The Thistle - An E-Newsletter of Scotch College, Perth, Western Australia

Highland Games

Despite the poor weather, the Highland Games went ahead on the last day of Winter Term. A great deal of fun was had by all the boys with Gordon House taking the honours with great highland spirit. Some excerpts from the boys were as follows:

"By a long shot, the most highly anticipated event throughout the day was the tug-o-war. It was where everyone was included and the results were always so close, but sometimes it got extremely competitive which showed a new side to my peers. My other favourite event would have been the kiltie dash. The reason behind this is that the event will most of the time have extremely close results, leaving pressure on the runners. But the most important part of the kiltie dash was the kilt itself - sometimes it could be the be all and end all of the whole race. The runner previous to you would have to quickly rip off the kilt from their waist, and hand it to the next runner who must put the kilt on around their waist securely and sprint off. It may not sound like a challenge, but in the moment it gets stressful." Leo Bowles, Year 8

"At the Highland Games my most memorable moment was the kiltie dash. Despite my lack of enthusiasm at the beginning of the race, thanks to Mr. Mumford's encouragement, I gave it a go. In the end my team got the win, but most importantly my previous lack of wanting to have a go in the event and getting out of my comfort zone was put to the side which allowed myself to have more fun and enjoy the day more." Will Marshall, Year 8

"The best event of the day for me was definitely Tug-o-War. It is definitely a crowd favourite. I feel that it is a really great opportunity for leadership and teamwork. A few boys stepped up and organised the boys into their positions. I feel like this event gave a great example of the James boys and their leadership skills. On the day, James' boys took out quite a few wins, some boys may have gloated a little, but I feel that everyone in retrospect was very sportsmanlike and this helped the day to move on in a positive way." Hudson Wheeler, Year 8

" The Tug-o-War of the Highland Games is a great opportunity for teams to work together and combine their strength in an all-out war of two Houses. It was by far the most competitive game of the day with fierce matches of brute strength. Some teams worked well together with great results, while others did not. The Tug-o-War is the by far the best activity in the Highland Games for House groups to become teams." Rex French, Year 8

" Even though the Highland Games were held off for most of the day, everyone still made the most of all the events. Personally, my favourite event was the Tug-o-War. Working with all my friends in my House was a great experience, even though we usually lost. The Highland Games proved themselves to be enjoyable for everyone. Any direction you looked you could see smiling faces. I am sure everyone enjoyed the Highland Games." Hugh Mitchell, Year 8


Mr Lawrence Felgate
Year 8.4F Homeroom Teacher