Great Scot April 2019 Great Scot_156_April_2019_Online | Page 77

HAPPY SCENES AT THE 2019 SCOTCH
FAMILY CHINESE NEW YEAR DINNER,
HELD IN THE BOYKETT ROOM
It was a beautiful evening for the Scotch Family Chinese New Year
Dinner. Warm, balmy breezes greeted the 162 guests arriving at the
Boykett Room, Cardinal Pavilion, on 21 February to celebrate the
Year of the Pig. Guests enjoyed canapés out on the balcony, while
the School’s Pipes and Drums Band played for them nearby on the
Yarra bank, and then a troupe of dancers performed a traditional Lion
Dance, with all its colour and flair.
Master of ceremonies, OSCA Executive Director, Scott
Montgomery (‘85), welcomed guests with some traditional Mandarin
Chinese dialogue, to the applause of the audience: ‘祝大家 新年快乐,
猪年吉ji祥, 万事如意; which means: ‘Happy new year.
May everything go well in the Year of the Pig. Wishing you all the best
of everything.’
Echoing Scott’s welcome to the guests, School Principal, Tom
Batty, told some amusing anecdotes about his travels in China, and
spoke of the value of diversity among the School’s students.
Guest speaker, Jason Ha (‘12), related his experiences as a
Scotch boy, providing interesting insights into his school journey and
his continuing involvement with Scotch and his fellow Old Boys as a
performer with the Old Scotch Symphony Orchestra (OSSO).
The Australia Dunhuang Arts Academy performed two musical
pieces on very traditional instruments – a Chinese five-tone base drum
and a flowerpot drum. This was followed by a piece on a very special
instrument, the konghou, an ancient Chinese harp, the only one of its
kind in Australia.
Special thanks go to our hard-working organising committee –
Michelle Wang, Joyce Meng, Katrina Gu, Lin Miao and Bec Marshall —
whose efforts ensured that the event would be a resounding success.
www.scotch.vic.edu.au Great Scot
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