Scotch College

Heaps of fun as boarders head for the hills

Nearly every winter weekend the Scotch boarding house Activities Coordinator, Tim Bence, organises exciting weekends away at Mansfield for groups of Scotch boarders, who look forward to these weekends with eager anticipation.

Setting off after Saturday sport, groups of eight boys travel with Tim to the boarders’ Gordon Owen Lodge at Mansfield, for an overnight stay and a Sunday of skiing at Mount Buller. On some weekends, when greater numbers are interested, several vehicles or even a bus may be used.

The weekends away – and other activities in a varied outdoor program – are exciting and enjoyable for all boarders participating in them. This particularly applies to international boarders from Hong Kong, Singapore or Thailand, who may be experiencing the thrill of seeing snow for the first time, and learning snowboarding or skiing. It’s also an eye-opener for the younger boys – the Year 7s in particular.

Tim Bence says great team spirit comes to the fore, and leadership skills are developed. ‘I usually appoint two of the boys to supervise waking the other boys, preparing breakfast, and getting the team on the road to the snowfields,’ Tim said.

‘They know that the sooner they get the other boys – and themselves – organised, the more skiing time the whole group can enjoy, so it’s a great incentive to be well organised and encourage the others to be the same,’ he said.

Working bees are conducted at the lodge on some weekends, when the boys enthusiastically paint, chop wood, mend fences or clear fallen timber. ‘This might sound a bit routine,’ said Tim, ‘but the boys know that if they devote just the occasional working weekend to these tasks, all the remaining visits will be more comfortable and fewer chores will be required. All that adds up to more skiing time!’

Similar weekends away take place in the summer months at Scotch at Cowes, where the boys enjoy swimming, surfing and bushwalking. Tim also organises indoor rock climbing, go-karting or visits to the wave pool in Glen Waverley.

‘For variety, some weekends we go to the movies, or organise social or sports events in conjunction with girls’ schools. These events are all part of a varied program which builds team spirit, enhances leadership skills – and is also great fun.’

David Ashton