Article on Mr Gordon Crawford
One of the busiest and most versatile men in the Highlands without any doubt was Mr Gordon Crawford. Dominie at Hilton in Easter Ross. If you asked him what he was doing the chances were he was just pottering about from one thing to another. Everyone who knew him knew that his “pottering” left him no leisure time at all and was all a matter of service for others.
After winning the Dux medal at Invergordon Academy, Gordon then went to Glasgow University graduating with an Arts degree in 1914. Mr Crawford chose teaching as a profession, he gained experience in Glasgow, Cullen, Edinburgh and Elgin before he became headmaster at Dallas, a rural school near to Elgin in 1926.
The following year he went to Hilton, where his many interests were likely to have held him for the rest of his professional career.
Apart from his school, Mr Crawford’s favourite recreation was the amateur drama movement, he served in the movement with almost fanatical enthusiasm during his time at Elgin, before he became head master at Dallas in 1926.
Mr Crawford had been an incredible patron to the Scottish Community Drama Association, no one in the Highlands has rendered greater service since.
Mr Crawford was chairman of the Highland division for so many years that when he asked to be relieved of office, so great was his prestige as author, player, producer and administrator that there were no suitable contenders for his crown.
His versatility was tested at the drama festival in Tain. He was producing one of the plays and a few minutes before the curtain was due to rise one of his cast turned ill, unfortunately there was no understudy which left Mr Crawford with a heavy dilemma.
With instant decision Mr Crawford resolved to play the part himself. The curtain rose, the play went on and Mr Crawford’s play, “Happy Ending” took first place for the session.
Mr Crawford had interests other than drama. As scoutmaster of the Fearn Troop, as flight commander of Tain A.T.C, as convener of the Seaboard Community Centre, as organiser of National Savings, as lecturer on a wide variety of subjects, as adviser in chief to his own parish and beyond he did indeed serve his day and generation in a vast array of areas.
Someone once asked why Mr Crawford had never married, the answer was “Och, where would he find the time?”
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