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A Basic Introduction to the Wonderful World of Rovering!

For more information contact the WARC Chairman or your District Commissioner.

Get hold of either of these people by contacting WA Branch Headquarters on 08 9480 4200 during office hours.

Download a printer friendly version of this document here

INTRODUCTION

This webpage has been written to help you form a new Rover Crew. I am confident that this guide will help to make your job as simple and painless as possible. Experienced Rovers, who have been through the process of forming a new Crew themselves, have developed this procedure. The suggested steps outlined in this guide are there to assist you in laying the foundations of a successful Crew and should not be viewed as obstacles placed in your path. It is designed to help you start things off on the right foot and to deal with the major issues facing any new Rover Crew.

Developing a new Crew is a great challenge to take on, and speaking from experience, is not without its troubles. It is a great help to have others supporting you in your challenge, including other leaders from your Group and District, other Rovers and local Venturer Units.

As you read through this booklet, you will notice reminders to contact the Chairman or other members from WARC when you need some help or guidance. We have a great support network in WA Rovering to help you establish a GREAT crew, so when we offer support, we mean it. Don’t hesitate to call and ask us anything.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Andrew Mill and Clinton Smith in the establishment of this information kit.

Rovering is a GREAT way of life. Rovering is ALL GO!

Good Luck!

STEP ONE - BE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A ROVER

Q: What the hell is a Rover?
A: A male or female homosapien aged between 17 to 26 years old, dedicated to fun and adventure, whilst serving the community in the Scouting way.

Q: What is the vision of the Rover Section?
A: To encourage the personal development of young adults through service and wide ranging activities.

Q: What is the aim of Scouts Australia?
A: The Aim of Scouts Australia is to encourage the physical, intellectual, social and spiritual development of young people so that they may take a constructive place in society as responsible citizens, and as members of their local, national and international communities.

Q: What is a Rover Crew?
A: A group of, generally, at least 6 Rovers, preferably at least 15. The aims and methods of a Rover Crew can be as wide and varied as your imagination, so long as they fit within the aims and principles of the Rover Section and Scouts Australia as a whole. Different Crews often have different styles and ranges of activities to suit their current members.

Q: How are Rovers governed?
A: One of the aims of Scouting is to increasingly encourage self-leadership. Being the oldest group of members, the Rover Section sees the culmination of this aim. The Section is entirely governed by Rovers, from Crew level to National level. This is not to say that we don’t need guidance from those more senior in their years. Each Rover Crew has at least one Rover Adviser selected by the Crew themselves. This person is normally quite a bit older than the members of the Crew and offers wisdom that only age can provide. The Crew Leader is elected from the Crew itself.

The governing body of all Crews in the State is the Western Australian Rover Council, consisting of representatives from each Crew, with the Executive Committee elected annually.

If you have read this far, then you must be interested in becoming a Rover.

Congratulations! You have already completed Step One!

STEP TWO - FIND A GROUP OF FRIENDS

Hopefully you will actually have some friends, and even better, have some friends with similar interests, who want to join Rovers. When starting a new Crew, the number one rule is - The more, the merrier. Generally a new Crew should try to achieve a minimum of six members.

The logic behind this number is that new Crews tend to suffer from more ‘growing pains’ than existing functional Crews. All Crews know that on any given activity, some members will be unable to attend due to exams, work, etc. For small Crews this can mean that you end up going on a ‘Crew Activity’ on your own, or close to it! Obviously large events tend to be more fun and more successful. Achieving a minimum membership level will give your Crew a good chance of surviving the first couple of years, which tend to make or break a new Crew.

There are many places that you can find new members. Obviously, your personal friends are a good starting point. Next, consider the local Venturer Units. Note the plural Units. There are no rules that say that you can only recruit from the Unit in your Group. For a viable Crew, you try to find at least fifteen people who will regularly attend. Fifteen people, that’s not many is it? Surely you can find five people who will each bring two friends.

If this issue is a particular problem for you, please contact one of the people listed in the WARC contact details included in the kit for ideas on how to boost your membership, or ways of getting involved with Rovers while building up numbers ready to start a new Crew down the track.

STEP THREE - CONTACT THE WARC CHAIRMAN

Q: What is the WARC?
A: The WARC or Western Australian Rover Council is the Branch (State Level) body that represents and governs all Rovers in the State.

Q: Who is the Chairman?
A: The Chairman is the person that runs monthly meetings, coordinates the Executive and is a point of contact for any Rover that needs assistance or guidance. The Chairman represents the interests of WA Rovers at a State and National Level

Q: Why do I need to contact the WARC Chairman?
A: She or he will be able to give valuable information and supply details of further scouting contacts who will support you in your quest and help you though the approval process. The WARC Chairman plays an important role in starting new Crews and she or he needs to be informed of what you want out of Rovers and how you intend to sustain and increase your membership.

The Chairman may want to know why you want to become a Rover, and more importantly why you want to form a new Crew. There are many existing Crews in WA already and it may be that your needs could be met by joining one of these and avoiding the inevitable paper work and growing pains associated with forming a Crew.

The Chairman will be able to introduce you to other Rovers and Crews, both in your area and throughout WA, and you will find this invaluable in taking an active part in Rovering in WA.

Q: How do I contact the WARC Chairman?
A: You will find the Chairman’s contact details on the contacts page of the website. 

Like all steps in this kit, contacting the WARC Chairman is not compulsory. However, the WARC Chairman will do anything within his or her power to recruit new members and assist existing Crews in getting the most out of what Rovering and Scouting has to offer. Making contact with this valuable resource can only prove beneficial to your Crew.

STEP FOUR - RECEIVE THE APPLICATION TO FORM A ROVER CREW

It is now time to make your application official. Contact the WARC Vice Chairman to get the one page application form

Start to fill out the application form as you go along. You will find that it asks basic questions about the members of your Crew, your Crew meeting place and Crew Leader. You will also need it signed by the Group Leader and District Commissioner so it is easier if you have it already when you contact these people. If you have any questions or problems, any of the people listed in the WARC contact list would be glad to help you out.

STEP FIVE - CONTACT YOUR GROUP LEADER

Many new Rover Crews largely consist of ex-Venturers and current Rovers and will often want to be attached to their current Scout Group. If you are one of these Crews then you will have to get the OK from the Group Leader. Whilst Rover Crews are self determining, we still have to answer to the Group Leader, as do all of the other Venturer Units, Scout Troops, etc that use the Group’s hall, equipment and so on.

Like the WARC Chairman, the Group Leader will want to make sure that you are a viable Crew, that you understand the aims and principles of the Scout movement, and that you are clear about the support that will be offered by the Group. When it comes to the crunch though, most Group Leaders will jump at the chance of gaining extra members. If they don’t already know you, the Group Leader will probably want to come down to one of your preliminary meetings or activities to put faces to names, so make sure you are nice to him or her.

There are many Groups without Rover Crews and some that have little understanding about Rovering. If this is the case, then it would be a great time to get your Group Leader to talk with the WARC Chairman or some other Rover Crews in your area.

To find out whom the Group Leader is in your case, Scout HQ will be able to give you his or her phone number. Again, if you have any problems in getting on with your Group Leader, the people mentioned previously will help you out.

STEP SIX - CONTACT YOUR DISTRICT COMMISSIONER

District Commissioners are much like the regional manager for Scouting in your area. They are the people to whom your Group Leader will be responsible, and one of the key people who will consider your application to form a Rover Crew.

If instead of becoming a Group based Crew you decide to become a District Crew, which may suit Crews that want to draw from a number of different Venturer Units, you will be responsible to the District Commissioner instead of a Group Leader. The process is still similar to Step 5, but District Crews may have to look a little harder to find a place to meet. This could possibly be the Scout hall of one of the Groups in your district, in which case you would have to arrange to book the hall with the appropriate Group Leader anyway. For Group based Crews who are keen to start off on the right foot, it is a good idea to contact your District Commissioner anyway, just to let them know what is happening. A District Commissioner that has been well buttered up, can be a fantastic resource for a Crew.

Once you have contacted your D.C., they will no doubt want to process your application to register your Rover Crew. They should be able to assist you in making sure your paperwork is in order.

STEP SEVEN - CONTACT OTHER CREWS NEAR BY

If you contact the WARC Chairman, you will be given the contact numbers for other Crews. It is a good idea to have a chat to them to let them know that you intend to start up a new Crew, as a matter of common courtesy. Find out what each Crew is like for future reference - you may well want to run joint activities with them at some stage, particularly in the early days when you are still low on numbers. They may also be a source of advice and ‘local knowledge’ and they are usually good at being a contact to meeting other experienced Rovers and established Rover Crews.

STEP EIGHT - ATTEND A MEETING OF AN EXISTING CREW

If all or most of your members are new to Rovering, it is highly advisable to attend a meeting or activity of another Crew, or even a few different Crews. This will give you ideas about programming and how to run things, as well as helping you to start to make friends in the wider Rover community. Most Crews would be more than happy to have you along.

Once you have done this stop!

Have a bit of a think about why you want to start a new Crew. If your reasons are something along the lines that you enjoy Scouting, that you want to go on to new challenges, have some great parties, do something positive for the community and make lots of new friends, then it could well be the case that you can achieve all of these things in an existing Crew and avoid all of the hassles of starting a new one.

Keep in mind that the direction of a Crew is determined by its current members, which could mean you and your other potential Rovers, and there is no rule against taking over an existing Crew! For many potential Rovers this is the right decision, as either way the aim is to get you into Rovering so that you can start to have a good time.

By no means do we want to discourage you from forming a new Crew. However, the road to forming a Crew is long and winding. For those that want to just get in to Rovering, it is sometimes a lot less painful to join an existing Crew. Give the matter some serious thought.

Then, if you decide that you have definite reasons for wanting to start a new Crew, great!

Progress to Step Nine

STEP NINE - FIND OR PURSUE A ROVER ADVISER

Each Rover Crew has a Rover Adviser selected by the Crew themselves. This person is normally quite a bit older than the Crew and offers wisdom that only age can provide.  These people are generally over the age of 30.

When selecting your Rover Adviser, look for the following qualities:

• Excellent Communication Skills
• Interest in Young People
• Good People Management Skills
• Ability to advise and support rather than lead
• Scouting experience is preferred but not essential
• Cool place to have the Crew Christmas Party (a very important attribute)

Keep in mind that the position of a Rover Adviser is very different to that of a Venturer Leader or Scout Leader, in fact it is not a true Leadership position at all. The Crew Leader is elected from within the Crew and he or she is the one expected to provide direction for the Crew. The Rover Adviser's role is a subtler one, as they provide guidance and support rather than running the Crew. A good Rover Adviser is a great asset to a Crew, so take care in selecting the right person for the job. There is no limit to the number of these excellent assets that the Crew can have.

By the way, there is no such thing as an Assistant RA. They are all called Rover Advisers.

STEP TEN - ELECT A CREW EXECUTIVE

Part of the deal with being self-governing in Rovers is that you have to elect a Government. Most Crews manage the affairs of the Crew through a Board of Directors called the Executive. Most Crews choose to adopt the following positions of responsibility as a structure for their Executive:

Crew Leader
This is the position most critical to the Crew’s success, as this person provides the general direction, motivation and Co-ordination of Crew activities. They are expected to chair meetings, represent the Crew at Group or District councils, oversee recruitment strategies and Squire training, as well as ensuring that Crew activities run successfully. For all intents and purposes, this is the person in charge of the Crew who will be answerable to the Group Leader or District Commissioner.

Assistant Crew Leader
This person assists the Crew Leader in the above roles where required, as well as acting as the Crew Leader in their absence. Some Crews may choose specific tasks for the Assistant Crew Leader, e.g. Planning and Development, Squire Training, Recruitment, Running Major Crew events.

Secretary
This role is vital is maintaining good communications, both internal and external to the Crew. They are required to produce accurate minutes of any formal meetings, send out and keep records of correspondence, and maintain the Crew membership records.

Treasurer
This person is normally based in the Bahamas and is well paid for their efforts. Just kidding (we hope). The Treasurer is actually responsible for ensuring that all financial records (receipts and expenses) are well documented and open to scrutiny. The Treasurer ensures that the Crew is well informed of its financial status and that creditors are quickly paid. The Treasurer also provides a monthly statement to the Group or District Treasurer.

There are also some optional extras that you may wish to include in the executive:

Quarter Master
Looks after and maintains any equipment that the Crew may own.

Log Book Keeper
Keeps a record of the Crew’s activities for historical reference.

WARC Representative
Normally the Crew Leader should attend WA Rover Council meetings. The other representative may be a fixed position or may rotate throughout the Crew.

Fridge Master (optional of course!)
Ensures that the fridge is kept well stocked with cans (of Coke, of course). This position is comparable to the Crew Leader in importance!

Elections are normally held by Secret Ballot, conducted by the Rover Adviser. Positions are normally held for 12 months, although in a new Crew, there is no reason why you can not hold positions for a much shorter time, e.g. 3 or 6 months. Remember that these people will run the Crew, so make the right choice!

WARC has a similar structure of Executive Committee members, and if you have questions about the duties and responsibilities or how to go about doing things for any of the positions, then your WARC counterpart will be more than happy to assist. Again, help is but a phone call away. 

STEP ELEVEN - FORM A SQUIRE TRAINING STRATEGY

This is one of the more important steps in the process, as it is the strategy that the Crew will use to train new members. The training given by the Crew defines what it expects of its members and the direction and focus of the Crew (e.g. A Sea Rover Crew may require a Squire to earn a Charge Certificate). It is like a Rover induction program for new recruits. For ex-Venturers, Squire Training may be looked upon as the Rover equivalent of the Venturing Skills Award. For others, it exists as an introduction to Rovering and a chance to become involved with the running of the Crew.

A good place to begin to look for ideas of what to include in a Squire Training Program, is other Crews in your District. They may be able to supply you with copies of their own Squire Training program for ideas. If your Crew consists of members that are all new to Rovering, it is advisable to program some joint activities with other Crews.

STEP TWELVE - GET SOME OF THE WARC EXECUTIVE TO COME TO AN ACTIVITY

Once you have a firm basis for starting your Crew (i.e. you have completed all of the steps, so far) the WARC would like to attend one of your meetings for a chat about how you have completed each of the steps in the startup procedure. The major focus of this process will be to ensure that your Crew has completed the steps sufficiently to become a successful Rover Crew. This ensures that Rover Crews (especially new Crews) are stable and prospering.

This interview with the WARC Executive is NOT a test. They will not hang you by the toenails if everything isn’t perfect. In fact, they will approach the meeting from the point of view of ‘‘How can we help you to ensure that your Crew is still going strong in 12 months?”

Again, this step is not compulsory. However, we can’t stress strongly enough, how beneficial a meeting such as this can be. The members of the WARC executive have generally been in Rovers for a while, and have seen many of the problems that new Crews face. This means that they may also have an idea of how to help solve your problems and support your Crew to become successful. It’s what they're there for.

STEP THIRTEEN - ATTEND A MEETING OF THE WARC

WARC Meetings are held so that all Crews in Western Australia can represent themselves at state level. The WARC is the body responsible for governing Rovers and their activities in the State, and it is important that all Crews have the opportunity to participate in this government. Your Crew will have equal rights with every other Crew in the State to voice your opinion and vote on all matters concerning Rovers. You may wish to attend these meetings as an observer prior to officially starting, to see what it is all about. The WARC Chairman will no doubt give you some advice about how to approach these meetings and what will be expected of your Crew as a member of the WA Rover Council.

Meetings of the WARC are held on the first Sunday of every month, usually at Branch Headquarters, between 7.30pm and approximately 9.30pm. The exception to this rule (every rule must have an exception) is when the first Sunday falls on a long weekend, in which case the meeting is held the following week. A further exception is that there is no meeting in January.

CONCLUSION

Congratulations. You have now completed all the steps required to form a new Crew. Welcome to the Worldwide Brotherhood (and, ahem, Sisterhood) of Rovering.

This guide is by no means complete in listing all of the steps that need to be undertaken to form a successful Rover Crew. It does, however, list the bare essentials to get your Crew started. Remember that Rovers is a team game. We urge you to make contact with the WARC Chairman. He or she will make available a great number of resources to assist you in becoming a strong and vibrant Crew.

Good luck and happy Rovering.