VALE Sheila Scotter 1920-2012

[Lord's Taverners Australia - VIC]

Sheila Scotter AM MBE, alias Lord's Taverners number 79, died on Good Friday, aged 91.

In his enthralling eulogy, Alan Jones described her death as marking the end of the Australian fashion industry's most historic era.

Lawrence Money, in a more jocular tribute, highlighted Sheila's passion for cricket

From the Lord's Taverners perspective, the circa 1982 chairman took his courage in both hands and invited Sheila (more or less sight unseen) to serve on the committee from day one.

It was one of the more enlightened decisions, Sheila bringing with her a number of benefits, namely:

* Order and discipline at committee meetings

* Total respect for the Taverners' ethos and a fierce expectation for the same commitment from all Taverners members

* Great contacts in the entertainment industry, eg Rex Harrison, Ruth Cracknell, Ronnie Corbett, Donald Sinden amongst others who all graced various Taverners events.

* Dedication to fund raising and the vision to organise the sort of functions which gave the Taverners a community presence and, just as importantly, a raison d'etre for the members.

Sheila came into cricket whilst at St Swithuns School, Winchester.

She followed Test cricket (and ODIs) with critical intensity, demonstrated by her overt admiration for Greg Chappell but a less generous disposition towards Ricky Ponting who lacked the former's social niceties.

In her biography, she waxed fulsomely about the Lord's Taverners, her pride in being on the committee, all of whom were "truly delightful gentlemen" with Dr. John Lill an unequivocal favourite.

She would have been thrilled that John, Paul Sheahan and Andrew Buckle should be at her funeral.

She never fogot the history factor of the Taverners and especially Prince Philip's 'in perpetuity' role as twelfth man.

Woe betide any over zealous master of ceremonies who forgot or ignored the protocols of the Loyal Toast.

James Dallmeyer's 'Ode to Sheila', composed twenty five years ago remains pertinent to this day

:

All elegance in black and white

World citizen, now Yarra-ite

This daughter of the British Raj

Is never ever not in charge.

 

The more you know her, you will discover

A charity queen and cricket lover

An author, columnist, opera buff

I could go on

But enough is enough.

 

So raise your glass

A toast to class

From you and me

To Sheila Scotter MBE

 

Vale Sheila

John MacKinnon