Community and Service
Dr Jonathon Welch
A visit to the College by Dr Jonathon Welch of 'Choir of Hard Knocks' fame late last term, provided inspiration to the groups of boys with the good fortune to be scheduled to one of his presentations. The message he brought to the IB Diploma students was one of the importance of pursuing a passion in life and building on the opportunities this brings to engage others in building community. He spoke from the heart and drew from his own very personal experiences with mental illness to illustrate the need for compassion, empathy and structure when dealing with homelessness. More than anything else, he presented to the boys an example of what it means to take action to improve the lives of others. He clearly epitomises the spirit of CAS - the Creativity, Action and Service component that is at the heart of the IB Diploma programme.
Walk Free
The 'Walk Free' organisation, based in the old Sunset Hospital site in Dalkeith is rapidly becoming a world leader in the drive to eliminate slavery in the world. Recently, two Scotch student leaders and two members of staff met with activists from Walk Free to discuss their involvement in the Human Right Arts and Film Festival (HRAFF) @ Scotch, to be held on Sunday 28 June. This issue is very much a current one and there it is important that we are informed about how we can assist in the cause. Walk Free is now working with large corporations within Australia to review supply lines in order to eliminate the possibility of slavery in the production of goods sold commercially in this country. For our student leaders, the meeting provided an opportunity to meet with highly trained professionals using their skills in non-traditional ways. It is hoped that the partnership with Scotch and the HRAFF will provide more opportunities for service learning across the College.
Young Round Square Conference
During the second week of the break, five Year 8 boys joined many other students from around our Australasian and East Asia region at the Westminster School in Adelaide for the 2015 Young Round Square Conference. This was a great opportunity for our boys to engage in activities highlighting the Round Square IDEALS. The theme of the conference this year was 'Tell Me Your Story' and the keynote speaker was Maurie Japarta Ryan, chair of the Central Lands Council of the Northern Territory. Special guests attending included a delegation of students and staff from Kalkaringi School of the Gurindji people. The conference was a learning opportunity where delegates moved from listening to and understanding other people's stories, into workshops helping the individuals present to tell their own stories. This was the first such conference attended by Scotch boys and no doubt will be a forerunner for many more in the future.
Round Square World Conference
Year 11 boys are invited to apply to attend the 2015 Round Square International Conference. This will be hosted by the United World College of South East Asia in Singapore in October. As a Regional Member of Round Square we can bring four Scotch boys to join over 1000 delegates who are expected to attend from Round Square schools around the world. The theme of the conference is 'Act Today, Change Tomorrow'. Boys who are interested should see Mr Cordner for more information. This is a wonderful opportunity for boys to engage with student leaders from Round Square schools on all continents. Scotch will be hosting a Junior Round Square Conference (Year 8) in April 2016 and this will be run by current Year 11 boys. Attending the conference in Singapore will be of great benefit. A video about the conference can be found here. https://www.uwcsea.edu.sg/centre/rsic2015#Overview
Mr Bill Cordner
Director of Community and Service
