Towards a First Draft of a Suggested Scotch 82 Survivor Comprehensive Social Media Pastoral Care Program
Intro...
This blog post intends to introduce what elements currently, and/or notionally, may need to be considered for creating a First Draft Scotch 82 Survivor Comprehensive Social Media 'Pastoral Care' Program.
This blog also intends to introduce further discussion points for our Suggested Phase A Survivor Support Lunch/Brunch, of our "Working In Progress" Plan and ongoing Survivor 'Pastoral Care' conversation.
Discussions Points Being Introduced
1. Potentially, a Steering Committee could be established by our Scotch College School Council to decide if a Scotch Family Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program will build on the existing 2025 Response.
Without a current Scotch family program, a notional program can be envisaged by looking at what the other Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS) have in place.
2. OSCA's "Make Your Own OSCA" and Wellbeing policy has helped shape our current Scotch 82 Social Media initiatives, which include posts to our year's profiles specifically about Survivor 'Pastoral Care'.
A more visible and easily recognizable "Make Your Own OSCA Year Group Survivor Program" is the subject of our Scotch 82 Survivor Comprehensive Social Media Pastoral Care Response.
3. Individual Survivors may be aided to create their own Survivor Plan by our year's Make Your Own OSCA Year Group Survivor Program Program, when implemented during the Suggested Phase B.
This is the fourth post as part of our Scotch 82 blog "Towards a Scotch 82 Survivor Comprehensive Pastoral Care Response".
Links to the three previous blog posts:
- 2025 APS Survivor Pastoral Care Survey (last update - 20th of August 2025)
- Post Easter Breakfast Update - Phase A continues (last update - 16th of April 2025)
- Scotch 82 Pastoral Care Plan for Survivors (last update - 2nd of January 2025)
Towards a Scotch 82 Survivor Comprehensive Social Media Pastoral Care Response
During 2025, we have not shied away from acknowledging and sharing the challenges our Survivors and their Supporters' have with their alumni experience, as our year's Social Media initiatives encourage direct and indirect involvement in OSCA's "Key Activities".
Scope of Draft Scotch 82 Survivor Program
NB. At this stage, our Scotch 82 Survivors and their Supporters have not made a formal request for any type of Pastoral Care or Wellbeing Guidelines.
The scope of our draft Scotch 82 program may be more clearly defined if there was a set of Scotch Family Social Media Pastoral Care/Health & Wellbeing Guidelines.
The scope of our draft Scotch 82 program may be more clearly defined if there was a set of Scotch Family Social Media Pastoral Care/Health & Wellbeing Guidelines.
Q. Might it be necessary to develop our own Scotch 82 Social Media Pastoral Care/Health & Wellbeing Guidelines, before drafting our suggested Phase A Scotch 82 Social Media Survivor Draft Pastoral Care Plan?
A. Developing Scotch 82 Social Media Pastoral Care/Health & Wellbeing Guidelines, ahead of there being a clear set of Scotch Family Social Media Pastoral Care/Health & Wellbeing Guidelines (or Policies) seems beyond the scope of our "work in progress" plan, however, this may change, if they were first requested by, or a extensive consultation was to take place, with our Scotch Family/Scotch 82 Survivors and their Supporters.
Q. Might it be necessary to develop our own Scotch 82 Social Media Pastoral Care/Health & Wellbeing Guidelines, before drafting our suggested Phase A Scotch 82 Social Media Survivor Draft Pastoral Care Plan?
A. Developing Scotch 82 Social Media Pastoral Care/Health & Wellbeing Guidelines, ahead of there being a clear set of Scotch Family Social Media Pastoral Care/Health & Wellbeing Guidelines (or Policies) seems beyond the scope of our "work in progress" plan, however, this may change, if they were first requested by, or a extensive consultation was to take place, with our Scotch Family/Scotch 82 Survivors and their Supporters.
OSCA Mission, Vision, Priorities 2030
OSCA's Annual Report provides our year with a clear vision of where we are heading as Old Boys, as part of the Scotch Family.
Our Cardinal Thread is something the OSCA Council and Scotch College Principal, Dr Scott "Colonel" Marsh, value highly, with our Young Old Boy's Social Media activities having a growing influence on the welfare/pastoral care/well-being of Scotch Boys too.
"Over the past year, OSCA delivered a diverse calendar of events that celebrated connection, tradition and community across the Scotch Family." (Scotch 91's Matt Gutheridge, p7, OSCA Annual Report 2025).
OSCA Priority 2 Providing Ways to Connect
Social Media is a tangible way our Scotch 82 Classmates are connecting and staying connected, as part of OSCA's Key Activity F. Providing world-class digital engagement.
Combining Traditional and Psychological Pastoral Care
Traditional Pastoral Care remains a major part of the new Scotch College strategic plan "Lighting The Way", as does Psychological Pastoral Care, which was first provided to our year in 1981, with the introduction of a School Councillor.
Timeline Update...
In the first post of our Scotch 82 Survivor Comprehensive Pastoral Care Response blog, we introduced the idea of a "work in progress" Pastoral Care plan with a Suggested 3 Phases, using Social Media.
The suggestion was/is to have three phases, arriving at a Draft Program during Phase A, towards the end of 2025, co-designed with our Scotch 82 Survivors and their Supporters, along with our Scotch Family professional Pastoral Carers.
Please Note:
A Support Lunch date is yet to be set, and participants are yet to be invited.
At this stage, it's envisaged invitations would be sent to our Scotch 82 Survivors and their Supporters, our Scotch Family Professional Pastoral Carers, our Scotch 82 Reunion Committee, as well as a representative from a Trauma Informed Care and Survivor Care Organization eg. the Blue Knot Foundation, the National Survivors Foundation (formerly the In Good Faith Foundation).
Body Of Blog...
Discussion Points:
1. A Scotch Family Survivor Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program
Ideally, a Scotch Family Survivor Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program would be in place; aided by Social Media, and include a Scotch 82 Survivor Comprehensive Social Media Pastoral Care Program that formed part of it.
Below is the list of the current Scotch College Policies. Please note there is no specific Pastoral Care Policy for our Scotch Family Survivors and their Survivors to refer to.
Notional School Council (Sub) Committee
Planning for a Scotch Family Survivor Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program may entail our Scotch College School Council establishing a Steering Committee to help put in place a framework for implementing a program, and then to continue the program's ongoing future oriented objectives.
Scotch Family Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program
Our (notional) Scotch Family/Community Survivor Pastoral Care Program could be developed by taking a co-designed approached, with it's aims and objectives being similar to what some of the other Associated Public Schools of Victoria already have in place, to aid the Trauma Informed Care recovery of their Survivors.
Participants in the co-design process could be drawn from our Scotch Family within the variety of different groups who would bring differing perspectives to the process considered by a Steering Committee to best meet our Scotch Family Survivors and their Supporters' needs
Scotch Family Survivor Refer and Refer Out 2015 Response
As reported in the print media, our Scotch Family has in place a 2015 Survivor Pastoral Care Response compiled by Past Principal, Tom Batty, and Past OSCA President, Jonathan Buckley, we can see our Scotch Family Survivors are "Referred" internally to the Scotch College Psychologist, and "Referred Out" to Beyond Blue, Health Professionals, Lifeline, and Support Services.
APS Co-designed Programs Utilizing Trauma Informed Care Organizations Experience
Our August 19th Scotch 82 Survivor Conversation Blog Update post to our social media profiles has a non-exhaustive survey of the APS families' responses, plans, and programs currently in place, with the outside agencies who have played an integral part in their implementation and future objectives.
Taking a whole of community co-designing approach means thinking about not only who, but also what is involved in planning Scotch Family Survivor Pastoral Care, along side that of other APS Families/Communities.
Elements of APS Co-designed Programs
This list of APS Survivor Responses/Plans/Programs elements was identified by a non-exhaustive survey of APS families/communities and their Alumi polices, webpages, and online magazines.
Historical Sexual Abuse Policies
National Survivors Foundation (In Good Faith Foundation) Agreement
Survivor Memorial
Reflective Spaces
Safer Futures Committee
Independent Counselling Service
Volunteer Skills Bank
OSCA Reunion Committees Involvement
This notionally program, if implemented, could also provide an opportunity for our Scotch 82 Survivors and their Supports to keep our Reunion Committee up-to-date with how their expressed needs are being met. Reunion Committees could then present our Survivors' ongoing needs and recovery progress to the Old Scotch Collegians' Association Council.
Our 40 Year Reunion Committee Role description helps when thinking about making suggestions to OSCA this through Reunion Committees, and a Make Your Own OSCA Year Group Survivor Pastoral Care Program is currently outside of the normal Reunion Committee Role.
However, all of our Classmates can get involved in assisting our Reunion Committee with using social media to ensure our year's Survivors and their Supporters feel included in our Scotch 82 Social Media "reconnect, reconcile, and reunite" initiative, as we head towards our 50 Year Reunion in 2032.
It's hoped a Make Your Own OSCA Year Group Survivor Program would also provide input for OSCA's future Reunion and Events Planning, and if each year was able to share their Survivors experiences of using Social Media, then their improved alumni experience would potentially further reduce the risks of suicides.
To-date, our Scotch 82 Support Influencers have been provided with feedback about how our year is using Social Media, and this has hopefully allowed our year to play a proactive part in developing our Scotch Family's Social Media Pastoral Care program.
Steering Committee's Forming Of Ideas Into A Workable Framework
Before the Steering Committee decided on a framework for developing the notional Scotch Family Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program, it may decide to:
1. Hear what a sample of Scotch Family Survivors are saying.
3. Hear how Old Boys Supporters can assist eg. involvement in a Volunteer Skills Bank
2. Hear as many Scotch Family Perspectives as possible.
Scotch Family Survivor Program Committee Formation
Our notional Steering Committee might put together some guidelines, make recommendations, a Scotch Family Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program developmental timeline, provide objectives, etc, that could act as the framework for a notional Scotch Family Survivor Committee.
(Discussion Point) 2. Make Your Own OSCA Year Group Survivor Program
As presented in our first blog post, the Old Scotch Collegians' Association, and Gotcha4Life do not currently have in place a Historical Sexual Abuse Survivor Program, and Gotch4Life are not a National Redress Scheme Services Provider (but have recommended program providers with extensive experience of reducing Suicides).
Some of our Scotch 82 Survivors and their Supporters, in their time of greatest need, have looked for a clear Pastoral Care strategy and vision from OSCA; an implicit welfare objective that flows out of past and present OSCA objectives, as well as Scotch College's Pastoral Care objectives for Old Boys.
Furthermore, our Scotch College Chaplains are being encouraged to be a part of the Pastoral Care of Old Boys' Club and Societies.
Over the past 12 months our Scotch 82 Active Admins Group has been trialing referring our Survivors' requests to our OSCA Chaplain, Graham Bradbeer, and this can extend to making referrals to our Scotch College Chaplains, once they become more familiar with our yet to be implemented Make Your Own OSCA Survivor Program.
Elements Our Existing Scotch 82 Survivor Initiatives
We Respond to Survivors Social Media Public and Private Action Requests
Our Survivors have been making requests for Pastoral Care assistance by using the message function of our Scotch 82 profiles, and to our Classmates using direct messages too. Our Classmates' Action Request are posted to our Scotch 82 Support Album.
Scotch 82 Active Admins Group Provides Oversight
In addition to overseeing our Survivor posts, our Active Admins provide oversight accountability for all of the posts on our Scotch 82 Social Media profiles, with group membership open to all of our Classmates, including our Survivors and their Supporters.
Our Active Admins groups also provides the opportunity for a more private discussions, and if requested or suggested, thoughts and ideas will be share with our Scotch Family Chaplains, Scotch College Psychologist, Scotch 82 Reunion Committee, and outside organisations like the Child Abuse Royal Commission Support Services providers in the National Survivors Foundation (previously called the In Good Faith Foundation), and the Blue Knot Foundation (previously called Adults Surviving Child Sexual Abuse), and other interested Old Boys.
Acknowledging Our Scotch 82 Survivors
Thanks to the National Survivors Foundation (formerly the In Good Faith Foundation), who organized the wonderful National Survivors' Day program on the 12th of November, our year has been able to participate in this day. This initiative helps our Survivors to be a part of the the Australia wide Survivor 'Pastoral Care' conversation.
The National Survivors Foundation has been a good friend to other Associated Public Schools of Victoria, with Rachel taking a keen interest in our greater Scotch Family Survivor 'Pastoral Care' conversation and/or program planning.
Please Note: Rachel is available to be a part of our Survivor Conversation, and/or a Zoom meeting, in preference to a face to face Suggested Survivor Support Lunch/Brunch.
Open and Transparent Discussion of Scotch 82 Survivor Issues on Our Social Media Profiles
Unwritten Scotch Family Pastoral Care Guideline - Refer and Refer Out
Our Scotch Family Chaplains, those who assist the Chaplains, as well as Lay Pastoral Carers or Supporters, can also serve very important roles by recognizing the importance of referring individuals to mental health professionals or help organisations when necessary.
OSCA has a Directory Search for Old Boys who work as Doctors, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Pastors, etc, with some of these professionals being Christians, whilst others hold to another worldview.
The Military, Hospitals, Police, Emergency Services, Government, and some Private organisations employ Chaplains and/or Mental Health professionals, as today's society does it's best to cope with the challenges people are speaking more openly about.
As Tradition would have it, if a Scotch Family member was in need of someone to talk to about a personal matter, then they would be referred to the Chaplain, or during Cadets to the Padre, but this has remained an unwritten guideline that may/may not need rethinking.
As an extension of this Scotch Family tradition, our Scotch 82 Active Admins Group has been successfully employing the Refer and Refer Out Guideline, when our Scotch 82 facebook profiles have received messages about Pastoral Care.
Support Album References to Presbyterian Churches in Australia Resources.
Historically, the Presbyterian Church of Victoria ran Scotch College Melbourne. The Safe Church Unit has been established to help address Historical Sexual Abuse, within church ministry settings.
In August 2019, we posted to our Scotch 82 Support Album about the Resources available to our Scotch Family Chaplains as Ordained Ministers of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.
The Presbyterian Church of Australia has a number of State based Assemblies, but nationally have no direct involvement with the running of Presbyterian Schools like Scotch College or Presbyterian Ladies College in Victoria.
Our Old Scotch Collegians' Association runs events around Australia, and local state based Old Boys networks may be able to provide further help with contacting Presbyterian ministries to Survivors and their Supporters.
Survivor Oriented Scotch 82 Friendship Care & Support Initiatives
Our Survivors and Supporters benefit from our Scotch 82 Friendship Care & Support initiatives, in addition to the 10 year old 2015 Scotch Family Survivor Pastoral Care Response. Our Scotch 82 facebook Support Album contains posts that help to identify some of our Year Group initiatives.
Scotch 82 Year Group Support, and Peer Group Friendship and Care initiatives, can be wide ranging and varied in their format and delivery.
Our Survivors and Supporters might find it helpful to catch up at a Scotch 82 BBQ/Campfire event (organised on request), or a Peer Group BBQ/Campfire event. Recently, since the Make Your Own OSCA policy has come into effect, the OSCA Connect directory has been made available for inviting guests to year group and peer group events.
Associated Public Schools of Victoria Survivor And Outside Group Support Oriented Posts
We have posts on our Social Media profiles about the programs some of the Associated Public Schools of Victoria have put in place, and who is/has been involved in their co-design. This provides our Survivors with further ideas about how they might like to "Make Your Own OSCA Individual 'Pastoral Care' Survivor Plan".
Please Note: Our Scotch 82 Survivors who are Theists, Atheists, or Agnostics, have a choice as to whether they'd like to include our Scotch Family professional Pastoral Carers in their recovery, and provide them with feedback.
Our Social Media posts also include information about the National Redress Scheme, which provides an alternative approach when speaking with Scotch College about historical sexual abuse.
Scotch 82 Medical and Legal Professionals
Our Survivors and their Supporters may also find it helpful to get into contact with our Scotch 82 Medical and Legal Professionals, by messaging our Social Media profiles, and through our Scotch 82 Active Admins Group.
3. Make Your Own Individual OSCA Survivor Plan
The challenge for APS Survivors is to feel they are acting in accord with, and playing a key role in, their old school family's response to the recommendations made by the Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
As discussed above, a Scotch Family Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program, built on the exist 2025 Response, may also include a more visible and easily recognizable "Make Your Own OSCA Year Group Survivor Program".
Our Scotch 82 Survivors can include in their individual recovery plan the 2015 Scotch Family Response, as well as our current Scotch 82 Survivor Comprehensive "Work In Progress" Pastoral Care Plan, the elements of which our Classmates are already finding some benefit from.
Scotch 82 Survivor Resources are included in our Scotch 82 Support album, however, a similar album or dedicated blog could be created called "Scotch 82 Survivor Resources".
Make Your Own OSCA initiatives can have a profound affect on our Scotch Family's ability to help each other move through the pain of the past, forgive the School's and each other's failings, and be authentic as our OSCA Chaplain, Graham Bradbeer, encouraged us to be at our 40 Year Reunion.
Conclusion...
This blog post and conversation update post introduces for discussion a "Towards A First Draft Survivor Comprehensive 'Pastoral Care' Program" with a potential three sources flowing into it.
The first source is a currently notional Scotch Family Survivor co-designed program consisting of elements similar to that of other APS School families/communities. The idea of a Scotch School Council Steering Committee, assisted by distinguished Old Boys, and Scotch Family Survivors, was introduced.
A new Scotch Family Program might expand on the existing 2015 Scotch/OSCA Pastoral Care Response that was put in place by past Principal, Tom Batty, and past OSCA President, Jonathan Buckley.
Having an idea of what a notional Scotch Family Plan might look like helps Survivors and their Supporters with understanding how a Make Your Own OSCA Year Group Survivor Program and Individual Program can be of assistance.
The second source introduced is a Make Your Own OSCA Year Group Survivor Program, consisting mostly of elements our year already have in place that are supporting our Survivors and their Supporters (with the help of Social Media).
The third source is a Make Your Own OSCA Individual Survivor Plan/Program, which our Survivors (and their Supporters) may choose to discuss with our Scotch Family Professional Pastoral Carers, and/or professional Classmates. (Programs run by outside organizations may need an endorsement by Scotch College/OSCA to assist our Survivors in their recovery).
Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS) Survivors need to feel they are not betraying their School Family by coming forward and speaking up about any type of abuse. APS Survivors' co-design contributions have been honoured and valued highly within appropriate forums that allow for this to happen, like School Council Committees or a dedicated Survivor Committee, and a Principal led Safer Futures Committee, with help also flowing in from outside organisations like the The National Survivors Foundation.
With the help of our Scotch 82 Survivors, Scotch Family professional Pastoral Carers, Reunion Committees, Old Boys, and outside organisations, we hope to continue with social media initiatives that make a difference in reducing the risk of Classmate Survivor suicides in 2026, and beyond.
Our Scotch 82 Survivor's experience may help guide Historical Sexual Abuse policy making decisions, forming an important part of a combined Scotch Family co-designed approach to prevent future abuse, as part of Vic Gov Ministerial Order 1359.
Please let me pray:
"Heavenly Father,
Thankyou that you love us, and sent Jesus to die for us, as a propitiation for our sin, and that you sent the Holy Spirit to guide your church. Thankyou that your word is a lamp to our feet, and that you place upon our hearts the desire to reduce Survivor Suicides, in accordance with Your perfect will.
Loving Father, thankyou for our Scotch Family Chaplains, Graham, Dave and Doug, and for our Scotch College Psychologist, Nick, and for the "Make Your Own OSCA policy".
Father, please help us to discuss ideas that may lead to a Survivor Pastoral Care based need recommendation to extend the 2015 Survivor Pastoral Care Response towards a Scotch Family Survivor Comprehensive Pastoral Care Program, as introduced in this blog update.
Father, if it be Your will, please give us wisdom in our discussion about being helped by the National Survivors Foundation expertise, leading to including in this conversation the Scotch Prinicipal, Dr Scott Marsh, Scotch Council, and OSCA President, Matthew Guthridge, as need be.
Father, thankyou for the courage of our Scotch 82 and Scotch Family Survivors to talk about their experiences with coming forward, and their desire to see Scotch Family culture change, even though it is influenced by so much by Australian Societal and Governmental attitudes towards addressing abuse that happens within institutions.
In all of our discussions, planning, and initiatives, please bring about the recovery of our Scotch 82 Survivors, as the Class of 1982 seeks to use social media to help all of our Classmates to reconnect, reconcile, and then reunite at our next 10 year reunion, in 2032.
All the glory, honour, power, and praise belongs to you, in Jesus' name, and for His sake, Amen!"
Thankyou for reading this blog, and allowing me to pray!
Mick Arnott
Scotch 82 Active Admin Group
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