I hope that every Old Melburnian feels that they are part of the Old Melburnian community.
There is no such thing as an outsider amongst us. I see this at every Old Melburnians event. Whatever your frame of mind when you enter, you will leave feeling engaged and uplifted.
Events are just one way we come together. Most are familiar with our class and branch reunions and other in-person and virtual events.
But there are a myriad of ways to connect and be involved, across a broad range of interests and groups. The new Old Melburnians Exchange, the many Old Melburnians Clubs and societies, and the Dick Cotton Fund are all there for that reason. The School’s website has the details and they are also accessible via OMLink.
In 2022, the Old Melburnians Council established a committee to focus on Old Melburnian women. That year marked the point when 1,000 girls had passed through Grimwade House. As with everyone who leaves the school before VCE, they became Old Melburnians when they had completed Year 12, wherever they were. In a way we were seeking an answer to a basic question. What does it mean for someone who left the School well before Year 12 to be an Old Melburnian?
The answer might surprise you, as it surprised me. It means a great deal. For some, it is partly because their family has a strong connection through fathers, brothers and beyond. For all, it is because like all Old Melburnians there is a profound sense of connection with a great school and what it means to say that.
The committee is currently led by Penny Apted (OM 1994). Like many Old Melburnian women, Penny’s connection to the School is deep and profound. In her case it stretches back for generations. The Rhoden Building in Domain Road is named for Penny’s grandfather, Phil Rhoden (OM 1933).
As with any Old Melburnian, the more involved Old Melburnian women are, the more engaged they become and they more they benefit. This is a universal truth. Penny’s committee has naturally focused on the Grimwade community generally and that has revealed the strong and enduring bond between the men and women who attended Grimwade House. Her committee is as much about that as anything.
My measure of success for the Old Melburnians is that all Old Melburnians confidently embrace our common bond and loyalty. What someone does with that (and how they do it) is up to them, but all Old Melburnians should be confident that the School will always welcome them back and that the Old Melburnians community is their community.
As Mark Balla (OM 1980) says, if you don’t ask you don’t know that the answer is yes. Between us, the answer is yes.
Martin Scott KC (OM 1980)
President, The Old Melburnians
