Principal's Address: Phillip Day Memorial Scholarship Dinner 2011
Principal's Address
Sydney Boys High School
at the annual Phillip Day Memorial Scholarship Dinner
Held on 31 May 2011
Thank you all for coming tonight to gather to celebrate Phillip Day鈥檚 life
and to support the Scholarship established in his name. Thank you in particular
to Con Barris for his organisation of the evening and to Mary-Ann Cradock who
has helped the fundraising effort in many ways.
Phil Day was a well-organised person. He was also not shy in giving his
opinion about a range of issues. He even managed to organise and advance his
considered opinion about how he would be remembered by his colleagues, his
students and the school he loved so much. Several memorial options were
discussed with him in his last days. He gave his approval for a memorial plaque
and the establishment of a scholarship in his name. I am glad that together we
have been able to fulfil his wish.
Soon after Phil鈥檚 funeral in February 2007, monies were collected and a
memorial plaque was fixed to the wall on the stairs leading from the foyer of
the main building. The Phillip Day Memorial Scholarship Trust Deed was executed
on 4 July, 2008. The remaining funds of $16,000 held in a school account were
transferred to the SHSF Inc. to establish the Phillip Day Memorial Scholarship
Trust Fund. In general terms, the Trust Fund is to apply its income in
perpetuity, for the promotion and encouragement of education at SBHS, in the
manner outlined in the Deed. Twenty-five per cent per annum of the balance of
the income of the Fund, is applied annually in funding a scholarship for a
student of SBHS, who is a talented all round student with special needs or
commitments, financial or otherwise, arising out of his participation in
activities organised or promoted by SBHS, in various areas of academic,
sporting, cultural, performance, service, leadership or associated endeavour.
Applications for the Scholarship are invited from current students and from
those joining High through our Placement Committee process for Years 8 to 12. To
retain its DGR status for tax deductibility, the Scholarship Fund must be a
public fund and its associated scholarship must potentially be accessible by a
segment of the public. The Scholarship is advertised annually in metropolitan
newspapers. A committee comprising close colleagues of Phil鈥檚, considers
scholarship applications and recommends a successful applicant to the Principal.
The inaugural Phillip Day Scholar, selected in 2008 for 2009 was Alexander
Belokopytov, who graduated in 2009 with a great academic and co-curricular
record. He was later awarded a Maikin Scholarship at UNSW and subsequently took
up a prestigious scholarship to study in the USA. In 2010, Terence Pham joined
the school in Year 9 and was awarded the Scholarship for his academic ability,
talent in three sports and necessitous circumstances. This year鈥檚 Phillip Day
Scholar is a Year 8 student, Jesse Nixon. Jesse is a talented all-rounder, who
was on the Academic Achievement List in Year 7 and participated in rowing,
rugby, three school carnivals, two music ensembles, school service projects,
parking, academic competitions and the da Vinci decathlon. Jesse is here tonight
and he will share his feelings about the scholarship with you later this
evening.
In order to preserve the balance of the Fund, yet at the same time to
commence a scholarship, the School decided in 2009 to finance the actual
Scholarships of $1200 each and it then receives a quarter of the Fund income as
an annual disbursement from the Foundation each September. The income at this
time does not cover the full cost of the Scholarship.
Since its establishment, the Fund has benefited considerably from the
proceeds of the inaugural Phil Day Scholarship Fundraising Dinner in 2009 and
from subsequent donations from Old Boys and well-wishers. It also has retained
interest earnings each year. The current balance of the Fund is $42,700. It is
our intention to raise the profile of the Scholarship by awarding it for a
number of years to one person or to multiple people. To do so, we have to grow
the Fund until it is self-sustaining. The purpose of my rather protracted
recount of the context of the Trust and Fund is to assure you that funds raised
through our dinner or other activities will be directed to the Fund securely and
used for the purpose intended. It is my intention to underwrite and subsidise
the Scholarship award until the capital reaches a self-sustaining amount.
Ideally, we want to achieve a target of $80,000 so that @ 6% interest, one
quarter of the income would finance a $1200 scholarship.
So here鈥檚 the thing. We need your support to get to our target. The cause is
worthy. Please give generously and spread the word about the Scholarship and
Fund to students, Old Boys and others.
Speech Library 