At a recent Senior School assembly, I spoke to our boys about the importance and significance of the term ‘Servant Leadership’. Robert K. Greenleaf coined this term in his seminal 1970 essay at Gonzaga University, USA titled The Servant as Leader.
The challenge of being a servant leader remains as important today as when it was first spoken about. Why should we promote and support service at Scotch, the answer is simple on many fronts.
The purpose of service at Scotch?
Service develops identity and moral purpose, it teaches empathy and humility, it develops future leaders who will lead for the right reasons and it is counter cultural to the current social media focus promoting individualism such as influencers.
Most importantly, as COVID showed us, it reinforces that schools are humanising social institutions, not just academic factories.
A good society is built by people who choose to serve first. When a school makes service foundational, not peripheral and optional, it does more than teach, it forms their students as people who care.
It develops hearts that are empathetic, minds that are deliberately caring, and young people ready to lead lives that strengthen the common good. Through service, boys learn that leadership is not a position they attain but a responsibility they embrace.
2026 World’s Greatest Shave
A significant part of who we are at Scotch is defined by our commitment to the service of those who are facing health or other challenges in their lives.
Our Service captain, Jack Mayo, recently launched the College’s appeal at an assembly to get behind the World’s Greatest Shave for 2026. Our College has become renowned for its support and success in raising money for the Leukaemia Foundation.
At this assembly, we were fortunate enough to be joined by members from the Leukaemia Foundation to highlight just how important fundraising events such as World’s Greatest Shave is to those suffering from this insidious disease, and for the family members who support their loved ones through their battle with the disease.
I look forward to the boys delivering yet another amazing outcome.
Swimming carnival success
Finally, let me express my gratitude to the students, staff, and the many parent and family supporters who combined to make our Middle and Senior School swimming carnivals an overwhelming success over the previous fortnight.
I am confident that the upcoming Junior School swimming carnival will be equally enjoyable. I have been attending such carnivals since 1982 when I commenced teaching. While these events involve a lot of work for many people, they offer one of the many opportunities to bring students together to have fun and participate in healthy Inter-House rivalry.
Congratulations and thanks to everyone. One of the key goals coming out of our carnivals is to identify those boys who will go on to represent the college at the JPSSA and PSA swimming carnivals.
