Scotch College

What the Old Scotch Heritage Club is all about

This description of the Old Scotch Heritage Club was written by the late Chris Selby Smith (’60), just before his untimely death in September 2007. Chris was a founding member of the Heritage Club, and a tireless and loved worker in the Scotch Archives.

Old Scotch has established a new affiliated club – the Heritage Club. The aims are to help preserve the cultural heritage of the School, to promote future planning, and to encourage effective use of the archival material.

Scotch has a valuable collection of historical memorabilia, documents and records. It is important that they are properly preserved – fire, water and neglect can do serious damage – that they are available for study and research, and that Old Boys and their families are willing to entrust significant additional items to the collection.

Already a number of people are taking an active role in the Heritage Club and encouraging progress is being made. A wonderful spirit is developing among the volunteers, with each person working on a particular task which suits their interests and the time they are able to make available.

A warm invitation is issued to all members of the Scotch Family who are interested in participating in the Heritage Club’s activities. Men and women, young and old, are all welcome.

An important objective of the Heritage Club is to assist the School Archivist, Dr Jim Mitchell.

Jim currently works in the archives for four days each week. (Monday and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, but not Wednesday.)

He has developed a (three-page!) list of possible tasks to be done, and he would be happy to send it to anyone who is interested (tel. 9810 4293; email jim.mitchell@scotch.vic.edu.au).

Jim is always willing to discuss other activities in which potential volunteers may have a particular interest.

As Jim says: ‘The variety of tasks means that we hope we can find a task that will interest you. The Scotch Archives bulge with work that needs to be done. We need to tackle what is already here and to cope with the flow of incoming donations and enquiries. A group of volunteers is already on the job, but more help will always be welcome. You will be helping the School manage its heritage, and you are sure to be fascinated by what you find here’.

The Heritage Club committee is focusing its current activities on two main areas. First, support of the School Archivist, especially in tackling the backlog, handling new donations and responding to enquiries. Peter Hawthorne is the committee member who is taking particular responsibility here (tel. 5256 2221; mobile: 0438 357 987). Second, there is longer-term planning, including for a possible new archives building, and the relationship with other elements of the School’s development (such as the Master Plan, the vision of the new Principal and the Bursar’s financial responsibilities). Pam Marshall is the committee member who is paying particular attention to these matters (tel.: 5989 6562; email: pamela.marshall@bigpond.com).

If you want to know more about the Heritage Club, what your participation would involve or how to join, contact the Secretary (Keith Weymouth: tel.: 9817 1780; email: pkwey@bigpond.com), who can arrange for you to join the Heritage Club, if you wish, and send you information about the various archival tasks which are underway or which require further volunteer assistance.

The President of the Heritage Club Committee, Bob Welch, also would be happy to talk about the Club’s activities with anyone who is interested (tel.: 9528 2515; email: robwell36@primusonline.com.au).

Contact the School Archivist, Dr Jim Mitchell, at Scotch (tel.: 9810 4293; email: jim.mitchell@scotch.vic.edu.au), who can outline the archival work which is currently being undertaken and the future work which is proposed. Also, if you wish, he can arrange a mutually convenient time for you to visit the archives, to see what is being done and to talk with other volunteers. GS