AROUND THE GROUNDS
Teacher-in-charge Christophe Taylor’ s philosophy is to ensure that students self-manage the running of the club, with more experienced boys sharing their expertise among younger speakers. It is a vital part of students being able to practise in a safe and comforting environment on a regular basis, reducing the fear of what can otherwise be a daunting task.
“ As club captain this year, it has become my honour to be able to mentor the younger students,” Blake shared,“ It’ s so rewarding to see boys— who may be a bit nervous to speak— find the courage to get up in front of this safe group to attempt a speech. Public speaking is such an important life skill and it’ s always amazing to watch boys every week come along, excited to practice and present.”
Good public speaking starts with knowing your audience and being confident in your message. Practice helps, but so does making eye contact, using clear body language, and varying your tone and pace to keep people engaged.
One of the most loyal members, Leon( Year 9), has participated in a plethora of external competitions.“ Public speaking has been one of the highlights of my Scotch experience so far. Last year I used my skills in many competitions, such as the Ainger Peck Award( run by the Rotary Club of Richmond) and the DAV Junior Public Speaking Competition, where I was one of the top speakers out of dozens of students from Victoria.”
“ There’ s nothing quite like the moment when you look out and see people fully engaged, captivated by what you’ re sharing.
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Former Captain Ashvin Cali(’ 24) not only mentored many younger speakers and took part in several external competitions, but also won the 2023 Rotary Four Way Test, organised by the Rotary Club of Balwyn— earning himself $ 3,000 that went towards supporting our partnership with Tiwi College.“ There’ s nothing quite like the moment when you look out and see people fully engaged, captivated by what you’ re sharing,” Ashwin says.
Of course, you can’ t have public speaking without a public, and we’ re grateful to those who step in to adjudicate our House Speaking Competition, such as Vice-Principal Head of Senior School, Katrina Brennan.
Great Scot | Issue 173 | 2025
Leon also spoke to us about how transformative the weekly gatherings have been in shaping his talent.“ At Scotch, there is simply such a great environment for public speaking. I had great experiences listening to others’ speeches and honing my own skills, from thinking on my feet to presenting well.”
One of the most pleasing aspects of public speaking at Scotch is to witness the students’ growth, observing reserved speakers transforming into eloquent and confident orators.
“ My public speaking experience has made me feel more confident to talk to people, more resilient and outgoing and has driven me to become my best self” Harry( Year 9) shared.“ To me, public speaking was more than just practising your skills, but seeing your friends and mentors help you and support you to become a better public speaker.”
“ It was a pleasure to be involved last year as a judge. I particularly enjoyed the humour, warmth and personal stories that permeated the presentations I saw. For the boys to have the courage to speak at Memorial Hall is to be commended. They say that some people are more afraid of death then speaking publicly, so it is comforting to know that many Scotch students are surmounting this fear from a young age!” Katrina shared.
Professor David Copolov(’ 68), Pro Vice Chancellor and Professor of Psychiatry at Monash University, is another valued annual guest. The Year 7 Public Speaking winner receives the David Copolov Award Shield, and we’ re grateful for his continued support of the competition named in his honour.
Among the myriad of opportunities on offer at Scotch, it’ s a privilege to hear the next generation of powerful speeches take shape within our walls. In Leon’ s wise words,“ Try it out, you might just learn to love it.”
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