Rover Scout: Difference between revisions

Since Rover Scouting began, it has undergone many changes. Some national Scouting organisations no longer include a Rovering programme, but have replaced it with other programmes. In many of these countries, there are alternative Scouting organisations who maintain the original programme. Despite the differences in programmes, all organisations continue to provide a programme for young men and, sometimes, women into their early or mid 20s.

Rovering provides enjoyable activities that combine personal development with meaningful service. A Rover Crew governs itself, but often has an older adult as a 'Crew Advisor' or 'Rover Scout Leader.' The founder of Rovering, [[Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell|Sir Robert Baden-Powell]], described it as a “brotherhood of open air and service.”

:: - Baden-Powell, 1928.

[[Rovers (Australia)]] includes men and women aged 17 to 25. It may be a small section of [[Scouts Australia]], but it provides a great source of leader support for the association. The section resisted attempts to abolish it after recommendations in the 1970 "Design for Tomorrow" Report (unlike Rovering in Britain, which was disbanded after that country's "Advance Party" Report in 1966), but did modernise in the next decade. It admitted women in 1974.

The next great step, self-government, came about in the late 1970s with the Georges River experiment (named after a Scouting district in [[New South Wales]]). Rovers proved that they could govern themselves, as their leaders stepped back to become Rover Advisers. Rovers took up the challenge and the section has grown for the better. It is also around this time that the section came to be known as the 'Rovers' (dropping the word 'Scouts').

Another notable feature of Rovering in Australia is the existence of "Lones" Rover Crews in several states, which draw their membership from across rural areas, or from Rovers who due to shiftwork, military service, or other reasons, cannot be members of traditional Rover Crews. Meetings are essentially held by correspondence, in the form of regular newsletters or online, with at least one annual Crew camp or other activity. Lone Rovers are also encouraged to get involved with any local Scouting activities and to link up with regular Crews' activities wherever possible.

In 2008, Australian Rovers marked the 90th birthday of the section, together with the 100th anniversary of Scouting in Australia.

Rovers (men and women ages 18-26) is part of the [[Scouts Canada]] program. The Rover program is the final stage in Canadian Scouting after the [[Venture Scout|Venturer]] (ages 14-17) program. Rovers, like all of Scouts Canada programs, are open to both males and females.

The outdoors is an essential part of the Rover program.  Rovers often participate in adventurous activities like mountain climbing, white water rafting, or para-sailing. Rovers also help their local communities by running service activities such as food drives, park clean-ups, and tree plantings. Rovers meet in a group called a crew.  Rovers develop and manage their own program under the mentor ship of a respected advisor.  Rovers adhere to a promise and motto.

Rovering started in the Philippines when the [[Boy Scouts of the Philippines]] (BSP) separated from the Boy Scouts of America on October 31,1936. However, following the [[Chief Scout]]'s Advance Party Report in 1966, the section was discontinued in the Philippines, and was replaced by a different programme.

In 2006, another independent group of Rover Scouts became part of the Rover Explorer Scout Association, which is headquartered in the United Kingdom. This group was started as one crew only on April 21, 2006, but membership grew so that, within a year, the group gained recognition as a Region within the Association. The Rover Explorer Scouts Association-Philippine Regional Council was formed and recognised in January, 2007. The Region has also adopted a local group from the Pathfinder Scouts Association.

Rover Scouts is no longer an active part of [[The Scout Association]], having been replaced by the [[Venture Scout]] programme, which in turn has been replaced by [[Explorer Scouts]] and [[Scout Network]]. There are other Scouting organizations (mainly the [[Baden-Powell Scouts|Baden-Powell Scouts Association]] and Rover Explorering Scout Association) which are not affiliated to the [[World Organization of the Scout Movement]]s who do continue the original Rovering programme.

Initially, there was no upper age limit. In 1956 it was fixed at 24. The Scout Association discontinued the Rover Scout programme between 1967 and 1970 following the [[Chief Scout]]'s All Parties Review, and Venture Scouts, with an age range of 16 - 21, were introduced. In 2003, the Venture Scouts were also discontinued, being replaced by the Scout Network, covering the age range 18 to 25, and the Explorer Scouts, covering the age of 14 to 18.

In the 1920s, the progress badges of Rover Scouts (then known as "special proficiency badges") were not too different from the Scout section - Rover Scouts wore a First Class badge and the [[Queen's Scout|King's Scout]] badge that had a red brim, together with their proficiency badges. In addition, they were qualified to win and wear the Rambler's Badge (metal version) on the left epaluette and the Rover Instructor badge.  

All of the badges are now historic, with the exception of the Queen's Scout Award, following the discontinuation of the Rover Scout programme.

In the [[United States]], glimmerings of Rovering emerged as local councils, Scout leaders, and Scouts worked together to deal with the "older boy" problem--that is, to find some way for Scouting to continue into young adulthood. As early as 1928 there were known to be Crews in [[Seattle]], [[Detroit]], [[Toledo, Ohio|Toledo]] and elsewhere. The program particularly flourished in [[New England]] around 1929, through the efforts of [[Robert Hale]], who produced an early Rover Scout booklet. By 1932, there were 36 official experimental Crews, with 27 of them in 15 New England councils. Finally, in May of 1933 the National Executive Board approved the program, and starting plans for development of literature and helps to leaders (Brown, 2002). A bimonthly newsletter, the ''Rover Record'', was inaugurated in 1935 as a means of communicating with directly with Rover Scouts and Leaders. A number of regional Rover Moots also were implemented during this period.

Rovering, as it was conceived, was to serve as the oldest section in the program -- the final stage of Scout training that started with [[Cub Scouts]], continued with Boy Scouts and was brought to fruition through Rovering.

The program was never very widespread in the [[Boy Scouts of America]] (BSA).  The national office didn't promote it much, preferring to push other senior programs like [[Sea Scouts]] and [[Explorer Scouts]]. Literature of the time, if it mentioned Rovers at all, gave them only a few paragraphs or a page or two. As the First World War had slowed the start of Rovering in the UK, the Second caused the same difficulties for Rovering in the USA, as many young men of Rovering age fought for their country overseas. The economic upheavals of the [[Great Depression]] also hampered the development of Rovering.  

Now, Rovering in the USA is being rekindled in the form of the [[United States Rovers]]. Not associated with the BSA, this group of American Scouters is dedicated to perpetuating the history and traditions of Rover Scouting. The United States Rovers was incorporated in Kentucky on 31 July 2008 with 77 members across the US and overseas. Home office is in Corinth, Kentucky.

Rover Scouting continued among the troops during the Second World War, even in [[Prisoner of War]] (POW) camps.  Some artifacts of the Rover crew at [[Changi]] (Singapore), including the crew flag, have been preserved; they are now held by the Scout Heritage Centre ([[Scouts Australia]], [[Scouting in Victoria]]).

While the Scout section has the [[World Scout Jamboree]], Rovers initially had the [[World Rover Moot]]. The first one took place at [[Kandersteg]] in [[1931]] and these events were held every four or so years, up until the 7th World Rover Moot, in the summer of 1961/62 in Melbourne, Australia.

International Scout events in Europe aimed at the older age section usually keep the ''Rover'' name. This includes [[RoverWay]], an event which occurred in [[2003]] in Portugal and in [[2006]] in Italy.

*[[World Scout Moot]]

*[[Scouting Ireland Venture Scouts#The Explorer Belt|Explorer Belt]]

*[http://www.rovers.org.nz New Zealand Rovers]

*[http://www.scouting.milestones.btinternet.co.uk/rovers.htm History of Rovers in UK]

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