Upper Beaconsfield resident and assistant chief commissioner for Scouts Victoria, Bob Taylor, salutes the organisation that recently honoured him with a Silver Kangaroo.
By Ed Merrison
WORLD Scout Day recently saw local scout leaders honoured with some of Scouts Australia’s highest accolades.
Upper Beaconsfield resident Bob Taylor, Lynette Stephenson of Pakenham and 1st Lang Lang scout leader Mark Hunter were among 235 leaders across the state to be honoured by Chief Scout and GovernorGeneral MajorGeneral Michael Jeffrey on Tuesday, 1 August.
Mr Taylor, who was awarded Scouts Australia’s top award for leaders, said it was a nice reward for over 40 years’ volunteering for the organisation.
Now Victoria’s assistant chief commissioner, Mr Taylor’s long tenure with the scouts saw him serve in Camberwell, Dandenong, Berwick and even Perth before he became regional commissioner for Gippsland in 1994.
In 2001, he was elevated to his current position at the highest level of scout leadership in the state, and his Silver Kangaroo for ‘eminent achievement and meritorious service’ is just the latest of a string of scouting and other community awards.
Also in 2001, Mr Taylor retired from fulltime teaching, a vocation that has served him well in his volunteering pursuits.
“(Being a scout leader) is like teaching. You never know what you’re going to get and it’s tremendously rewarding when you see children grow both socially and intellectually. You see the benefits for the kids and you get the selffulfilment as well,” he said.
Mr Taylor said he would continue with the organisation for as long as he had something to contribute, which currently entails tackling what he called the crisis of a shortage of adult leaders.
“The greatest thing is to make sure we have adult leaders to run the programs,” he said.
That call has been resoundingly answered by the likes of Mr Hunter, who received the Silver Wattle, and Ms Stephenson, who won her Silver Emu for over 38 years of ‘sustained and excellent service’.
Ms Stephenson, whose award was the second highest available, is now Cardinia district adult training and support leader.
“I’m very happy and I was very surprised,” she said.
“You don’t expect to get awards for your volunteering. You do it for the love of it.”
Ms Stephenson, who has lived in Pakenham all her life and began her career with local cub groups, said she would highly recommend scouting to both children and parents alike.
“I’ve been involved all these years and I still thoroughly enjoy it,” she said.
Those honoured will receive their awards on Sunday, 17 September, at Gilwell Park near Gembrook, and have all been congratulated by Scouts Victoria chief commissioner Alston Park.
“Most scout leaders are parents, most have careers and families, yet they give generously of their time and energy for the benefit of their children and their peers,” Mr Park said.
