Great Scot December 2019 Great Scot 158_December_ONLINE | Page 7

rendered such approach redundant and required a
new way of thinking. I suspect the shift from plotting
future pathways along chosen flights of steps in a
vertical tube to navigating them amidst the dense
networks of a flat surface brings Lorenz’s observations
increasingly to the fore.
Some things are more readily measurable and
controllable than others, and these often attract
more observable reward. There is danger that these
dominate our thinking. We want Scotch boys to gain
such return, but also to be prepared for a contribution
and legacy amidst those realms where their sight
doesn’t carry, not only because this can often be where
the most significant communal rewards lie, but also
because the confidence, adaptability and poise that
stem from preparing for such contribution are precisely
the attributes increasingly required for prosperity
beneath the glare.
By way of summary:
• it is likely to become increasingly difficult to
predict the skills each boy will need;
• it is likely that the pathways for boys will
become more interconnected and less readily
signposted with ‘qualification’;
• it is likely that each boy will increasingly
directly reap fewer of the rewards of his efforts;
and,
• the skills he will increasingly need for prosperity
are increasingly likely to be those required for a
contribution where the rewards sit out of sight.
It is incumbent upon us as a school to continue to
ponder what might be done to equip boys best to be so
minded; to play to their strengths rather than ‘simply’
mould them to what we perceive to be ours; to use the
best of our world to propel them to the best of theirs;
to inspire them with our confidence so they might in
turn impart theirs to those who will follow.
We must find them interests and guide them to
mastery; we must nurture an appreciation of how the
world has evolved and could be made to evolve for the
better; we must seek to inculcate an appreciation of the
inherent value and beauty of each individual.
Working at the micro level, our list of Scotch clubs
has grown to include Coding, Robotics, Enterprise,
Literature, Chess, Water is Life, Backstage Crew,
the Maestro Club for conducting and, of course, our
Christian Movement group run by the Chaplains.
Plans for Year 7 clubs run by Year 11 boys are
gathering pace for 2020 introduction. Programmes
led by Ms Michele Linossier encompass mooting,
the Ethics Olympiad, Philosophy, the BrainSTEM
Innovation Challenge, Cancer Education, the Motor
Grand Prix Science enrichment and Monash Forensic
Science programmes; the da Vinci Decathlon; and
human rights summits and Model United Nations
gatherings.
Casting minds into the broader network, this year’s
many visiting speakers have included Dr Charlie Teo
(Science Oration); Mr Jack Nagle giving ‘The Real
Drug Talk’ and Dr David Iser (’89) addressing on
‘Drugs and Dependence’, both as part of the Year 11
Big Ideas Lecture Series; Mr Simon Benjamin, CEO
of the Lighthouse Foundation; Mr Jim Poulter (’59)
articulating his experience and thoughts regarding
‘A Path to Reconciliation’; Mr Jack McGrath from
Tiwi College; Mr James Meredith (’05) a professional
footballer with Millwall Football Club in the English
Championship; and, most importantly, former
Captain of Boats, Captain of Rugby, Captain of
Morrison House and Captain of the School from 1935,
the Rev Bill Morgan, celebrating his 104th birthday.
Towards the end of Term 3, a Year 11 boy came
to see me to discuss his proposal for a Live Aid
style worldwide fundraiser to clean up the oceans.
We chatted through some of the challenges and
opportunities. I noted he might need a well-connected
sponsor and he replied that he felt he might write
to Sir Paul McCartney. Why did his thinking go
to Sir Paul? Because he had played live on stage
with him in Melbourne. How had this come about?
Because Sir Paul’s band needed a pipe band for Mull
of Kintyre and someone mentioned Mark Saul, TIC
Pipe Band at Scotch College. Why was the boy on
the stage? Because he came to Scotch and wanted to
do something a bit different that connected to the
School’s history, and took up the bagpipes. Why is
it part of our history? Because a young man, James
Forbes, sailed from Scotland with a passion for
education and founded a school. Why was Sir Paul
in Melbourne? I have no idea, maybe he wanted to
see the penguins. Will he take up the Year 11 boy’s
challenge? Probably not. Might he mention the idea to
someone who will consider it further? Maybe. Would
the Year 11 boy ever know it was his letter that led to
a global effort to clean up the oceans? Probably not.
Does that matter?
I suspect that might increasingly be the question.
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