Asia , still lives on .
Therefore , hand in hand those notions of being joyous and mindful help define the Scotch spirit : an acute sensitivity to those from the outside world combined with a joyous satisfied mind that nourishes our individual soul and collective aspirations ; a harmony we can all aspire to .
Briefly , as I take over the editorial role of Great Scot , I would like to thank my predecessor Durga Kamte for her extraordinary devotion over nine years , ensuring that our school magazine is of the highest quality . I hope you enjoy this current edition .
60 70 93
FOUNDATION FUNDRAISING The successful launch of the Rioli Family Indigenous Scholarship
OSCA ’ S ANNUAL DINNER Australia ’ s Director-General of National Intelligence as our special guest
THE CARTOONIST VS THE TUCKSHOP Graham Whitford returns to Scotch www . scotch . vic . edu . au Great Scot 1