Students as Role Models
Leadership takes many forms. There are some who believe that being a leader requires you to be incredibly successful, confident, loud and charismatic. Whilst these can be the defining characteristics of some leaders they do not define what a leader is. Not all Scotch boys are loud and charismatic, not all of them will be running first at the Athletics Carnival or receiving Academic Excellences, however I believe that all Scotch boys have the potential to be leaders.
Some boys lead from the front, demonstrating by example whilst others lead from the back, supporting other boys where they can and organizing events or carnivals. However, both types of leaders share one thing in common, their willingness to help others and be a positive role model for the younger boys.
The relationship between the senior boys and the younger boys at the College is something we pride ourselves on and hope to constantly develop. Since 2013 a programme focused on connecting some of the youngest boys in the School with the Year 12s has been running. The Year 2 and 12 Breakfast is an event championed by the Director of Student and Staff Wellbeing, James Hindle, and is a great tradition that we hope continues for many years. It gives the opportunity for all the Year 12s to be leaders in their own way, whether that be through being loud and charismatic or quiet and calculated.
One part of this event which really connects the senior and junior boys is an electronic time capsule which will be openned by the (now) Year 2s in 2028 when they attend the event as Year 12s. This initiative encapsulates the long educational journey at Scotch and gives the Year 2s role models to look up to.
This is a great event, which personifies the importance of the boys' being role models, not just to younger Scotch boys but also to others in the wider Perth community. Being a leader does not require immense skill or success, it requires a willingness to be a role model and help others, something that we strive to develop in all the boys during their time at Scotch.
