Scout's honour for Roy's 50 years of dedication

Roy Davidson, who has given more than 50 years service to the Scouts, has been made an MBE by Prince Charles at a Buckingham Palace ceremony.

Mr Davidson, from Livingston, was named in the Queen's honours list in June for his contribution to the Scout Movement in Scotland during the last 50 years and was joined by his wife Cherry and their son Martin at the recent presentation.

Mr Davidson grew up in Glasgow and lived there until the age of 30. He joined the Scouts in the city when he was 11 years old and said it was something he fell into by accident.

An electrician, who was a Scout leader, was at his parents' house and invited him to join up. He has been involved with the organisation ever since.

He started off as a boy Scout and worked his way through the ranks to become a leader at the age of 18 in Maryhill, Glasgow. He was then a group leader when he moved to Ayr.

"The Scout Movement is like a community," he said.

"Someone knows who you are and where you have moved."

Sure enough, two days after Mr Davidson and his wife moved to Linlithgow in 1974 there was a knock on his door and he was asked to become a group leader for the area. He did this until the mid-1980s when he became Scout Commissioner of West Lothian, a role he occupied for ten years.

Three years ago, Mr Davidson was chairman of the sub-committee in charge of the restructuring of Scouting in Scotland. He is currently the Deputy Chief Commissioner in Scotland and his main concern is with the development of Scouting.

He is also involved in child protection and is responsible for the safeguarding of young people within the Scouting community.

He has also participated in projects abroad as well as in the UK. In 2009, he was part of a team which spent three weeks in Namibia working with the Namibian Scouts to improve the water supply for the camp grounds of the Scouts in the country and also for the local inhabitants.

Scouting is a family interest for the Davidsons. Mr Davidson's wife was involved in Scouting herself in West Lothian for many years and was Assistant Area Commissioner for the Cubs. Their son Martin, a father of four, was also involved with the Scouts as a boy and a young man and his eldest son, aged six, is currently a Beaver Scout.

Mr Davidson's interests are not limited to Scouting though. He is chairman of the Livingston Ecumenical Parish Church and he also enjoys sailing and is involved in a local walking group for retired people.

Mr Davidson said he was proud to be part of the Scout movement and continues to contribute to it through his work as Deputy Chief Commissioner and his involvement in projects abroad.