FAQ

Aspen Mountain Rover Crew FAQ

  • Can anyone join the Aspen Mountain Rover Crew?
    • Currently any adult in Utah may join AMRC. If the Crew grows very large, however, we will encourage incoming Knights to start their own Crews in their own counties/areas so AMRC membership does not grow unsustainable.
    • If you live in Utah and want to start your own Crew, please indicate on the membership application form on the Rovering 4 Life Association Contact page. Association officers will then contact you for further information.
    • Currently the Aspen Mountain Rover Crew can make an exception to adult membership for a Crew Apprentice that is 17 years old, but they are not registered as a member of R4LA and do not wear the R4LA uniform. We do not actively recruit CAs. We encourage youth to look into youth scouting programs before considering an apprenticeship with this Crew. Our focus is on recruiting those 18+.
  • How do I join AMRC?
  • Is Crew membership free like Association membership?
    • No, it is not free. We require those seeking to join this Crew to pay a one time Joining Fee to cover the cost of insignia. This commits incoming Scouts to the program, and it streamlines the awarding process so Rover Scouts aren't paying a little bit at a time each time they achieve something. However, we do not have monthly/yearly dues, and ask Rover Scouts in our Crew to help pay for activities and supplies on an as-needed basis.
  • How large is AMRC?
    • Right now we are very small, but we would love to have more members! Or if you would like to contribute talents to our association but aren't interested in scouting, we would still love to have your input.
  • What if I'm in Utah, but don't want to join AMRC or start my own Crew?
    • The Deep River Rover Crew is also available for incoming Rovers; it is the national/international R4LA Crew headed by our Chief Rover Scout, Ken Pataky. Or you can Rover as a Lone Scout, although R4LA is designed to work with a patrol system; in this case you still need to maintain contact with a Rover Knight to sign off your progression through the program
  • Is your Crew registered as a nonprofit?
    • No. Since R4LA is not a registered entity, nonprofit or otherwise, AMRC is not registered either. Our finances and other material are handled by trustworthy officers of the Crew.
  • How does your Crew handle finances?
    • The Treasurer or Rover Scout Leader is the caretaker of a privately-owned bank account that is used solely for the benefit of the Crew. It is privately owned because our group is not a tax ID/nonprofit/business registered entity, and thus cannot be under the name of the group. This bank account is used for Rovers to purchase insignia and to provide any other needs to the Crew. The RSL will post e-statements regarding transactions on the Crew Band website to remain accountable to the Crew.
If you have additional questions or comments about R4LA or AMRC, please contact the RSL.

Rovering 4 Life Association FAQ

  • What makes R4LA different from other scouting associations?
    • R4LA is geared only towards adults 18+, and we are scouts, not scouters. We are the only scouting Association in the USA that has adult scouts with their own traditional progression program exclusive of being connected to a youth program. We adhere to a traditional Scout Promise/Oath, Law, a knightly Code of Honor, and use a patrol system to help each other progress through the program. We are adults adventuring together in the great game of scouting.
  • What activities does R4LA have?
    • Rovers participate in a lot of hands-on activities, including camping, hiking, archery, knot-work, pioneering, service projects, and more. We follow knightly practices, such as chivalry, holding a personal Vigil, using simple ceremonies to emphasize our values, and following a Code of Honor among each other.
  • Life is so busy for me. Would I even have time for Rovering?
    • Unlike youth scouting, Rover scouting does not require a huge time commitment. Since there is no upper age limit, you have all the time you need to complete awards; Crew activities and outings are meant to supplement your personal progress and build friendships, not force you to complete the proficiency requirements quickly. Rovering is meant to be supplemental to your current life, and to help you improve in both your personal and public life by living the Scout Promise/Oath and Law. While we try to have monthly meetings and regular service projects, and we do expect Crew members to regularly participate in person or in video conference, you ultimately decide how much time you can take for Rovering.
  • Can youth join R4LA?
    • No. The Association does not have the program framework or the legal provisions to have youth membership. From its inception, Rovering was always intended for adults.
  • Does the Association adhere to a particular religion or ideology?
    • No. In the overall Association, we adhere to Robert Baden-Powell's intent that scouting doesn't have any particular "side" to religion or politics. Our Rovers are encouraged to use scouting to develop their own spirituality and morality, no matter their religion or creed, what we term as our "duty to God" or "duty to conscience." The Association does not serve as a platform for political, religious, or social interests outside of scouting. 
    • Religious organizations, among other organizations, my choose to charter a Rover Crew, and in this case, a Rover that is a member of that CO and is acting as a spiritual advisor to the Crew may wear the Chaplain Badge.
  • What is your uniform policy and practice?
    • R4LA has an official uniform based off the traditional uniform recommended by Baden-Powell, what is called a "Class A" uniform. Crews may also opt to have a "Class B" uniform for certain activities and outings, which includes a custom shirt and the Class A Rover hat.
    • The R4LA uniform is intended to represent our Association, including the policies laid out in the Bylaws and the spirit of traditional scouting in general. It is not to be worn for activities not associated with scouting, such as social activism, politics, official religious representation, etc. Rovers are not barred from participating in these activities outside of uniform and Crew activities, but when a Rover is in uniform, our Association must be accurately represented within the scope of its objectives.
  • How does the progression program work?
    • Our program is based off the program listed in the 1938 Polisy, Organization and Rules, the scouting program handbook written by Robert-Baden Powell. We work through proficiencies rather than ranks. We have our Tenderfoot, Squire, and Knight proficiency. Each proficiency contains qualifying work that must be demonstrated or reported on (knotwork, scoutcraft, service, camping, etc.). We work around a model of knighthood, where Squires seek the mentorship of a Knight to help them gain proficiency. There are badges for the different proficiencies that can be earned and purchased by the Rovers.
    • Aside from the Squire and Knight proficiency, there are extra proficiency badges for Interpreter, Chaplain, and First Aid. There is also the Quest Thong, which is used to keep track of completed quests a Knight may undertake.
  • Is there an upper age limit?
    • No. When B-P penned his latest version of the POR, he never indicated an upper age limit, and we adhere to that and welcome any adult, 18+, to join us.
  • Is this a co-ed organization?
    • Yes. Men and women can join and qualify for the proficiencies in this program. They can work in the same patrols, and if it's agreeable to the Crew, may create men-only patrols and women-only patrols. Patrols can also organize themselves by different age groups or by geography.
  • Are you associated with Outdoor Service Guides? (formerly BPSA-US)?
    • No. Though they too are a traditional scouting program, and call their adult members Rovers, their focus is on youth, and they no longer create independent Rover Crews like we do. Our focus is on adults and Rover Crews. Our only connection to BPSA-US is that their mother organization, WFIS, is associated with our mother organization, ISF.
  • What are the costs of R4LA?
    • Membership is free to the Association, although this Crew requires a joining fee, explained further below.  Rovers pay for their own uniform and insignia, and any contributions to Crew outings, activities, or charitable projects. 
  • Do you require a charter organization to create and maintain a Crew?
    • No. Though a charter organization can be useful for a place to meet and to funnel membership into the Crew, a CO is not required to create a Crew. All a Crew really needs to start are Crew officers (the Rover Scout Leader, Assistant RSL, a Rover Mate, etc.) and a place to meet, also called a "den."
  • Is this a special needs scouting association? Is that why it's "scouting for adults"?
    • No, but those with special needs are not automatically barred from participating. In accordance to the 1938 POR, all that we require of Rovers is that they are mentally, physically, and emotionally able to participate, whether or not they have special needs.
  • What is the leadership structure of R4LA?

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