Great Scot December 2019 Great Scot 158_December_ONLINE | Page 25

the first Prime Minister of Great Britain),
of whom I am a descendant.
In the time I spent at Eton College I
became aware of the importance of its history
and traditions, evident in the many plaques,
buildings and murals all around the grounds.
The architecture around the school was
impressive and I was particularly smitten by
the school chapel with an organ covered in
beautiful paintings.
Throughout my stay I was welcomed into
the sporting programs Eton has to offer. I
was placed into the fifth school soccer team,
senior league soccer and house soccer,
where I was able to expand my friendships
and improve my skills. As I was in Eton at
the time of the Annual Fair, I was offered a
position to sell chicken to the public, Eton
families and Eton boys themselves, which
raised a lot of money towards charity. My stay
at Eton College was not only educational but
was filled with experiences and people that I
will never forget.
GEORGE WATSON’S COLLEGE –
NICHOLAS KLUCKOW
Over the September break, I took part in
an exchange to George Watson’s College
in Edinburgh, Scotland. As an enthusiastic
bagpiper, I was keen to experience Scottish
culture, and I can safely say that the country
did not disappoint. From haggis to the
highlands, my host family and I packed a
considerable amount of activities into the
three-week window I was with them.
The place where most of my time was
spent was, naturally, George Watson’s itself,
and I attempted to maximise my time at the
school by participating in a host of really
rewarding activities. I sang in the house choir
competition, watched several debates and
played with their pipe band.
In particular, playing bagpipes in the pipe
band was a big highlight for me. The group
was of such a high calibre, and to briefly play
a part inspired me to develop a better piping
work ethic. This was a unique experience, and
I am very grateful to have been provided the
opportunity.
Furthermore, the city of Edinburgh itself
is magnificent. The architectural wonders
and the friendly townspeople made exploring
the city a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
My host family also took me up into the
highlands, where we went mountain biking
and clay pigeon shooting. This was a fantastic
chance to appreciate the picturesque Scottish
landscape.
Finally, this exchange was a great
opportunity to meet new people, with whom
I hope to continue to stay in contact. I would
thoroughly recommend this exchange to all
boys in younger years, regardless of whether
you have a Scottish affiliation. It is a unique
experience that I will never forget.
MICHAELHOUSE – JAMES MEGGITT
and HAMISH HEINE
At the beginning of Term 3 this year, we
were lucky enough to undertake a seven-
week exchange to Michaelhouse School in
South Africa. The school is located in a rural
setting at the footlhills of the Drakensburg
Mountains in the province of KwaZulu
Natal, about two hours inland from Durban.
Michaelhouse is an all-boarding school,
made up of 500 boys from Year 8 to 12 from
all regions of South Africa, and offers many
exchanges to boys from all over the world.
While on exchange we took part in the
school’s academic and sporting program,
played soccer and cricket and participated
in immersion programs, helping out at local
schools in the nearby villages.
We had the thrill of going on game drives
while on safari at a nearby game reserve,
diving with sharks off the coast of Durban,
and while spending a weekend with our host
family we even bungee jumped from an 80m
high football stadium.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time on
exchange at Michaelhouse. The opportunity
to immerse ourselves in a completely different
culture and new boarding environment was
unique. Our time away enabled us to form
opinions and make comparisons between our
schooling experiences here at Scotch and
those we had at Michaelhouse. On a broader
level, our travels enabled us to contrast life
here in Australia with that of South Africa.
We met so many people and made lasting
friendships. We were very fortunate to have
had the opportunity to participate in the
exchange and we will look back very fondly on
our time at Michaelhouse and South Africa.
www.scotch.vic.edu.au Great Scot
25