The Thistle - An E-Newsletter of Scotch College, Perth, Western Australia

Scotch Boys Join A Community for Life

Spring Term is a special term and it starts with arguably our most seminal event: March Out.  The farewelling of the Year 12 cohort at March Out is an important, inspiring ceremony, and one that everyone looks forward to each year.  In a condensed form it is a showcase of who we are and what we value.  It is a significant ceremony to witness, with the pipes and marching working your emotions over, before all too soon it is your son's turn to be the centre of attention.

March Out was last Friday, then on Saturday and Sunday we hosted next year's new Boarding boys for meetings, lap top rollout, dinner and a sleep over for the start of their orientation to Scotch College.  It was a neat reminder that as a College the process of teaching, nurturing, developing, encouraging and celebrating is continual and in twelve short months' time we will be doing this again, farewelling another cohort of young men into the next phase of their lives.

Since Scotch College's inception in 1897 the College has farewelled over 15,000 graduates.  On Friday 11 October I had the joy of meeting with the OSC's, the Old Scotch Collegians, who graduated in 1954, sixty five years ago.  As an outsider who had arrived early to the function it was amazing watching the reaction, the excitement, the smiles and the back slapping as each of the men arrived.  It was like watching a crew of rowers who had just won the Head of the River.  It wasn't 2019, it was 1954 once again, and after a brief welcome and an update on College life and developments the pipes struck up and an afternoon of dining and reminiscing begun.  Again, another reminder that on becoming a Scotch student you have joined a community for life.  One of the thoughts I will try to get across to our boys this term is the question: "What actions will you be remembered for once you leave Scotch?  How will you be recalled at each reunion?"

One of the '54 OSC's highlighted that Year 12 is not necessarily the last time you represent Scotch College either.  John Henderson, John Snell and Rob Black OSC's 54 were all members of the Scotch College PSA Golf team that played, and won, the 59th annual PSA Golf Tournament at Cottesloe Golf Club two weeks ago.  Congratulations gentlemen.