1. Object: The object of the Rover Section
of a Scouting Group is to provide an organization for
adults to take part in suitable activities appropriate to their age.
A Rover Crew's main function is to provide "Service to Others."
2. Name or Title: The Rover Section is known as a Rover Crew. This
Crew can be
divided into Patrols if numbers warrant it. A senior Rover is appointed by the
Crew Rover Mate and he or she may pick an Assistant Rover Mate. The Section
will be an integral part of the Group is known by the Group title.
3. Age Limits: Adults are eligible to join this Section when they have
reached their Seventeenth birthday. There is no upper age limit for Rovers, as
this was how B-P originally envisioned it.
4. Registration: Members of the Crew must register with their Group during
the annual registration each September.
5. Uniform: The uniform should not
involve the members with any unnecessary expense, and therefore should be of
practical use in the wilderness. The Rover Crew shall wear the
Group neckerchief and uniforms as laid down in the association PO&R.
6. Meetings: It is recommended that the Crew Council should be held at
regular intervals. This is an informal body consisting of the Crew Scouters and
the Rover Mates to discuss and plan Crew programming and activities.
7. Representation: The Crew is represented on the Group Council by the Crew
Scouter. The Group Council is a meeting of all registered Scouters in the Group.
The Group Council is Chaired by the Group Scouter (GSM). The Group Council is
responsible for the operation of the Group. The Group Committee is responsible
ONLY for the raising of funds and other logistical support.
8. Finance: Weekly dues may be levied on each individual Rover. This should be
determined by the Rover Mate and approved by the GSM. The weekly amount should
represent local conditions and expenses. The monies should be properly
accounted for and banked in the Section Bank Account. The money is to be spent
solely for the benefit of the Rover Crew.
9. Insurance: Rovers and their leaders, Instructors and persons helping
must be
insured for Public Liability purposes, by virtue of the Annual Registration Fee
paid by each registered member, in September of each year. Currently, such
coverage must be arranged by the Group or its sponsoring organization. Any claim, or
incident, which may give rise to a claim, should be notified in writing to the
GSM so that they may inform the Association Insurance Representative without
delay.
10. Co-operation between Sections: The Rover Crew cannot exist in isolation
because it should be a Section of a Group.
Contact must be maintained with the
other Sections as that is where your membership will ultimately come from.
Knowing other Scouters and members from other Sections will help the Rovers to
understand that he/she is a member of a family in Scouting.
11. Co-operation with other Organizations: Joint activities with children in
other organizations such as Sparks, Beavers, or Church Youth Groups will help
the Crew live up to their Motto of "Service". We all live in a world
outside Scouting as well as with those inside it. We must participate in
outside activities because our aim is to make our
Youth more reliable and take a useful place in society .
12. Church Parades: Rovers should be encouraged to participate in St. George’s
Day Service, Founders Day, Remembrance Day Parade and other special services for
Scouting.
13. Programs: The program of activities should be appropriate to adults and
should avoid anything which may be controversial or not covered by the insurance
package. Outdoor activities and Service events should take priority when
building the yearly schedule.
14. Leaders: The minimum age for appointment to the rank of Rover Leader is
30 years of age. New Scouters must be acceptable to the Crew, and the GSM should not force an
unpopular Scouter on the Crew.
15. Training Restrictions: Where a Rover Crew is part of a Group with a
Seafarer or Air Explorer Section, the Crew may continue those themes as either
Sea Rovers or Air Rovers.
Rovering is a brotherhood of the open air and of service:
1. To continue the training in citizenship given to Timber Wolves, Scouts and Senior
Scouts, but with a wider outlook appropriate to the age of the
Rover.
2. To encourage Rovers to make useful careers for themselves and to render SERVICE to the community.
3. The aim of the Association is to develop good citizenship among young
people by guiding their character. Encouraging them in habits of observation, obedience
and self-reliance; instilling loyalty to others; teaching them service useful to the public and skills useful to
themselves; and promoting their physical, mental and
spiritual development.
The Rover program is designed to appeal to adults from 17 to 25 years of age:
a
period during which a young person is settling down in life and putting into
practice in the wider world, the principles of the Scout law and Promise.
However, there is no upper age limit in Rover Scouts.
The organizational unit of Rovers is the Crew and this should form the senior
section of a Scouting Group. The Crew should have its own Skipper who usually
is invited to the role by the Crew itself. To get such an invitation can be
quite an honor. If no separate person can be found to be Rover Skipper (RS), then the GSM of
the Group may act in this capacity, pro tem.
Most Rover Crews form as an integral section of the
Group family. However Rovers within an Association Area may meet together as an
District Service Crew and, wearing their own distinctive neckerchief, perform
service for a particular purpose. The latter alternative should not override the
formation of Crews within Groups.
Crews elect their officers, of which the Rover Mate plays a key role. There should be
a ratio of about one Rover mate for every four to six or so Rovers.
This body should be formed to meet from time to time to deal with matters of
internal dispute, administration, and the expenditure of Crew funds. It is the
internal policy-making body of the Crew and consists of the RS, Rover Mates, and
other Rover officers as may be elected. Where the size of the Crew does not
warrant the formation of a Council, then the entire Crew should meet to exercise
these functions.
Before a young person can be admitted to membership in a Crew (as a Rover
Squire) he/she must be at least 17 years of age. They may be recommended by the
adult Pathfinder leader and must be approved by the Crew. People joining who have not
previously been members of a Scouting organization must also be willing to
demonstrate practical
Scouting skills by passing the Tenderfoot tests, pursue the open air life, and accept
the Scout Law and Promise.
A Rover Squire should aspire to be invested as a Rover by completing the
investiture requirements which are listed in this Handbook.
This process is designed to prepare Rover Squires for investiture (full
membership) and to
ensure that they are proficient in basic Scouting skills. Before investiture,
Rover Squires must undergo a vigil
(or similar process of self-examination) to
consider the implications of being a Rover and the implication this has on their
future aspirations in life.
Further encouragement for Rovers is divided into:
PRACTICAL Scoutcraft: Expedition. Service. Projects.
COLLECTIVE interests: World affairs. Cultural subjects. Communal service to
others.
TRAINING IN DUTY TO GOD: Through growth in their own spiritual and/or
moral understanding and
development. Practice of their own religion or ethical system. Service to
others.
The essential and unusual aspect of Rover is that their affairs are usually
managed by the Crew itself through the medium of the Crew in Council and under
the general guidance of the RS.
Progress Ideals
Rovers are expected to adopt the following principles:
1. The Promise of Duty to God: through conscientious effort to develop their
own spiritual life through the practice of their own religion or ethical system.
2. The Promise of Duty to Country: through an earnest endeavor to have
proper knowledge of the Government and its voting procedure, and to
perform your duty as a citizen.
3. The Promise of Duty to Neighbors: through a logical development of the
"Scouting Good Turn" and, after preparation and training,
Rovers should be able to convert this
into effective service to their community bearing in mind that their first
service is to the home and to establish themselves in life, such that they are not a burden
to others.
4. The Promise to obey the Scout Law: by adopting it as an ideal to be
expressed in your actions and in goodwill, fellowship, and clean living.
A Rover may take up appointment as a Scouter in another section of the Group
without ceasing to be a member of the Crew, but from that point on, duties as a
Scouter must come first. The appointment as a Scouter must take precedence over
activities within the Crew.
(See Uniform PO&R
for Current Guidelines)
Headgear: A green beret or Khaki Scout Stetson, flat brim, leather band with
boot lace.
Scarf & Woggle: Neckerchief of approved Group color.
Shirt: Of approved pattern Tan in color.
Belt: Brown leather.
Shorts: Tan or Olive Green (must be standardized within the Group)
Kilt: Family, Regimental, State, National, or Association tartan
(Hunting Stewart)
Socks: Green Lovat hose with kilts and shorts. Red garter tabs.
Footwear: Black shoes.
Optional items: White lanyard, Thumbstick, Belt knife, Belt multi tool,
Skean Dhu if wearing a Kilt.
Rovers who are members of Air Explorer or Seafarer Sections will continue to
wear uniform appropriate to that section.
(See Badge PO&R for
Current Guidelines)
Hat Badge: Metal hat badge worn on beret over left eye.
Shoulder Knot: A Rover Squire wears a green and yellow knot on the left
shoulder. Invested Rovers and Rover Scouters wear a Knot of red, green and
yellow. The first mentioned color is located on the outside of the knot.
Stripes: Rover Mates, wear two stripes in red 18mm wide tape one on either
side of the membership badge on the left pocket. Assistant Rover Mates wear one
stripe on the right of the Tenderfoot badge. The Senior Mate will wear 3 stripes
in the same fashion as a Troop Leader.
Scouter ranks: The appropriate color shoulder knot should be worn in place
of the Rover three color knot. If the Rover is a Scouter as well, they should
wear the Rover knot for Crew activities.
Other badges: A Rover Squire who has qualified for the St. George Award or
Chief Scouts Crown will continue to wear that badge until gaining the B-P Award.
Rover Squires, who were invested as Senior Explorers, may continue to wear
maroon epaulettes until invested as Rover when they will be presented with their
green epaulettes.
Tenderfoot badge: Worn centered on the left breast pocket.
W.I.F.S. Badge: Worn centered on the right breast pocket
Bushman’s Braid: Worn on the right shoulder.
National Flag: Worn above the left breast pocket, only when out of the
country.
George Washington Award: Worn on the left sleeve mid point between shoulder and
elbow..
Group/Council Flash: Top of right sleeve.
Medals: Centered directly above left breast pocket.
Scouting Decorations: Worn directly above, and centered on, the right pocket
The Traditional Rover Handbook
