Improving Rovers...

What are your thoughts on the kinds of training, programming, experiences, or support that Scouts Canada could offer Rovers to add SERIOUS value to the program?

First way is to get advisors to crews that were Rovers once upon a time and have been around the block. Rovers don't need advisors that are only a couple years older then them, they need advisors that are in their late forties. People that can relate life experience and know when to step back. Not an advisor that comes out every five minutes saying the crew has to do this, that and the other thing. These people exist. I know they do. I've had the lucky fortune of meeting a few through family contacts and the like.


add a more structured badge-based program, much in the same way the Aussies have with their BP award and their whole Rovering system. I've seen it in action and it works beautifully. I accompanied an Aussie Rover to a crew that needed permission from the local Area Rover Council to form. They had to prove that they had an existing sizable crew to start off with and then either Venturer companies or other outlets for new recruits every year. He eventually signed off on it, but it took some convincing.

Crews that are less then five are barely crews. I'm sorry to say it, but that's the vast majority of crews in Canada.

So I guess the support from SC would be to do the legwork in basically getting a Rover hand book from Australia, which you can get in a PDF online for free from their site, ask permission to copy or modify it from the Australian Rovers and getting the word out here. Which can be done in a year, but it'll take serious work from the corporate side of SC and the program side, all over the country.


Also, some respect. I was at CJ 2007. At one of the ceremonies, I think the closing, they were calling out for the Scouts to Cheer for themselves, and the Venturers to Cheer, and then the leaders to cheer, and then they moved on, All the while the Rovers, at least in my area were confused as to the lack of mention. I mean here's a program that was significantly run by Vents and Rovers, some of which paid nearly a grand to get to and register for, and they got a badge and a pin. Where was the support for them at supposedly the best event Scouts Canada put on that year. I'm not bitter, as I understand that's part of volunteering, but what about the venturer who saved up all year and did as much fundraising as he could to go to CJ and work his tail off, only to get that thanks? Where is the incentive to come back next year?



I'm sorry about the ranting, but as this is something that is near and dear, I do get carried away. Discuss, Dismiss, do whatever you wish with those two pennies of wisdom.

Makr, thanks for these ideas. Let's hope that some more people pitch in.

If anyone is interested the Aussie Rover Handbook is amounts to a collection of three documents, as follows:

1. "The Crew and its Program" -- This is basically a leader's or executive member handbook.
http://www.scouts.com.au/library/pdf/Crew_program.pdf

2. "Guidelines for Rovering" -- This is just what it says. It is the closest thing to a handbook to be used by all Rovers.
http://www.scouts.com.au/library/pdf/Guidelines_rovering.pdf

3. "The Rover Award Scheme" -- This is an overview of the Australian Rover badge/award program. It makes our Canadian badge/award program look like it doesn't exist at all! Oh, wait... it doesn't.
http://www.scouts.com.au/library/pdf/Rover_award_scheme.pdf

If anyone would like to check out all the documents available from Scouts Australia they can be found at http://www.scouts.com.au/library/ (They are redoing their site right now and so it's not as easy to find as you might think).

This may be of some interest; in today's World-Info Bulletin from OSM:

> 2. Rover Scout Guidelines
> New Rover Scout Guidelines entitled "Empowering Young Adults: Guidelines for the Rover Scout Section" are now available on the WOSM website in English. In a few weeks a hard copy in English or French will be available to each NSO through Scoutpak. The guidelines have been developed over a number of years and the work has involved many people in a number of different Regions. They are designed for people in Scout associations that are responsible for Youth Programme development.
>
> Rover Scouting, as the last age-group for young people, is a very important section for the Movement. If Scouting is to support the development of young people from adolescence into adulthood so that they can play a constructive role in society, the final age-section should provide a quality experience for young people, relevant to their lives today. Our Founder recognised the importance of this age-group. We hope that these guidelines will encourage Scout Associations to make provision for this section in their overall Youth Programme and develop it, using these guidelines as a basis, into a strong and vibrant section to meet the real needs of young people in their transition into adulthood. Many NSOs have been developing their Rover Scout programmes and have seen very positive results.
>
> For more information visit the web-site http://www.scout.org/roverscoutsor contact Andrés Morales, Unit Manager Adolescents and Young Adults, amorales@scout.org