Great Scot April 2019 Great Scot_156_April_2019_Online | Page 58

Foundation
ASSOC. PROF. DOUG
LORDING ('64) PRESIDENT
OF THE SCOTCH COLLEGE
FOUNDATION
ABOVE: SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL TOM BATTY,
WITH MICHAEL ROBINSON
AO (’55), ASSOCIATE
PROFESSOR DOUG
LORDING (’64) AND DR
DAVID KEMP AC (’59)
58
Foundation President – Assoc. Prof. Doug Lording ('64)
WHERE THE
FOUNDATION
FITS
At this time the Scotch family is deeply saddened by
the passing of Michael Robinson, and this issue of Great
Scot pays tribute to this great Old Scotch Collegian.
Michael played a major role in the Scotch Foundation and
his oversight will be sorely missed. I’m indebted to Michael
for handing over the baton to me and for his generous and
continual support.
Having spent three years — 2016 to 2018 —
simultaneously as a member of the School Council, the
OSCA Council and the Foundation, I have been fortunate
to gain a good grasp of how the three key bodies work
together, and their respective roles. I have been President
of the Foundation for about 16 months, and I have come
to realise that many Scotch Family members do not have a
clear conception of what the Foundation actually does. While
the Foundation’s role is nowhere near as complicated as the
discussions relating to Brexit or Mr Trump’s Mexican wall, it
does warrant an explanation.
Before OSCA was established in 1913 there was a city-
based Old Scotch Collegians’ Club, which in 1907 raised
funds to improve the quality of a cricket ground in Yarra
Park. Old Boys took on the responsibility for fundraising,
and this set the scene for what was to become one of
OSCA’s key roles.
The Scotch College Foundation was established in
1973 under then Principal Colin Healy’s leadership, with
Laurie (later Sir Laurence) Muir (’42) as Chair. It was to be a
‘permanent trust fund, a permanent fundraising body and the
Treasury of the School’. Clearly the intention was to formalise
the fundraising process within a separate incorporated entity,
which would operate at arm’s length from the School.
A few years later when Healy’s successor, Phillip Roff,
was keen to establish a 10-year vision for Scotch, the School
Council established a Development Committee, whose main
focus was on campus development, not fundraising, and
which worked hand in hand with a budget committee to
execute campus developments.
In 1977 the School appointed a Development Officer to
support this program. In 1980, Peter Crook became part-time
Foundation Development Officer and a full-time secretary
was appointed. In 1988 the Development Office was
established to encompass OSCA, the Foundation and the
Archives, and Peter Crook was appointed as the first Director
of Development and Foundation Executive Director.
Great Scot Number 156 – April 2019
These changes set the scene for a steady evolution
towards the current model, tempered in the early days by the
dispute over ownership and control of Scotch.
Council’s Property Committee, chaired by Michael Sim
(’78), now plays a similar role to that of the early Development
Committee, and Council also has a Fundraising Committee,
chaired by Jonathan Buckley (’83), which focuses on capital
projects. The Finance Committee also plays an important role
in campus development.
The focus of the School’s Development Office, led
by Director of Development, Tim Shearer (‘85), is now on
fundraising, not physical development. From time to time
there are major capital appeals, such as for the James
Forbes Academy and more recently the Sir Zelman Cowen
Centre for Science.
That sets the scene — but where does the Foundation sit
in all this? As well as Director of Development, Tim Shearer is
also Foundation Executive Director, working in synergy with
the School but with a slightly different emphasis. Over the
years, substantial funds have been donated or bequeathed to
the Foundation and the School for scholarships, prizes, staff
support and other purposes. In addition, further funds, as
non-tax deductible contributions, have been contributed to
an endowment fund.
The Foundation is responsible for the conservative
stewardship of these funds, aiming to maintain an investment
profile which provides a stable income, primarily to support
the scholarship program. In addition, half of the income from
the Endowment Fund is returned to Scotch each year, to
be used at the School’s discretion. The Foundation relies
on the School Council Investment Committee for advice on
investment strategy.
While not running the major capital appeals, the
Foundation does fundraise. It seeks contributions for all our
fundraising initiatives. Led by Sam Hunt (‘92), it has recently
focused on raising funds for the Indigenous Scholarship
Program. The Foundation has a Bequest Committee,
chaired by Bill Sides (‘63) which works in cooperation with