Greg Morris, a veteran Scout leader for Troop 4 La Jolla, was honored with Scouting’s highest award for adult service to young people at a banquet held at the Double Tree Hotel in Hazard Center earlier this year. The Silver Beaver Award is given only to a select few adults who have proven to be especially inspirational guides and role models to youth over an extensive period of time.
Yet even among this elite gathering, Morris is a clear standout. With his mane of silver hair and the distinct Down Under accent of his native Australia, he is most likely to strike those who meet him as La Jolla’s very own version of Crocodile Dundee. He may not wear Paul Hogan’s trademark hat or shave with a hunting knife, but Greg can often be found leading hikes, joining the troop on wilderness outings or charging down rutted dirt trails on his trusty mountain bike.
And all this from a man who has reached an age that entitles him to the pleasures of relaxation and a rocking chair.
Born in Sydney during the Great Depression, Morris was soon drawn to the outdoors.
“When I turned 8, I joined a Cub Scout Pack,” he said. “When I turned 12, I joined a Boy Scout troop. We went backpacking usually twice a month. We would go to the mountains west of Sydney about 40 to 50 miles and hike out into the valleys. Our gear was crude by today’s standard, but like all Boy Scout outings it was a lot of fun.”
As a young man Morris moved from Australia to Canada and shortly thereafter to Rochester, N. Y., where he was a successful optical engineer for Bausch & Lomb. Tired of the weather and anxious to do more scuba diving, in 1966 he came to San Diego. In the 1970s and ’80s he joined his two oldest boys in Scout outings and in 1991 became a leader of Troop 4 La Jolla.
Even after his sons finished their Scouting careers, Greg stayed on to share his talents and knowledge with a new generation of boys. Andrew Dowley, 15, a former Senior Patrol Leader of Troop 4, thinks all the boys are lucky to have Greg Morris as an adult leader.
“His expertise ranges from orienteering (compass) to snow camping “¦ he encourages us all to participate and to get the most out of our Scouting experience,” Dowley said.
Never one to let the grass grow under his hiking- booted feet, Morris will return to his native Australia in November for a visit with friends and family. No doubt he will also find time for a few “bush treks” to stay in top shape for an active calendar of fall Scouting events in SanDiego.
