PRINCIPAL
DR SCOTT MARSH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
ON THE ROAD TOGETHER
PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SCOTCH FAMILY TO BE INVOLVED
THIS PAGE : AN ASPECT OF SCOTCH ' S NEW MALLACOOTA PROPERTY
OPPOSITE PAGE : DR SCOTT MARSH TOASTS THE PARENTS AND BOYS AT THE YEAR 12 VALEDICTORY DINNER
In considering our theme for this edition of Great Scot , my mind instantly went to my love of camping and my desire to one day become a ‘ grey nomad ’! I have the grey component well and truly sorted , however I have not purchased my vehicles , though I do love to spend time online searching for the perfect 14-foot ‘ off-road ’ caravan .
Perhaps as I travel on the road , I will enjoy singing songs such as The Long and Winding Road ( the Beatles ), On the Road Again ( Willie Nelson ), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ( Elton John ) or the classic Take Me Home , Country Roads by John Denver . In my caravan , I might re-read the wonderful book by M . Scott Peck , The Road Less Travelled . The first few lines of this book have always stayed with me , and open with the very truthful statement ‘ Life is difficult ’. Perhaps for some , this opening may not inspire one to read much further . Perhaps we know life is difficult and we don ’ t need reminding .
The theme of ‘ on the road ’ certainly does cause me to think about the journey of life , including the ups and downs . Life can be extremely difficult at times . This year we know that members of the Scotch Family have experienced great hardship . I do hope that through their journey they have received practical care and support from members of our community .
One way I think Scotch seeks to support members of our family is through the various OSCA events . Such events provide so many with the opportunity to connect , relive some golden memories that perhaps become better each year , learn new stories and , perhaps most importantly , ensure members of the Scotch Family are doing OK . Never let us give up on the habit of meeting together .
Only recently I have been preparing my ‘ on the road ’ calendar for 2024 . ( Perhaps I should request a caravan to support my travels .) Next year , I eagerly await the opportunity to connect with Scotchies in a range of settings across the year . In committing to these events , we allow the ‘ Cardinal Thread ’ to weave us all together and ultimately , enable our individual life journeys to remain connected to a profoundly meaningful story that has been inspiring so many for more than 172 years .
The faithful and excellent work of our OSCA Executive Director , Scott Montgomery (’ 85 ), and OSCA Events and Communications Manager , Caroline Taylor , and the work of our OSCA Council led by Stephen Webster (’ 73 ) ensure that all OSCA activities are first class . Importantly , the work OSCA does in seeking to support young Old Boys and current students is increasingly an important resource
4 Great Scot Issue 170 – December 2023