July 14-16, 2006 - 2nd Brownsea Squire Training: BPS's Newest Rover Squires.

It was roughly a year ago (November 2005) that I started recruiting actively for people to join this Rover crew. The creation of Independent Scouting gave us the opportunity to do something that hadn't been done in the US in nearly half a century: to play the game of Scouting as Rover Scouts. "Well what's a Rover Scout?" they would ask. "It's the grown-up version of Scouting. Same game, no age limit, no barriers." That answer apparently got some people's attention.

Our crew came together in January 2006. It took lots of planning and prep work to get the ball rolling. In a few short months, we put together a very full program for a crew of brand new recruits. Everything we did was aimed at giving them an idea of what Scouting was about: teamwork, citizenship, love of outdoors, that inner spark that makes you a Scout. But it wasn't free of challenges. Most wanted to know why we had to wear uniforms in the first place. Many weren't sure they could pass the Tenderfoot test. "Test?? Why do we have to learn this?" Clearly, this was not the same as brining together a bunch of seasoned Scouters to become Rovers. We built everything, including their confidence, from the ground up.

By the time we got to Brownsea, most of us had been thru the material at least once, all except one. There and then was the challenge. I think everyone understood for themselves they weren't walking out of Brownsea without a Tenderfoot badge, even if it meant they all had to get behind the guy who had to learn everything THAT WEEKEND. I'm telling you, that's exactly what they did. Suddenly I had a crew full of teachers. Magic really does happen.

In the end, we had a nice, quiet, dignified ceremony in the woods. Everyone got their shoulder knots. Everyone got their badges. Everyone was breathing a bit easier, wondering why they got all worked up over some knots and flag folding. The questions that followed were more relaxed ones, along the lines of, "So how do we get to be knighted?" I'm just amazed at the spirit these guys bring to the table.