Next year, we will celebrate the 130th anniversary of the Old Melburnians Society.
Old Melburnians had gathered at reunion dinners since at least the 1870s but by the 1890s they and the School recognised a permanent Society was essential to secure the growth of both the Old Melburnians and the School itself. The 1890s were of course the hardest of times in Melbourne.
The first President of the Old Melburnians, H E A Hodges (OM 1864) identified our purpose as the promotion of fellowship between us and of interest in and affection for the School. The idea was to forge “the isolated links which bind the Past and Present into a consolidated chain”. That remains true today.
One community, many ways to participate
Perhaps the most visible way the Old Melburnians Council makes this happen is through our extensive program of events. These include Branch and Year reunions, the Annual Dinner (now approaching its 145th), the highly successful Business Breakfasts, Old Melburnian Clubs and Societies and our mentoring program.
This is not new. The Sydney Branch was established in 1911. The London Branch in 1913. The football club, 1920. And so on. Wherever there are Old Melburnians, there is a purpose to our gathering together.
We also encourage Old Melburnians to share their diverse experience and expertise with current students through the School’s Career programs for students and our OM Exchange mentoring program. And through the Dick Cotton Fellowship, we assist young OMs to undertake work with a beneficial social purpose, often in remote places helping people in great need.
As individuals, Old Melburnians have also long supported the School in a myriad of ways. The list is long and the generosity of spirit it reflects takes many forms. Philanthropy, sports coaching, tutoring, participating in careers nights, as guest speakers, and contributing to the School Archives and School Library come readily to mind.
Each and every Old Melburnian can make their own contribution in their own way. That contribution is to ourselves as much as it is to the School and follows a proud legacy we have inherited from long ago. Participation in the community of Old Melburnians is itself a valuable contribution because it brings us together and renews our bond.
The plain fact is the Melbourne Grammar would not be the School it is without it, just as we would not be who we are without the School. I encourage you to reflect on this. And I encourage you to take action.
Looking forward
Although we have inherited a proud and long tradition, in truth our purpose is forward looking. At any Branch gathering, for example, you will see an age range of decades and a sense of camaraderie that fortifies the spirit. The further you are from Melbourne, the more obvious and important that is.
That is not about the past. It is about the present moment and what is to come. When a student leaves the School, they join a global community of Old Melburnians, who, in all walks of life share a common bond, a common loyalty – to the School, past, present and future, and to each other. In every sense, the School gates are always open to Old Melburnians, no matter where their journey has taken them or how long it has been.
That is why The Old Melburnians are here.
Martin Scott KC (OM 1980)
President, The Old Melburnians
