Scotch College

No time for getting bored

Thursday afternoon leaders, Fraser Cahill, Vorapong Vadhanasindhu and Aaron Brown.

For longer than most people can remember, Thursday afternoons in the Scotch Senior School have been a hive of activity, with boys enthusiastically participating in a variety of after-school pursuits, including Cadets, Scouts, Sea Scouts, the Outdoor Program and Social Services.

Boarders, in particular, enjoy these Thursday extracurricular activities.

'For the group of boys who actually live at school, they provide a break from routine and a chance to express themselves in a variety of ways,' said Dean of Boarding, Doug Galbraith. 'It emphasises once again that there's much more to Scotch than just 'school'.

'Boarders appreciate the opportunities provided by this program to develop self-esteem and promote personal development. As well, they utilise a lot of the practical and outdoor skills that boarders love anyway. For example, most of the Sea Scout troop are boarders.

'A third benefit for boarders is the opportunity to make friends across a variety of year groups, and to get to know teachers away from the classrooms,' he said.

Fraser Cahill from Bendigo is Captain of the Sea Scout Troop and loves the opportunities Sea Scouts provides to go motor-boating, scuba diving, kayaking, swimming, making swags and learning cooking techniques for groups on camps. 'The Sea Scouts are a good bunch of blokes, and we have a great time,' Fraser told Great Scot. 'If we've had a hard week at School, Sea Scout activities take our minds off our work, and help us to relax.'

Vorapong Vadhanasindhu, from Thailand, is also in Year 12 and has been a Scotch boarder since Year 7. Vorapong is now a Cadet Under Officer, in charge of 2 Platoon, and loves the fun and friendship of the Cadets.

'Being a Cadet has taught me a lot of things, including discipline, a sense of pride, the ability to work in and manage a team, and how to use my own initiative,' Vorapong said. It has also been a great benefit for an overseas boarder like Vorapong to get to know the Australian bush and make friends on the camps outside the boarding environment.

Another Year 12 boarder, Aaron Brown from Inverloch, enjoys kayaking on Thursday afternoons as part of the Outdoor Program, and later in the year he will lead a group of Year 10 Scotch boys on a kayak camp. The group will include a number of fellow boarders. When in Year 10 himself, Aaron took part in Scotch's Outdoor Leadership Program.

'We learned campcraft, navigation and leadership, and the program concluded with a six-day camp at Mt Stirling,' Aaron said. 'My experience in that program helped me to become leader of the Year 8 hike when I was in Year 11,' he said. Aaron is also Captain of Squash and a member of Scotch's champion cross country team.

From kayaking to cadets, Scotch's Thursday afternoon activities are an important part of the rich tapestry of Scotch life. They're fun, and at the same time help boys to develop team spirit, self-discipline and initiative, and make friends across the whole School community.

David Ashton