ROVERING
“He is a hefty Rover Scout, about eighteen years of age that is a fellow training to be a man. He has tramped from a distance with his pack, in which were his light tent, his blanket, cooking pot and food.
He carries on him his axe and lariat. In his hand a serviceable staff with a weirdly carved head, his own work.
In addition to this load he carries a still more important thing - a happy smile on his weather - tanned face.”
Describes lord Robert Stephan Smyth Baden Power of Gilwell, the Chief Scout of the world in his book ‘Rovering to Success’
“THE TERM ROVER SCOUT STANDS FOR A TRUE MAN AND A GOOD CITIZEN”.
The law for Rovers is the same as for Scouts, in wording and principle but has to be viewed from a new standpoint – that is from that of a man. In both cases the principle underlying the scout law knocks out self and shoves in good-will and helpfulness to others. Don’t take this as instruction in piety, but as directions to manliness.
THE AIM OF THE ROVER BROTHERHOOD
Rovers are a brotherhood of the open air and service. They are hikers on the open Road and campers of the Woods, able to shift for themselves, but equally able and ready to be of some service to others. They are in point of fact a senior branch of the Boy Scout Movement – young men of over seventeen years of age.
The four main AIMS of the scout training in woodcraft are to develop these points:
• Character and intelligence
• Handicraft and skills
• Health and strength
• Service for others and citizenship
OBJECT: THE AIM OF ROVERING IS BROTHERHOOD AND SERVICE FOR OTHERS.
The object of the Rover Training is to enable young men to develop themselves as
HAPPY
HEALTHY CITIZENS
USEFUL
THE ROVER SCOUT PROMISE
“ON MY HONOR I PROMISE,
TO DO MY BEST TO DO,
MY DUTY TO ALLAH AND THE COUNTRY
TO HELP OTHERS AT ALL TIMES
AND TO OBEY THE SCOUT LAW”
*The Rover Scout promise is the same as the Scout Promise.
THE ROVER SCOUT LAW
A scout’s honor is to be trusted: As a Rover Scout, no temptation, however great or however secret, will persuade you to do a dishonest or a shady action, however small. You won’t go back on a promise once made.
“A Rover’s word is as good as his bond”
“The truth and nothing but the truth for the Rover”
A scout is loyal to his country, his leaders, his parents, his employers, and those working under him:
As a good citizen you are one of a team “playing the game” honestly for the good of the whole. You can be relied upon the country, by the scout Movement, by your friends and fellow workers, by your employers or employees, to do your best for them – even though they may not always quite come to what you would like of them. Moreover, you are loyal also to yourself; you won’t lower yourself respect by playing the game meanly; nor will you let another man down – nor a woman, either.
A scout’s duty is to be useful and to help others: As a Rover your highest aim is SERVICE. You may be relied upon at all times to be ready to sacrifice time, trouble, or, if need be, life itself for others.
“Sacrifice is the salt of service”
A Scout is a friend to all, and a Brother to every other scout, no matter to what social class the other belongs: As a Rover, you recognize other fellows as being, with yourself, sons of the same father, and you disregard whatever may be their difference of opinion or caste, creed, or country. You suppress your prejudices and find out their good points; any fool can criticize their bad once. If you exercise this love for men of other countries and help to bring about international peace and good will.
“All the world’s a brotherhood”
A scout is courteous: like a knight of old, as a Rover you are of course, polite and considerate to women, old people and children. Bit more than this, you are polite also even to those on opposition to you.
“Whoso is in the right need not lose his temper; whoso is in the wrong cannot afford to”
A scout is a friend to animals: You will recognize your comradeship with gods other creatures placed, like yourself, in this world for a time to enjoy their existence. To ill-treat an animal is therefore a dis-service to the creator.
“A Rover has to be big hearted”
A scout obeys orders of his parents, scout leaders or scout master without question:
As a Rover you discipline yourself readily and willingly at the service of constituted authority for the main good. The best disciplined community is the happiest community, but the discipline must come from within, and not merely be imposed from without. Hence the greater value of the example you give to others in this direction.
A scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties:
As a Rover you will be looked to as the man to keep your head, and to stick it out in a crisis with cherry pluck and optimism.
“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you
…you’ll be a man. My son”
A scout is thrifty: As a Rover, you will look ahead and will not fritter away time or money on present pleasures, but rather make use of preset OPPORTUNITIES with a view to ulterior success. You do this with the idea of not being a burden, but a help to others.
A scout is clean in thought, word and deed:
As a Rover, you are expected to be not only clean minded, but clean willed; able to control any sex tendencies and intemperance’s; to give an example to others of being pure and above board in all that you think, say and do.
There is to the Scout code an eleventh law, an unwritten one, namely “A SCOUT IS NOT A FOOL”. As a Rover you have to remember that in crossing the threshold from boyhood into being a man you are no longer learning to carry out the scout Law, but are actually using it for guidance of your conduct in life. More than this you are now in the responsible position of giving an example to others, which may lead them to good or evil, according to weather or no you model your conduct on the law, and how far you carry out that promise which you have made, on your honor, as a Rover Scout, to give out good will and help to all.
ROVER CREW
The unit of Rovers is the CREW no minimum number is fixed for a Crew, which may be subdivided into patrols as may be suitable.
TRAINING: it is recognized that in order that a Rover can carry out properly his aim of brotherhood and service it is necessary for him to continue, or to start, his training in various forms of scout craft which help him to achieve a knowledge of how to look after himself and how to meet any situation which may arise without losing his head. He is expected therefore, to qualify himself after a certain period of time – to his own satisfaction and that of his Rover Scout Leader and Crew – along certain lines such as, camping, hiking, Swimming, Health Education, First aid, Safety work and to obtain an understanding of the workings of local government.
Each member of the Crew should, as far as possible, have his own special duties, such as keeper of camp stores, the scribe, the purse holder, hike manager and so on.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF A ROVER SCOUT
Remember that as a Rover, besides making yourself a better citizen, you are, weather you know it or not, being looked up to by boys in your scout group and your neighborhood.
As a Rover Scout or older boy among your younger brothers, you have a responsibility on your shoulder which at first you may not realize. You may be guiding many a boy to good or bad according o what you do or say yourself.
A HIHGER SERVICE FOR ROVER SCOUTS
Among the various forms of service, that of helping to run Scouts or cubs may seem at first sight to be rather a small one. But when you come to look into it, it is the most easy of all to take up, since the opportunities for it lie close to your hand as a Rover, but at the same time it is one on which you can obtain big results in making men out of boys, result can be of the greatest value to your country.
*NOTE: THIS RESOURCE MATERIAL IS PREPARED WITH INFORMATION TAKEN FROM THE BOOK “ROVERING TO SUCCESS” BY LORD BADEN POWELL OF GILWELL. IT HAS BEEN PREPARED BY ROVER SCOUT MAEED MOHAMED ZAHIR (President's Scout). ITS PURPOSE IS TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF ROVER SCOUTING.
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