OSCA
OSCA
OSCA President – Assoc. Prof. Doug Lording(' 64)
ASSOC. PROF. DOUG LORDING(' 64) OSCA PRESIDENT
It’ s the vibe
OSCA hosts many functions each year, the Annual Dinner, of course, being our flagship event. We have highly enjoyable reunions, branch dinners and numerous club functions throughout the year; but I’ d like to mention three other functions OSCA has hosted, which for me were memorable occasions highlighting what OSCA is all about.
Last October, as we do every year, OSCA hosted the Year 12 Valedictory Dinner, at which we welcomed our newest Old Boys to OSCA, almost all of them as life members. I gained the strong impression that these boys are proud Scotch Collegians and are now ready to take on the world. Guest speaker, comedian Richard Stubbs, in a lighthearted but meaningful address, backed up Principal Tom Batty’ s vision for boys to break the shackles and follow their passions.
Following this, the boys, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, escorted their mothers to the dance floor, and the event proceeded with singing and dancing, boys and parents finishing the evening in high spirits. The Valedictory Dinner was a
great introduction to OSCA for the boys of the Class of 2016.
In December I was invited to speak at the East Melbourne Glen Chapter Christmas luncheon, hosted by the Scotch Foundation. This was another great experience, with more than 200 Old Boys aged over 75 years of age, and partners, embracing the opportunity to get together and catch up with old friends. So many in the room had made great contributions to our school and to OSCA. As an aside, I also spoke at the 60 year reunion, and both these occasions clearly bought home to me that there is plenty of life and vigour left in this generation of Old Boys.
In February we hosted the first Scotch Family Chinese New Year Dinner, with 150 in attendance. The traditional Lion Dance got the evening started and set the tone for an enjoyable night. Derek Leong(‘ 69) told us that when he and his brother David(‘ 67) started at Scotch in 1957, they were the only Chinese boys in the school. When Danny Tan(‘ 04) started in 1992 things were changing, and of course today our Chinese families are an integral part of the Scotch community. Derek and Danny spoke warmly about their experiences at Scotch. Danny coaches the school badminton team and is President of the Old Scotch Badminton Club, and he and Jason Ha(‘ 12) from the Old Scotch Symphony Orchestra did a great job in encouraging a number of young Old Boys to participate in the Chinese New Year celebration.
Past President of OSCA Jonathan Buckley(‘ 83) told me when he handed over the OSCA presidency that I would enjoy going to OSCA events because there is so much love in the room. That was certainly true at the three events involving our newest and our oldest Old Boys, and at the Chinese New Year celebration.
They all had one thing in common which characterises all Scotch Family activities. In the words of Dennis Denuto, appearing for Darryl Kerrigan in the classic Australian movie, The Castle:‘ It’ s the vibe your honour, it’ s just the vibe. That’ s what it is.’
54 Great Scot Number 150 – April 2017