Ransom Canyon man honored as Baden-Powell Fellow

By Ron Cox

Slatonite Correspondent

Scouting is a big part of Ransom Canyon resident Bob Bellah’s life. He has been very active since he became a Scout 70 years ago growing up in Amarillo. Bob told me “Scouting’s goal is to develop leaders of the future. John Glenn and many of the astronauts were Eagle Scouts.” The Scouts were inspired by a book written by Robert Baden-Powell, “Scouting for Boys.” He was a general in the Boer War in South Africa. He and his troops held off a much larger Boer force for seven months until the siege was lifted in May 1900. Baden-Powell later returned to England and founded the Boy Scouts in 1908. The organization grew from a small group of boys in the United Kingdom to over more than 67 million boys in 172 countries.

Bob was recently recognized as a Baden-Powell Fellow. This award recognizes individuals for their contributions to worldwide scouting. The award ceremony was held in Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland. The award was presented to Bob by the King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and the Crown Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg. It was an impressive ceremony held in a magnificent 1,000 year old Cathedral.

For more information, please read the Thursday edition of The Slatonite.