Page 37 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2022 - Online Magazine

EXCEPTIONAL SENIORS

magnificent 1000-year-old ChristChurch Cathedral in
Dublin, Ireland, where the King of Sweden and the
Crown Prince of Luxembourg presented the award.

After the ceremony, Bob met Nika Gorovska, a young
Ukrainian woman, who now works for the Baden-
Powell organization in Europe. Bob explained his job
and resources to her and offered his help. The next day,
he was taken to a large staging area where Scouts were
setting up feeding and first aid stations in over 1000

Bob receiving the Baden-Powell Fellow award from the King of tents. Back in West Texas, Bob began working with the
Sweden and the Crown Prince of Luxembourg Scouts in the 38 counties of the South Plains Council to
develop health and safety programs that will help the
people in Ukraine. They are working with European
went on to receive medals from the US Congress and Scouts to provide food, shelter, and medicine for
three received appointments to a military academy. Ukrainian refugees. He is also planning an event that
will raise awareness and funding for the Ukrainian
Not surprisingly, Bob’s two sons, Robert, Jr. and Philip, refugees.
both became Eagle Scouts, and the three have traveled
all over the world teaching and learning from other Bob’s connections as an international food broker
scouts. “We do Dutch Oven cooking and have been provide him with the ability to procure help from key
known to cook rattlesnake for our guests in other suppliers of both food and medicine. Bob is passionate,
countries.” Bob has served on the South Plains Council but he says, “This story is not about me; it is about the
of the BSA for 20 years and is Wood Badge-trained (a great things that Scouts do for others.”
national leadership course). He started “Scouting for
Food” in 1986 as a BSA Good Turn project and served Scouting is Bob’s passion, but not his only one. He
on the National Board representing the South Plains has served on the South Plains Food Bank Board for
Council. He received the National God and Service 30 years. He and his wife Adriana helped start the
Scouting award from the United Methodist Church. Breedlove Dehydration plant. He has served on the
board and state committees of the American Cancer
Bob Bellah has received many other prestigious Society Board. (Son Philip died of cancer in 2015.)
awards for his work in Scouting, including the Bob received the Silver Stirrup Award and the Sword
Silver Beaver Award for exceptional character and of Hope Award from that organization. He has also
distinguished service. Last April, he was recognized received the coveted Women in Communication Gold
globally as a Baden-Powell Fellow—an award given Medal for community service.
to individuals for their contributions to worldwide
scouting. The impressive ceremony was held in the It would seem that this busy, heavily decorated

Lubbock Senior Link 37