Great Scot September 2018 Gt Scot_154_September_online | Page 19

Mandela, or Australians such as Fred
Hollows, who spent so much of his life
improving the sight of people in third
world countries, and the Rev Dr John
Flynn of the Royal Flying Doctor Service
come easily to mind in this regard.
These people have been recognised
and highly regarded for their works and
deeds, and deservedly so. However, I
would propose that for every person
whose deeds have made them household
names, there are hundreds more people
living in our communities who have also
dedicated large parts of their lives in an
effort to improve the lives of others.
In my own community of Whittlesea,
I know quite a number of people who
spend much of their time serving others,
and they are all people I hold in the
highest regard. Whenever I speak to
them about the wonderful work they
do, they are quite embarrassed and can’t
quite understand why they are given
recognition for their work. Apparently
being humble is part of the make-up of
such people! I would like to think that
their efforts, and the examples they set,
encourage others to follow their lead and
also give of themselves.
In today’s hectic lifestyle, where we
all seem to be constantly rushed off our
feet, the most precious commodity we
have is our time. As a nation we are very
generous in giving of our wealth — you
only need to look at the amazing results
the Royal Children’s Hospital Good
Friday Appeal achieves each year to see
that. Equally, the generosity of the nation
during that horrible period of the Black
Saturday fires was amazing. Living close
to an area impacted by the fires, I saw
firsthand how people are so willing to
give when others are in need.
However, giving or donating, although
an act of generosity, is not the same thing
as serving. For me, serving and service is
when we give of ourselves; our time, our
expertise, our energy, our labours.
In the Junior School we do a good
deal of Social Service activity and, most
terms, there is some sort of fundraising
for a charity or a cause that the boys in
our Social Service team have selected.
It’s good that our boys begin to develop
a sense of ‘giving back’, and the Social
Service program is one part of that. I
have been particularly proud of our boys,
though, when their ‘service’ has meant
more than just fiscal contributions.
On several occasions Junior School
boys have used their musical talents and
initiative to raise funds for worthy causes
by busking in the local community
during holidays or weekends. They didn’t
do it for acclaim or out of self-interest,
but merely because they knew they had
a talent they could use to help others.
Equally, when we raised funds for the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
a few years ago, the boys had to seek out
sponsors and then complete a walkathon
in order to be able to collect funds. Each
day a group of our Year 6 boys give up
part of their own recess time to be the
Big Friendly Guys (BFGs) in the Junior
Primary playground, ensuring the
younger boys are safe, happy and feel
included in their play.
I think it’s important that we seek
opportunities for our boys to engage in
activities that are purely for the benefit
of others, where they can develop an
attitude of service. Such habits are often
ingrained during their formative years.
Who knows when the next Scotchie
will come along to rival the deeds of those
who have gone before him in the service
of others?
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