Scotch College

OSCA Merit Awards

OSCA Merit Awards for 2008

WORDS: Mr David Ashton

Four meritorious Old Scotch Collegians received recognition for their OSCA service at the OSCA President’s and Past Presidents’ Dinner on 13 November.

Immediate Past President John Jeffreys presented OSCA Merit Awards to John Bell, Graham Stanley, Bob Welch and Keith Weymouth. These awards recognise the outstanding service that individuals make to the Old Scotch Collegians’ Association, and the School.

John Bell (’60) has made a large and valuable contribution to OSCA through his long and dedicated involvement with several Old Scotch clubs and affiliated associations.

John was closely involved with both the Bulleen Templestowe and Old Scotch Football Clubs between 1982 and 1998, holding a wide variety of administrative positions. He was secretary of the Old Scotch Football Club from 1992 to 1996 and again in 1998. John has been a member of the Victorian Amateur Football Association board since 1999. During that period he has served on many VAFA committees, both at senior and under 19 levels.

He joined the Old Scotch Masonic Lodge in 1987, and became a Steward in 1989 for four years. He then moved through the five progressive offices of the Lodge, to become Master in 1996. This involved hosting the 61st annual meeting of the Combined Schools Lodges in 1997. He has since taken on the role of Tyler in 2002–03 and Assistant Director of Ceremonies in 2007–08. In addition, for more than 10 years he has been involved in the Lodge social committee, and is currently Convenor of this committee.

This year John has joined the Old Scotch Bowls Club and is becoming an active club member. John is a master administrator and a devoted Old Scotch Collegian.

Graham Stanley (’60) has been the secretary of the OSCA affiliated societies for the past six years, and has served OSCA wisely and faithfully in this role. He was one of the founders of the Old Scotch Bushwalking Club, and was its inaugural secretary.

In this role, he cooperated closely with the inaugural president, David Ashton, in getting the club off the ground, recruiting new members, and liaising with OSCA on a number of issues. He is now in his first term as president of the bushwalking club, and is continuing to serve the club energetically in this role.

Graham and his wife, Sue, are devoted Scottish country dancing enthusiasts – and Graham would some day love to create an Old Scotch Scottish Country Dancing Club! Graham has a deep and abiding love of Scotch, and he believes strongly in OSCA and what it stands for. He is a person of high integrity, energy and enthusiasm, with a positive attitude. All these qualities are brought fully to bear on his OSCA activities.

Bob Welch (’66) began at Scotch in 1958 and finished in 1966, but in many ways he has never really left Scotch College. He is part of a rare breed of old boys whose love and affection for his old School was readily and easily transferred from a Scotch focus to an OSCA focus, as soon as he left School.

This has led him to make a wonderful contribution to both Scotch and to OSCA in many and varied ways. It has included being a year group leader for the Annual Giving program, a founding member of the Old Scotch Heritage Club, an OSCA Council member, president of OSCA, and giving many years of service to the Old Scotch Football Club as a player and official. Described by his former coach Leigh McGregor as ‘eminently coachable’, Bob played 252 games for the football club over 18 years. He was twice captain of the club’s 2nd XVIII, and was club secretary in 1983. He was awarded life membership of the club in 1979.

During Bob’s time as president of OSCA, he was passionate about supporting Old Scotch dinners, and travelled widely around Australia to participate in them. This year he was MC at the OSCA Annual Dinner, at which Tom Batty was welcomed as Scotch Principal. Bob’s year as OSCA president was most successful, and he was an integral part of the team which steered the Council towards its current proactive and energetic position.

Bob’s support for Scotch rowing is legendary. After coaching and mentoring young Scotch rowers, Bob joined the Cardinal Club committee, and served two years as its president. During his presidency, the Cardinal Club funded the refurbishment of the rowing tank, and also donated the Chris Roberts, a coxless four, to the School. In the Cardinal Club, Bob’s unstinting work and innovative ideas were invaluable. He has steadfastly maintained his connection with Scotch rowing through his close liaison and personal friendship with Greg Baker, Scotch’s Director of Rowing.

The School acknowledged Bob’s outstanding contribution to rowing when it named a new quad scull the Robert J Welch. Bob is a most deserving recipient of an OSCA Merit Award.

Keith Weymouth (’44) has been a deeply involved and dedicated old boy for many years, taking an active role in numerous Old Scotch clubs and School activities, including the Old Scotch Rover Scouts in his earlier years. Keith joined the Old Scotch Masonic Lodge in 1982. He was Steward from 1983 to 1985, and moved through the five progressive offices of the Lodge to become Master in 1990, leading the Lodge’s move from Glenferrie to Camberwell in 1991. He then became Assistant Secretary from 1993 to 1998. For most of the period from 1991 to 1999, Keith was also the Lodge’s Social Secretary, and is still closely involved with organising Lodge social and charitable activities.

When the Scotch Archives moved to its present home in Morrison Street in 1995, Keith, together with a group of Lodge members, became deeply involved in the massive job of stocktaking and logging the archived material. He continued to help with sorting, filing and archiving until at least 2000, as well as working in the display museum. Keith is currently the secretary of the Old Scotch Heritage Club, formed last year.

He has always been actively involved with the Old Scotch Film Society, and has been on the committee since 2001. He was chairman in 2002, and will again be chairman in 2009. In addition, Keith has been a player and a committee member of the Old Scotch Bowls Club, and is currently the club’s secretary. For many years he was a player and actively involved with the Old Scotch Tennis Club. Keith has helped OSCA to prosper in many positive ways. GS