This spring, at Mark and Kim’s wedding reception, I met Karina, the 2014-2015 president of the 180th Rover Crew. She extended an invitation to me to attend one of the Rover crew’s monthly conferences, and we finally made it happen on August 16th – And I’m so glad we did!
Here’s a bit about me before I go on about my experience at the conference. My name is Marlissa and I live in Kelowna, BC, where I attend UBC Okanagan. I’ve been involved in Scouting since the age of 5. I can honestly say Scouting is the best thing that has happened in my life; I would not be the person I am today without it. Currently, I wear a few hats in Scouts Canada: I am the Assistant National Youth Commissioner for Western Canada, a Scouter at the Troop level, and Rover with a local rover crew.
When Karina invited me to the conference I was curious and excited to see what 180th was all about. I have followed them on social media for a while now, so I was aware of their membership size and international projects, which they are known for. I was the most curious to see how they run their conferences, and what I got was whole lot more!
Upon arrival, I will admit that I was a little intimidated. Maybe it was the sheer number of people, how perfect everyone’s uniforms were, or the fact that we were in MEC headquarters (that was really neat!). But after no time at all, I felt accepted and comfortable to be at the conference with all of these young people excited about their Rover crew and scouting.
The first part of the conference was focused on the rover graduation ceremony. This is the first time I have ever seen or even heard of a group having a graduation ceremony for their Rovers, and I was not disappointed. Once I thought about the purpose and significance of a Rover graduation ceremony, it really made sense. Some of these rovers have spent upwards of 21 years in the scouting program, and others had joined at the rover level. Either way, it is so valuable to celebrate their time as a youth member before they move on to other things in their scouting and personal lives. Overall, the ceremony was very well executed and I really enjoyed the video made by the graduates. It was inspiring to get a glimpse of their time in the Rover crew and see their personal growth.
I was lucky that I was able to attend the year-end conference because I was able to see all the Rover crew’s accomplishments and some of their goals for the coming year. This put the things they do into perspective for me. I was very impressed by the amount of activities, service projects, fundraising and outdoor activities they run throughout the year.
Near the end of the conference, they did “Shoutouts”. This may very well have been my favourite part of the whole thing. During the Shoutouts, members could acknowledge someone else who went above and beyond to impact another Rover’s life. I was moved by some of the shoutouts that were said, and I realized how much each rover helps to enhance the lives of their peers. The biggest thing I found out during this time was the number of people who have moved up in their professional careers and have gotten jobs through connections and support from other members in the Rover crew.
Overall, I had a fantastic time at the conference. I left energized and inspired to do better in my own life and think about ways I can work with my rover crew to enhance our program. If you are currently a rover, or looking to get into Scouting, I strongly encourage you to go to one of the 180th Rover Crew’s conferences and experience the passion and inspiration for yourself!
Congratulations to the graduating Rovers, thank you to Karina for reaching out and inviting me, and good luck to Eli and the whole Rover crew as you move into the 2015-2016 scouting year! I look forward to seeing you all in the near future!
In Scouting Friendship,
Marlissa Moro