Scotch College

History of the Foundation

The beginnings of the Scotch College Foundation as recalled by Sir Laurence Muir, Past School Council Member, Trustee and Past President of the Foundation, Old Boy (School Captain 1942)

Early in the '70s the Principal, Colin Healey, and his energetic Bursar, Ken Field, devised the concept of the Scotch Family. This was in recognition that independent schools in the modern era could only develop by embracing, without reservation, the loyal community of Old Boys, parents, past parents, commercial associates and friends.

After two moderately successful building appeals in the '60s, it was resolved that a fresh and ongoing approach to fundraising was needed.

In 1972, as Council Member and an Old Boy, I was asked by the Council to chair a sub-committee to explore, with the National Fund Raising Counsel of Australia, possible new methods. After some months of deliberation, the sub-committee proposed to the Council the formation of the Scotch Foundation, with the responsibility of raising funds for capital works and endowment. Family membership was to be at three levels, initially:

Trustees - to subscribe $25,000 (or more) over five years

Fellows - $10,000 (or more) over five years

Members - $2,000 (or more) over five years.

The Council embraced the proposal enthusiastically, and I was asked to raise the initial $1,000,000 before a formal launch in 1973.

By launch date we had the support totalling $1.2 million from 20 Trustees, 40 Fellows and 60 Members.

All agreed that the concept of the Foundation was timely and most appropriate.

Some of the strongest early supporters were (in alphabetical order) Sir James Balderstone, John Brand, Peter Buckley, Lindsay Fox, Ken Gifford, Sir Archibald Glenn, Stan and Peter Hawthorne, Bruce Lithgow, John McIlwraith, Sir Ian McLennan, Hugh Melville, Bob Montgomery, Sandy Murdoch, Ken Myer, Bill Philip, Tom Ramsay, Brian Randall, John Richards, the Spencer brothers Lionel and Grenville, Bib Stillwell, and Colin Youren (with apologies to lots of others).

Sub-committees were soon formed to develop the membership, publications, bequests and activities of the Foundation.

The Constitution adopted in 1973 provided for representatives of each donor group on the Board. The concept pioneered by Scotch has become the model for fundraising in most Australian independent schools.

The development of the Scotch Family concept is the single most important factor in ensuring that Scotch, with the assistance of the Foundation, is The Best School of All.

Laurie M Muir ('42)

 

Scholarship Support Growing

In a note to Peter Crook some years ago, Professor David Copolov ('68), Director of the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria said, 'Receiving a scholarship to Scotch was of great importance to me in both a personal, and eventually, a professional sense. The generosity of the Scotch College Council and, in particular, of Mr Healey, in awarding me the scholarship, enabled me not only to eventually qualify for the medical course, but to become part of a school with a breadth of scholastic and co-curricular activities which I found most enriching.'

The school and the Foundation are delighted to be able to report that the late John Bellair, Captain of the School in 1927, has left a very substantial bequest. It will establish and endow a number of means-tested scholarships to bring boys to the school, who would be unable to attend without such financial aid. These scholarships will become available at some time in the future.

In addition, later this year the Principal will be able to offer three further means-tested scholarships, two for boys from either metropolitan or regional Australia and the other for a boarder from rural Australia.

The first two, to be known as The Fox Family Scholarships, will be funded through the continuing support of the Fox family, with the particular involvement of Andrew Fox, Class of '79. The philanthropy of the Fox family is well-known at Scotch and in the wider community, and the Fox Family Scholarships are yet another measure of the family's abiding interest in people and their futures.

The third scholarship, to be known as the Ross Mactier Scholarship has resulted from the generous ongoing gift of Ross and Victoria Mactier. Ross, Class of '57, was a boarder himself and hopes that the holders of the scholarship will have as happy a boarding experience as he did.

The recipients of the Bellair, Fox and Mactier Scholarships will always be grateful to those thoughtful and generous families who gave them an opportunity to attend Scotch College. The Foundation and all members of the Scotch Family are deeply grateful for these inspiring commitments, which are yet another tangible legacy of our 150th year.

Endowment takes many forms. Contact Development Office for details of the various ways in which you and your family can join the growing list of those who have recognised the vital importance of endowment to the future of Scotch.