Great Scot May 2020 Great Scot 159_MAY 2020_ONLINE_V3 | Page 15

UPPER SCHOOL
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Our staff willingly share their time so boys can experience
something new
MR TIM RAYNER
HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL
An overseas visitor to Melbourne would be struck
by our love of the outdoors. Any green space or track
seems to be filled with joggers, cyclists, triathletes,
cross-fit devotees and walkers, to name but a few.
We are blessed to have the space and climate that
enables us to go out and do things, and many of us
love it; but not all of us. The temptation to stay at
home and stream shows, or have a sleep-in does tend to
pull. As Oscar Wilde once said, ‘I often take exercise.
Why only yesterday, I had breakfast in bed’. For some,
it seems, a little gentle encouragement may be required
to ensure they get out and about regularly.
By the time we reach adulthood, most of us have
discovered what we enjoy doing. Interests as diverse as
climbing, scuba diving or surfing can stay with people
for the entirety of their lives. Indeed many of my
colleagues have such interests, and over the years have
developed skills and knowledge in areas that make
them quite special. Having staff members who are
willing and keen to share what they know, makes us
very fortunate in regard to the extracurricular offerings
available to our boys. In learning from ‘old hands’ our
boys not only see some staff in a different light, but
they also get to share an enthusiasm sustained over
many years.
Mr Matt Manning has been running the streets
and parks of Melbourne for many years, as he
navigates his way from checkpoint to checkpoint.
Orienteering at Scotch has a keen band of participants,
and led ably by Mr Manning, the boys use their wits to
navigate tricky courses; but also expend a great deal of
energy running on courses that range in distance from
3km to 10km. By using ‘cunning running’ to choose
the most direct route, it is not necessarily the fastest
runner who wins the contest.
Yoga, an activity that originated in northern India
over 5000 years ago, has enjoyed a recent surge in
popularity. Aiding breathing, posture, flexibility and
muscle strength, many people, including elite athletes,
are now catching on to the benefits of this ancient
practice. Quite recently added to their choice of
options, yoga is proving popular with our boys.
Yoga is ably led by Miss Jackie Cowcher, whose
interest in yoga has extended to nine years, during
which time she has practised in countries as diverse
as Sri Lanka, Sweden and Hawaii. A practitioner of
Vinyasa yoga and Yin yoga, Miss Cowcher finds that
sharing yoga with her friends and family is one of
her favourite ways to unwind during weekends and
holidays.
Mr David Brennan, one of our Grounds staff,
is a passionate fly fisher with 40 years’ experience.
His knowledge of Victoria’s creeks and rivers is
comprehensive, but it is also matched by his dexterity
with a line and fly. Heading off to Alexandra for the
fly fishing camp, the boys learn to appreciate the great
outdoors, while learning to be patient and resourceful.
Catching fish in a flowing creek is not as easy as
shooting them in a barrel, so patience really does
become a virtue. Days may pass before there is a bite,
so quick reactions also count for success – as does a
proclivity for exaggeration.
Leading by example, our staff willingly share their
time and experience with boys in the hope that they
will enjoy and appreciate something new. A few boys
may decide to continue with their activity outside of
school, or even decide to pick it up years later when
they are adults. As boys choose a different activity for
three terms, the chances are they will find something
that resonates. Who knows, in years to come your
son may be teaching others about the beauty of his
own pastime.
HEAD OF DESIGN AND
TECHNOLOGY, JULIA
MORRISON, WITH
STUDENTS
www.scotch.vic.edu.au Great Scot
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