Great Scot - The Scotch Family Magazine - Issue 149 December 2016 Great Scot - The Scotch Family magazine issue 149 | Page 80

OSCA OSCA Clubs OSCA Collegians OSCA A great day’s Collegians: fostering the bushwalking well-being of Old Boys at Mount Worth Bushwalking Club Despite wintry weather and a none-too-promising forecast (high winds, 10 to 20mm of rain and possible hail), 12 Old Scotch Bushwalking Club stalwarts turned up at Mount Worth, 15km south of Warragul in the western Strzelecki Ranges, on Sunday 16 October for two walks totalling about 10km. Despite the prognostications, what eventuated was a wonderful day of walking in great weather, with beautiful scenery and enjoyable company – all round, a most delightful walk! The group set off for a lap of the Giants’ Circuit, amazed by the amount and size of the tree ferns. During the 1920s, no fewer than 12 timber mills operated here, and the remnants of the old sawmills can still be seen. It was awesome to see one of the giant mountain ash trees, which is estimated to be over 300 years old, 60 metres high, and with a huge buttressed trunk said to be approximately 14 metres in circumference. Next came quite a climb up the Divide Track, a stop for lunch in the sunshine, and an easier walk across the Link Track and down to Moonlight Creek. The walkers finished a wonderful day very nicely with coffee and cake at the Darnum Stump Tea Rooms – a highly recommended stop! In total they walked approximately 10.8km. For more information about the Old Scotch Bushwalking Club, please contact the President, David Ashton (‘65) on 0419 894 340 or ashtonwriting@ bigpond.com. BUSHWALKING CLUB PRESIDENT DAVID ASHTON (’65) AT MOUNT WORTH WITH REMNANTS OF ONE OF THE OLD TIMBER MILLS. 78 One of the more recent additions to the family of OSCA-affiliated clubs is OSCA Collegians, formed in 2014 to support the Association in fostering the well-being of Old Boys. OSCA Collegians believes that OSCA – through its clubs, societies and branches and Life Transitions program – successfully brings together the school, its Old Boys and their families, across the generations To help turn its objective of ‘fostering the wellbeing of Old Boys’ into reality, OSCA Collegians – in consultation with the Association – decided to part-fund the salary of Bec Marshall, Development Officer in the Scotch Development Office. Bec’s role is split between work for OSCA, the Scotch Foundation and the school. For two days a week Bec works with the Foundation on events, database management and administration work, both ongoing and during campaigns. She also works two days a week with OSCA, including managing the stewardship of corporate sponsors, database management, maintaining the website and social media platforms, and organising special events. Her work for the school includes database management and creating the TryBooking links which Scotch Family members click on to attend events. Bec’s OSCA role also includes liaison with Young Alumni (including current Year 12 boys), engaging with club members in relation to the OSCAnet website, helping them manage their membership lists, and creating and implementing new ideas for communicating and engaging with our alumni. Among the rewarding aspects of her job, Bec says she enjoys her communication and engagement role with the school and alumni community, and running successful events. She very successfully organised the official opening of the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for Science on 6 October, attended by almost 2000 Scotch Family members. Ask Bec what she does outside work hours, and she will probably answer with just one word – rowing. She has grown to love rowing since participating in a learn to row program in April 2013. ‘I love being part of a team that has to do everything together in sync, as though we are one, and knowing everyone in that boat has given it all they have,’ Bec told Great Scot. When she isn’t rowing, Bec also likes getting out in the garden, cooking, and catching up with friends. In all she has done since beginning at Scotch just over two years ago, Bec has made a highly positive impression with her energy, efficiency and ability, always complemented by a keen sense of humour. She has taken many of the team spirit qualities she has found in rowing into her job at Scotch. OSCA Collegians is proud to support Bec in her Development Officer role. OSCA Collegians’ first event for 2017 will be the inaugural OSCA Past Presidents’ Luncheon at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, on 28 February at 12.30pm. OSCA Past Presidents and OSCA Collegians members are most welcome to attend this event. Other OSCA members wishing to attend are invited to join up as OSCA Collegians members and be there at Kooyong on 28 February. For more information about the OSCA Past Presidents’ Luncheon and OSCA Collegians membership, please contact John Jeffreys on 0417 007 007 or [email protected]. DAVID ASHTON Football Club New season ahead, new coach at Old Scotch Football Club The Old Scotch Football Club headed into preseason training at Scotch on 14 November under a new coach, and in an atmosphere of positive change. In October, Dale Bower was appointed the club’s Senior Coach for 2017. Dale Bower comes to Old Scotch with a wealth of playing, coaching and mentoring experience. He played in a number of competitions, including the Bendigo, North Central, Diamond Valley, Mornington Peninsula Nepean and Northern Territory Football Leagues, and was selected in inter-league teams. Dale was playing coach with Harcourt in the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League and with Kinglake in the Diamond Valley Football League. He has since had development, coaching, recruiting and other appointments with VFL clubs Box Hill Hawks, Western Bulldogs and Williamstown, and with Western Bulldogs in the ABOVE: DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, BEC MARSHALL Great Scot Number 149 – December 2016 AFL. He was Senior Coach at Scoresby and later at East Ringwood in the Eastern Football League. In the VAFA, Dale has been Reserves/Senior Assistant Coach at Old Trinity Grammarians and Senior Coach at Parkdale Vultures. Most recently, he was Coaching Consultant and Mentor at Old Trinity Grammarians during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The club warmly welcomes Dale, his wife Janeen and children Abigail and Sam. Former Senior Coach Mark Passador has been appointed Senior Coach at Monash Blues Football Club, and Old Scotch congratulates him and wishes him well in this appointment. Mark coached Old Scotch for the past two seasons, and before that he was an imposing and dominant figure in our forward line, also contributing greatly off the field with his committee work. The club will field five teams in 2017 and is committed to on-field success. To be successful on the field, however, the club must be well resourced and structured off it. This takes a huge amount of time and money. The club relies on the support of the Scotch Family through volunteerism, club memberships and sponsorships. If you are interested in supporting the club, please contact Tim Shearer on + 61 39810 4301. The appointment of Dale Bower as Senior Coach was one of a number of exciting developments at the Old Scotch Football Club, some of which were announced at the club’s annual general meeting in November. Watch for more news on the club’s website and in the OSCAnet eBulletin. ABOVE: INCOMING OLD SCOTCH FOOTBALL CLUB PRESIDENT, TIM SHEARER (’85) WITH NEW CLUB COACH, DALE BOWER. www.scotch.vic.edu.au Great Scot 79