I was saddened to hear yesterday of the sudden death of Nan Lyle, MBE, a prominent leader of the Scout Movement in Scotland.
Nan lived locally here in Hawick and besides her involvement with the Hawick Scout Fellowship Pipe Band I knew her as a member of the congregation of the church which I attend and as a member of our local Sports Initiative of which I am secretary.
This came as a shock as she had attended the Scout meeting on Wednesday when she had seemed well, then she died suddenly on Thursday morning.
She had been a leader on Border Exploration Group trips to Kenya.
During the 1997 expedition twenty six Venturers and Leaders had spent twelve days in Kenya helping to build a Community Nursery School in the Community of Kiawaithanji close to the town of Nyeri (burial place of Lord Baden Powell). On completion the school was named the Nan Lyle Academy in her honour.
Her funeral takes place in St. Mary's and Old Parish Church, Hawick, next Wednesday at 1pm and there will be a retiring collection for the Nan Lyle Academy.