BMG 2020 Grammarian Issue 1

4 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY 2020 On behalf of the staff and student body at Bacchus Marsh Grammar Maddingley and Woodlea, I respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the land in which we gather, the Wathaurong people of the Kulin Nation. We pay respects to their elders, past, present and emerging and acknowledge the significance of our First Nation people on the culture and history of Australia. Today marks the 12th Commencement Ceremony for our school. This ceremony was inaugurated to mark the beginning of the school year, recognise the achievements of past students, acknowledge greatness and leadership and establish a clear vision for the year. The task of sharing thoughts on school history and culture was previously bestowed upon Ms Callow, a staff member that many look to as a matriarch of BMG. Ms Callow is moving into a new phase of her working life and it is my absolute honour and great privilege to be selected to take on this role and speak here today; sharing thoughts of our history, the traditions of our school and the evolving culture and vision for our future. Of course, this speech is the culmination of working directly with Ms Callow and her tutelage will undoubtedly flow through these words today and hopefully resonate with you all into the future. What is at the heart of our school? What forces work collectively to bring us together to achieve common goals with a common ideology? There are so many different identities represented within our entire school, that bringing them together is a significant feat and yet we have been able, over the past thirty years, to do this with relative harmony. This speaks volumes about the staff, students and wider community. Establishing these common beliefs ensures that past students and staff, similarly new students and staff, can recognise and embrace the BMG way. The culture of our organisation. Culture can be defined as a way of life for groups of people; an integrated pattern of human knowledge, beliefs and behaviours. It is a collective outlook and attitude shared by the coming together of like-minded people. We are all a part of the fabric of a rich tapestry that is the culture of Bacchus Marsh Grammar. The importance of culture can sometimes be overlooked or perhaps be less visible when we get caught up in the busyness of life. We sometimes find ourselves moving quickly from space to space, rushing to frantically meet deadlines, becoming overwhelmed by long lists of tasks. It is during these times we are far more likely to miss the finer details; the details that can inform purpose and meaning. So today, and perhaps in days following, I want you to consider how paying attention to the details is essential as the most important things are often overlooked in the search for things greater than the obvious. So often we wander the hallways and grounds of our school environment or our hometown or our own city and we fail to recognise the beauty that surrounds us. The history, the tradition and the humanity. We may fail to see all this because we simply don’t pay attention to the details. We may be walking with our heads down and our minds racing. It is in these moments, above all others, that we miss the finer points. Our school is steeped in natural beauty, rich history and an ever growing tradition and culture that can be taken for granted, but we could probably recognise them more freely if we simply paid more attention.