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Chuck Cook

Chieftain of the 2013
Tacoma Highland Games

    Charles “Chuck” Cook currently lives in Tacoma, but was born and raised in Seattle.    In 1946 he altered his birth certificate and joined the United States Army.    He served for 26 years and through three wars.    After retiring from the military he found his civilian niche working as a Campground Ranger at Mount Rainier National Park.

    By 1997 Chuck was ready to retire for good, and decided to fulfill a lifelong dream by taking a trip to Scotland.    A longtime fan of the bagpipes, he was delighted to attend the Edinburgh Festival and hear all of the bands performing at the Tattoo.    He ordered his first kilt in Glasgow, and started looking for occasions to wear it.    He began to attend all of the local Highland games and Tartan Balls.    Then in 1999 he began a letter writing. 		  campaign to have Tartan Day officially recognized by the State of Washington.    He eventually connected with Joyce MacDonald, the 25th District Legislator who was happy to sponsor a Tartan Day bill.    The bill passed unanimously, proclaiming April 6th, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, to be recognized as Tartan Day.

    Chuck was instrumental in supporting the fledgling Bitterroot Scottish/Irish Festival in Hamilton Montana.    He has also assisted groups in Idaho and Oregon striving to have Tartan Day recognized by their states, by passing along all of his research and supporting documentation.    He responded to a request for information from Australia – by way of a letter in the Banner Newsletter – and some months later received a listing of all cultural events celebrated in Australia.    They had included Tartan Day although they celebrate it on July 1st, the anniversary of the repeal of the Proscription Act in 1782.

    In 2007, the Seattle Highland Games Association honored Chuck by naming him “Chieftain of the Games” in Enumclaw.    He has been similarly recognized by the Spokane Games, the Kelso Games and the Prosser Games.

    Currently, Chuck is on the Board of the Washington State Tartan Day Society, as well as holding memberships in the Tacoma Highland Games Society, the Seattle Scottish Highland Games Association, the Seattle St. Andrews Society, the Spokane St. Andrews Society, and SAMS (Scottish American Military Society), so he has lots of opportunities to wear his kilts.    He attends all of the Washington State Highland Games, and gladly represents the Scottish Community at various cultural fairs and Celtic festivals where his gift of gab works to his advantage.

    His goal is to increase awareness of Tartan Day in Washington to the point that everyone with Scottish ancestry will wear their Clan Tartan with pride each April 6th.