Sir W Garth Morrison KT CBE RN
Dear Friends,
It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Sir W Garth Morrison, KT, CBE, RN Honorary President of The Scottish Council The Scout Association, former Chief Scout and Lord Lieutenant of East Lothian went home earlier today.
After a brief illness, bravely borne, Sir Garth passed away in his sleep at home with his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Lady Gill and the rest of his family at this sad time.
Graham Haddock
Chief Commissioner of Scotland
Early life
Born 8 April 1943 in Edinburgh, he was educated at Pangbourne College, Britannia Royal Naval College, where he won the Queen’s Telescope and graduated from Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1966. He then qualified as a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers in 1973.
Garth joined the Royal Navy in 1961 and retired as a Lieutenant in 1973. Since then he ran the family farm in West Fenton and has held a number of key Scouting appointments.
Scouting
From 1973 to 1981 Garth served as Area Commissioner for the then East Lothian Area. He was appointed Chief Commissioner of Scotland in 1981, a post he held until 1988. He served as Chief Scout from 1988 to 1996. He was a member of the World Scout Committee from 1991 until 2001. Since 2001 he has served as Honorary President of the Scottish Council The Scout Association. He often joked that through this latter role he had achieved his ambition in Scouting – a role requiring one meeting a year, chairing the AGM of The Scottish Scout Council. The reality was a total commitment to Scouting locally and nationally. He was awarded the Silver Wolf in 1982.
Awards and accomplishment
He was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1994 for his work in the voluntary sector. Garth was created Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle in 2007.
Garth was a member of the Society of High Constables and Guard of Honour of the Palace of Holyrood. He was appointed as Deputy Lord Lieutenant of East Lothian in 1984 and has served as Lord Lieutenant of East Lothian since 2001.
Garth Morrison is survived by two sons, one daughter and his wife Gill.