Rover Scout

Rover Scouts, Rovers, Rover Scouting or Rovering is a service program associated with Scouting for young men, and in many countries, women into their early 20s. A group of Rovers is called a 'Rover Crew'.

The Rover program was originated by The Boy Scouts Association in the United Kingdom in 1918 to provide a program for young men who had grown up beyond the age range of the Boy Scouts. It was quickly adopted by many other national Scouting organizations.

Many Scouting organisations, including The Scout Association, no longer include a Rover program. Some have replaced it with other programs while others, including Traditional Scouting organizations maintain the original program.

Origins

The Rover program had its origins in two different schemes. The first, aimed at Boy Scouts in the United Kingdom who were aged between 15 and 18 years old, was called "Senior Scouts" which was launched in March 1917 during World War I. It quickly became apparent that there weren't enough adult male leaders available in wartime, and it was several decades before the Senior Scout program was successfully established. The second scheme was the series of Battlefield Scout Huts provided for the recreation of British and Empire soldiers in rear areas of the Western Front. Related to these was the St George's Scout Club for servicemen, which operated in the English garrison town of Colchester under the leadership of "Uncle" H. Geoffrey Elwes. From these projects, it became apparent that there was a need for a Scouting-related program that catered for young men, many of whom would shortly be returning from the war.

Rover Scouts (Scouting Ireland)

Rover Scouts in Scouting Ireland are aged between 18 to 26 years of age. It is a new section and is being set up in many universities around the country. The main activity done in the Rover Section is the Explorer Belt but there are a number of other activities that Rover Scouts are involved in, such as International Service Projects.

Explorer Belt

The Explorer Belt was traditionally linked to the Venture Scout Section, but since the introduction of ONE Programme the Explorer Belt is now done by Rover Scouts. Rover Scouts, in teams of two, walk a distance of at least 200 km in 10 days completing tasks along the way. These tasks include maintaining a log of the journey, consisting of a daily route, menu, budget and account of the day's activities. Each team must also complete a number of challenges, both Prescribed and Personal which encourage the participants to engage with the local populace and to learn about the local culture. Each team must find its own way back to a base camp where the expedition leaders are waiting for them. Teams are dropped off in an unknown location with just a map, the location of base camp and a small amount of money on which to survive. The aim of the event is to test skills of communication, physical endurance and teamwork. Complete immersion in a foreign culture necessitates an ability to adapt to the norms of a different society with different customs and values, usually also a different language.