The Alexander Sociery: Built upon a culture of giving

Mr David Kyle, Director of Admissions and Advancement

Over the course of Headmaster Dr Alec O’Connell’s tenure, the story of Jane Alexander has become embedded in the psyche of the College community.

Dr O’Connell regularly reminds us of the foresight and generosity of the Alexander family, born from the philanthropic and can-do spirit of Jane, whose £500 led to the establishment of Scotch College more than 125 years ago.

As any strong leader, particularly in an educational setting, will tell you, stories are the avenue by which we transfer culture, and the stories that a community celebrate say a lot about what they value and who they are. In our case, the fact that the wife of the Honourable William Alexander MLC was the driving force behind our College is not surprising, and perhaps not a particular cause for celebration, but the fact that Dr O’Connell has embedded this into our psyche as the birth of our College and our philanthropic spirit is an indication of our values and spirit.

It is this family whose name we honour around the school and as the name of our bequest programme, The Alexander Society. The bequest programme commenced in 1988 and in November 1998 the College Council formally approved the naming of The Alexander Society to be led by Mr David Broadfoot (OSC 1963). The aim of the Society is to honour and formally recognise the generosity of the community who have indicated their intention to contribute to Scotch College as a part of their charitable giving in their will. The Alexander Society members maintain a close connection with Scotch, and it is our intention to initiate more events and opportunities to develop these relationships across the whole school community. We are also looking to ensure we continue to celebrate and honour the Alexander family and I hope to be able to tell you more about this in the later stages of this year.

Philanthropy and the Scotch Foundation has established Scotch as one of Australia’s leading schools and without this generosity we would not be the community we all value. The generosity of our community has ensured we have developed teaching and learning facilities to rival any school in the world. Furthermore, we are increasingly able to offer opportunities to students who otherwise would not be able to attend the College, ensuring we maintain our egalitarian traditions and foster a community that best prepares our students for life.

There are copious examples of the generosity of our community investing in the future of the College and its students and a couple of those examples, can be seen on the next page. In the case of the Wishaw bequest, I have been fortunate enough to accompany students on these community-based service trips and see first-hand the impact such an opportunity has provided. I also think that the thoughts of Ross Stanley Bourne (OSC 1949) should be at the forefront of our minds when considering giving. As Ross alluded to, the opportunity to attend or be associated with a community such as Scotch is an absolute privilege and provides a lifetime of opportunities. Knowing that this gift can be passed on to future generations can provide great comfort and joy.

The Alexander Society welcomes anyone who confirms such a bequest, regardless of the financial commitment, and the College is well placed to assist anyone looking to do so. While we certainly aim to celebrate bequest donors as a part of The Alexander Society, we also welcome and respect bequests made anonymously.

The seed, sown by Jane and leading to the enrolment of her son Douglas, our first student, has now grown to be one of Australia’s most respected schools and philanthropy will be a key part of its future. Please get in touch if you’d like to learn more.

Donor Profiles

THE BEVERLEY WISHAW BEQUEST

Beverley Wishaw had a lifelong association with the College. As a Presbyterian Ladies’ College student, Bev enjoyed socialising with Scotch boys at dance classes and school balls.

Her brothers Terry (OSC 1949), Ian (OSC 1959) and Bruce Palmer (OSC 1961) all attended the College, and in the early 1960s Bev and her husband Len moved to Claremont to be close to Scotch and PLC, where their three daughters, Jane, Didie and Suzie were pupils.

Her son Peter Wishaw (OSC 1979) and grandsons Michael (OSC 2009) and Robert Debenham (OSC 2012) attended Scotch College. As President of the Speech and Hearing Centre in 1979, Bev had great compassion, empathy and understanding towards others, especially those less fortunate. Fittingly, due to her bequest, the Beverly Wishaw Award has enabled a Senior School student nominated by the Academic Support Department, to attend one of our community-based service trips.

The recipients have been able to connect with fellow students, united in a desire to contribute to the lives of others throughout the world.

ROSS STANLEY BOURNE (OSC 1949)

Ross joined the Alexander Society in 2001, formerly a Chartered Accountant with Bird Cameron and for many years Commodore of Royal Freshwater Bay and a member of Lake Karrinyup Golf Club. While sport was his passion the lynchpin in Ross’s life was Scotch College.

Such was his love of Scotch that Ross’s contemporaries during informal lunches would chant the school war cry with Ross taking the lead to ensure that a robust rendition ensued.

Enrolled at Scotch in 1945, his education shaped him into the “Gentle Man” he would become. Ross was awarded colours for lifesaving, book prizes by P.C Anderson and matriculated in 1949. He had a strong friendship with Gil Brinsden and the Prendiville family who helped shape his thoughts to leave a lasting legacy to Scotch in the form of a bequest.

When Ross joined the Alexander Society he was already a firm supporter of Scotch pledging support for the then “new” Keys Boarding House. His thoughts on the Alexander Society were that it had given him in his lifetime a special opportunity to leave a meaningful legacy and the knowledge that his gift would continue in perpetuity to assist generations of Scotch boys.