By: Manfred Jendrosch, Introduction By: Elaine Au
This post is part of a series on our upcoming International Service Project to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. You can read more about the project here: http://pccrovers.com/international-trips/mexico-2014/
Even though this will be our Group’s fourth International Service Project, what makes this trip very unique is the fact that this is our first joint project with the 1st Rivorton Rover Crew Wondering who they are and why we are bringing the East and West coast of Canada to this trip? Continue reading to see our feature blogpost on 1st Rivorton Rover Crew, written by one of their very own Rovers, Manfred Jendrosch!
The 1st Rivorton Rovers is the largest Rover Crew in Eastern Canada, and is based at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick. We are both an Area Rover Crew and a University Club, which makes us a unique mix of the Scouting and University communities. We currently have 25 members, including a variety of international students and different backgrounds.
Quite simply, our purpose is to contribute to the personal development of young adults through outdoor adventure, leadership, and service to the community. This mission is supported by the four key pillars of our program:
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Outdoor Adventure: The outdoors is part of our DNA, so we are always planning the next adventure. A few of our latest adventures have included: ice climbing, canoeing, skiing, SCUBA diving, and whitewater rafting.
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Personal development and leadership: We strive to provide opportunities for our members to challenge themselves and get out of their comfort zones. Whether that be sleeping under the stars for the first time or tackling Class V whitewater – new experiences abound for our Rovers. We are all about providing a supportive environment for young people achieve their goals, while challenging them to develop as individuals and leaders.
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Service to the community: A big part of our program revolves around giving back to our community through impactful service projects. For us, this is an opportunity to make a difference in our community while also developing critical transferable skills.
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International experiences: This is one of our newest, yet most exciting aspect of our program! We are looking forward to complete our first-ever International Service Project together with the 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico this May.
For most of us, this will be our first experience organizing an International Service Project, so we are very excited to have this opportunity to help improve the daily lives of youth in Mexico. The quality of living for average people in Mexico is quite different from what we are used to here in Canada, so immersing ourselves into this new environment alongside the local Scouts and children will be an eye-opening experience for all of us. We are looking forward to the cultural exchange part of this international project as well, where we will experience Mexico’s unique society and culture.
Over the last few months we have been getting more and more busy planning the details of this international project together with the 180th Pacific Coast Rover Crew. Together we will make up a very diverse contingent (our 9 contingent members alone represent 5 nationalities) with a very wide range of backgrounds and skill sets, so we are certain to learn a lot from each other through this project. We are very excited to meet our West Coast partners for the first time during the international project in less than a month!
To find out more about the 1st Rivorton Rover Crew, check out their website at: http://rivortonrovers.ca/, or find them on Facebook and Twitter @UNB_Rovers.