Ronnie Fellows-Smith
Service Council
The Service Council has been very busy in the last term of the year, which for the Year 12s is our last term ever. For our final big event we organised the Big Freeze – a fundraiser run by FightMND to try and defeat motor neurone disease. To play our part in this great cause, we sold Big Freeze beanies alongside running a lunchtime ice-filled dunk tank for the teachers. Our goal was to organise a multi-level service event that incorporated elements of direct service, fundraising, awareness raising and also a bit of frivolous fun. Everyone in the Service Council was proactive in taking on a specific role during the planning phase. The Big Freeze was a logistically complex event to organise and it would not have been possible without the amazing organisation and commitment of all the boys in the Service Council.
Jamayden Chong, Year 11 (centre), participating in the FightMND fundraiser
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On top of the demanding pressures that Year 12 brings, the Service boys still attend regular meetings and uphold their House-based Service commitments. I believe that it is this dedication that has allowed the Council to function as a cohesive unit and accomplish everything that we have applied ourselves to. The Service meetings are integral to everything the Council does, as they allow the boys to raise questions and voice their opinions. The Service meetings have also facilitated the expansion of House-based Service events into events which the whole school has embraced, such as Anderson House’s red-nose marching becoming a whole school activity. It has been great to see everyone’s ideas develop and succeed, and while there have been setbacks, I cannot think of a time where the Council was not able to overcome a problem. I would argue that the last term for the Service Council has been our best. Admittedly, it took a while for everyone to find their footing and grasp what was required in
their role. Since then, however, we all have matured into our positions and that has culminated in a very efficient team. With mock exams looming dangerously close on the horizon, the Service Council is slowly winding down operations for the year in order to focus on our final weeks of high school. It is humbling to be slowly moving away from the amazing support structure and community of Scotch College, however, I can confidently say that every boy that held a service leadership position has made the most of their opportunity, sticking to the 2020 school motto of honouring the tradition and forging a legacy. I also feel that it is important to recognise our Chaplain, Reverend Gary van Heerden, who has recently moved into the position of Head of Service. It was really great to work with someone who not only supported the Service Council but also pushed us to pursue our ideas, something for which I am very grateful.
