Scotch College

OSCAnet is Here!

After months of planning and development by a small army of dedicated Old Boys and School Staff, OSCAnet expects to be online in October.

As reported in previous editions of Great Scot, OSCA has developed an online website designed for the use and benefit of Old Boys worldwide. This initiative is part of OSCA's response to the extensive Market Research conducted over the last 18 months by Richard Beveridge ('62). The ensuing Report has identified a great deal of valuable information about our Old Boys, and OSCA has been busy developing a Business Plan to address the needs of this community for the next few years.

Some of the initial services that OSCAnet will provide include -

• A keyword searchable Membership Directory with names of all Old Boys,
• so you can find and catch up with people you haven't spoken to in years
• A valuable Mentoring Service that offers specialised career guidance to Senior School students and Old Boys, to help you make the right career decisions
• An Email Address for Life, so that wherever you are in the world, you can always keep in touch, and your friends can always keep in touch with you
• Links to and contact details for OSCA Affiliated Societies, and country, interstate and overseas Branches
• News and Publications, such as some of the feature articles from Great Scot, and other news affecting the School and the Scotch Community
• A Calendar of Events that incorporates all OSCA and associated activities like Branch Dinners, Sporting Clubs events and fixtures, OSCA luncheons, as well School events and activities
• The OSCA Shop, displaying a variety of OSCA merchandise that you can purchase
• Future development of the OSCAnet site will include the following -
• Discussion areas and Chat Rooms for informative and stimulating exchange of ideas, as well as a good 'group chin wag'
• A Bulletin Board where Old Boys will be able to post their own important news
• Business Directory (coming soon), for advertising businesses owned and/or run by Old Boys

OSCA has focused on services likely to address the most common needs of the Old Boy Community. Other services will be introduced as development of the site continues, based on the feedback we receive from the current students and Old Boys who use the site.

The School has committed substantial funding to establish the initiative over a three-year period. During this time, OSCAnet will be developing new services in response to Old Boy needs on a user pays basis in order to sustain itself financially. OSCA now has two staff dedicated to this project - Rowan Crosbie-Goold ('84, Alumni Network Manager) and Mark O'Connor (Content Coordinator).

For OSCAnet to be ultimately successful, we must aim for all Old Boys to use the site regularly.

OSCA needs email addresses of as many Old Boys as possible to let them know about OSCAnet and how to use it. Even if you think OSCA already has your email address, we are asking you to send it to us anyway. Also we are asking you to send in email addresses of any other Old Boys that you know. Emails can be sent to oscanet@scotch.vic.edu.au.

To use the site, Old Boys need to dial up the OSCAnet web address - www.oscanet.com.au and follow the prompts on screen.

More instructions are included in the flyer and brochure that accompanies this edition of Great Scot, or by contacting and speaking to Mark O'Connor at the OSCA office on

(03) 9810 4302.

OSCA thanks Leigh McGregor ('56), the OSCA Council, the School Council and the Scotch Foundation, as well as the following staff members - Neil Roberts, Greg Baker and Ian Gelling for their great contributions to the development of this project. A special tribute for their outstanding contributions must go in particular to those on the OSCAnet project team, including the following Old Boys -

• Rick Aitchison ('58)
• Jamie Aitken ('61)
• Richard Beveridge ('62)
• John Craven ('69)
• John Field ('68)
• Ross Johnston ('64)
• Rob Logie-Smith ('60)
• Martin Ralston ('63)
• Alex Sloan ('71)
• Randall Smith ('69)

These Old Boys have freely given an enormous amount of their time to OSCAnet and have been instrumental in driving the project forward. They are all fine examples of what the 'Scotch Community Spirit' is about and on behalf of that Community, I want to thank them for their tireless dedication.

Rowan Crosbie-Goold
OSCA - Alumni Network Manager