Rover Advisory Council

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The Rover Advisory Council (RAC) is a 'governing' body made up of all the Crews within a Region. The Rover Advisory Council is responsible for the support and coordination of resources for Crews in its Region.

This Council forms a vital part of the support network for Rovers, not only providing support directly to Crews, but also by representing their interests on Rovering that make decisions affecting Rovering at a Regional and National level.

In Regions where Rover membership is smaller and a Rover Advisory Council does not exist, the National Rover Support Team assumes these functions.

Functions

The Rover Advisory Council functions are to:

  • Make recommendations and represent the Crews in the National RoverAdvisory Council.
  • Make recommendations about the rules and methods by which it governs, administers, and implements its operations for review and ratification by the SSA Exco.
  • Maintain a record of Crews within the District/Region, and to receive annual reports from these Crews which it will compile to report to Exco via theNational Rover Chairperson.

These forums could be a platform for specialist Rover Training:

  • Brainstorming ways in which to approach certain advancement requirements.
  • Industry experts/training team members can teach certain topics such as leadership, project management, etc.

Who can attend a RAC?

  • Any invested Rover
  • Rover Squires
  • Rover Scouters
  • Assistant Rover Scouters
  • District Commissioners/Scout Group Leader - By invitation only
  • Regional Team Co-Ordinator Rover Programme - This role is an advisory one, their main aim of attending would be to encourage the Crews to grow as well as being able to report back to the Regional Commissioner on Rover activities.

A Rover Advisory Council is a collection of Rover Crews in a Region that meet to discuss problems and issues as well as to give feedback to the Regional Team Co-Ordinator (RTC) Rover Programme. The Council is in the unusual position that they do not wield any power that is derived from O.R. nor do they fall under any other structure of the Movement. They perform an advisory and coordinating function and should provide feedback to their Rovers on what they are participating in and what they have achieved.

It is a good way for the Rovers in the Region to interact and make contacts in other Districts, as certain parts of the advancement programme require. It provides an opportunity for Rovers to get another take on Rovering and to pick someone's brain on something that their own Crew may not be proficient in. A strong Rover Advisory Council and a strong elected council should also be able to exert some influence on the rest of the Region, hopefully for the best.

Format

Members

Ideally, the RAC should run like a Crew by establishing a council, this can be made up of similar office bearers:

  • Chairperson
  • Vice-Chair - optional
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Representative at NRAC (if not the Chairperson)

You may like to choose additional portfolios but these should be the key executive. A good idea is to have a member from each Crew hold a position, ideally, this would depend on the number of Crews you have in your Region.

A good suggestion is to not have a Chairperson from a Crew be the Chairperson of the Rover Advisory Council, as this may place a large amount of stress and burden on them to fulfil their role as Chairperson.

Meetings

The regularity of meetings would be up to the Crews to decide. As this is an important meeting to review how all Crews are progressing and to discuss any other major Rover events coming up, a good idea would be to hold them once a quarter.

As Rovers is the adult Branch of the Scouting Movement, this is the opportunity for Rovers' issues to be discussed amongst other Rovers. At this meeting, the Regional Team Co-Ordinator Rover Programme is usually present. Therefore anything that needs to be raised at a Regional level is done so via the Regional Team Co-Ordinator Rover Programme (and vice versa).

This should be seen as an open forum where Rovers can bring matters out for discussion and appropriate measures and plans can be taken to fix and improve them.

RAC Charter

Once the council has been established, and they should review the Rover Advisory Council charter and be able to fulfill the necessary roles outlined in it.

If this is a new Rover Advisory Council in your Region, you will need to draw up a charter. Much like your Crew charter, it will cover the same details, below is an example of a Rover Advisory Council charter.

Example of a RAC Charter

  1. Name
    • The name of the Council shall be the XYZ Rover Advisory Council and shall be referred to herein as the Council.
  2. Function
    • The affairs of the Rover section in the Region are conducted by the Council which has the following functions:
      • To be responsible for the development and the maintenance of the standards of Rovers in the Region
      • To promote Rover activities in the Region
      • To organise training courses for Rovers in the Region and particularlyChairpersons
      • To maintain a record of Crews, Crew contacts, meeting places and times of meetings and to receive reports from each Crew at each Region RoverAdvisory Council meeting
      • To make decisions about the rules and methods by which it governs, administers and implements its operations, but in those matters which may affect the general principles of the Movement as expressed in O.R.
  3. Membership
    • The Council shall comprise all Rovers and Rover squires/trainees who are members of Crews listed with the Council, all Rover Scouters the Regional Co-Ordinator - Rover Programme.
  4. Attendance
    • Each registered Crew of the Council shall have at least one delegate in attendance at each Council meeting.
  5. Meetings (Time and Venue)
    • General Meetings shall be held four times per year on alternate months commencing in March. The Council shall meet at a pre-determined place.
    • Extraordinary General Meetings
      • shall be called by the Council Executive when requested by notice in writing. Such notice shall specify the matter or matters to be considered at the meeting and only such matter or matters shall be dealt with.
      • Each Crew shall be notified forthwith of such meetings and matter or matters to be dealt with
    • Annual General Meeting ("AGM").
      • The AGM shall be held in March each year or as deemed necessary by the Council
      • All Rover Crews shall be advised in writing one month prior to the meeting with time, place and agenda of the meeting.
  6. Voting
    • Each registered Crew of the Council shall have two votes.
    • There shall be no voting by proxy.
  7. Quorum
    • The quorum of the Council shall consist of representation from 60% of the registered Rover Crews in the Region.
  8. Officers
    • The officers of the Region Rover Council shall be:
      • Chairperson
      • Assistant Chairperson
      • Secretary
      • National Rover Support Team Representative
      • Treasurer
      • Activities Co-Ordinator
      • Public Relations Co-Ordinator
      • Service Co-Ordinator
      • Training Co-Ordinator
      • (Any other officers the Executive sees fit to appoint)
  9. Election of Officers
    • Election of officers of the Council, other than the Regional Co-OrdinatorRovers shall be held at the Council's Annual General Meeting each year.
    • The positions of all officers shall be open to registered fully invested Rovers who will not have attained their 35th birthday in the preceding 12 months.
    • Nominations for positions of the Council excluding Regional Co-ordinator shall open 3 months prior to the AGM,
    • Verbal nominations for all positions may be received at the AGM.
    • A returning officer shall be appointed by the Region Rover Council at the AGM.
    • All positions shall be declared vacant by the Returning Officer at the AGM.
    • Should any officer resign during their term of appointment, the position can be filled at any following Region Rover Council meeting. Election of the new officer shall be in the manner set out above.
    • Election shall be by show of hands or by ballot if requested by a member of the Regional Rover Council. The nominee obtaining the majority of votes shall be elected.
    • The Chairperson shall hold office for one year with a maximum term of two successive years.
    • If, at an election of Council Officers, a Crew delegate is elected as chairperson, the Crew that the delegate represents is entitled to a further delegate to represent it, in order that the Chairperson can remain impartial.
  10. Representatives and Delegates
    • The Council may appoint representatives and delegates of the Council ad hoc.Persons so appointed shall hold that position until the next Annual general meeting or as long as deemed necessary by the Council.
  11. Council Executive
    • The Council Executive shall consist of all the officers detailed in section 8
    • The duties of the members of the Council Executive are:
    • to meet regularly.
    • to transact all urgent business
    • to prepare business, recommendations, proposals, and background information for the Council.
    • to do such administrative tasks as are necessary for the efficient operation of the Council
  12. Committees
    • The Council may establish committees to organise and supervise Region Roveractivities, business and projects in the best interests of Rovers.
    • Members of such committees may be elected or co-opted and chairmen may be appointed by the Council or elected by any such committee.
    • Such committees shall give reports to each member of that Council meeting and to the Chairperson of the Council through their Chairperson.
  13. Funds
    • Each Rover Crew shall pay to the Council an annual fee. The amount of such fees is to be determined at the Region Rover Council meeting two months prior to the AGM and is payable 14 days prior to the AGM.
    • Surplus'/deficits of activities run by Rover Crews on behalf of the Council shall be put into the Region Rover Council account.
    • Budgets for all activities run by Rover Crews on behalf of the Council shall be submitted to the Council at least two Council meetings in advance of the activity.
    • The Treasurer shall pay such expenses incurred by officers of the Council in carrying out their duties as approved by the Council.
  14. Procedures
    • Notices of Motion shall be given at the meeting of the Council prior to the meeting at which the motion will be considered. Such notices shall be incorporated in the agenda.
  15. charteral Amendments
    • This charter may only be amended as follows
      • Notice of the proposed change shall be given at a meeting of the council.
      • At the subsequent meeting, the proposed change may be carried by the vote of 75% of the registered Rover Crews present.
    • This charter shall not be changed otherwise.
    • The Annexures are not part of the charter.

National Rover Advisory Council

This would be the forum where representatives from each Region meet on a quarterly basis to discuss items that may have come up at their Regional Rover Advisory Councils.

Membership

This body reviews the matters brought up at Regional levels and discusses any key items that would need to be taken back to Regional level for review.

  • Chair: National Rover Programme
  • Members of National Rover Programme Committee (comprised of each regional Rover Advisory Council Chairperson)
  • Volunteer Members appointed to the National Rover Programme Team(these might be the Regional Team Co-Ordinator Rover Programme IF that is different to chairperson)
  • Regional Team Co-Ordinator Rover Programme
  • Chair: National Adult Support Team - by invitation
  • An elected Chairperson who is within Rover age.

Regional Rover Advisory Councils

  • GRAC, the Gauteng Rover Advisory Council
  • WCRAC, the Western Cape Rover Advisory Council
  • KZN-RAC, the KwaZulu Natal Rover Advisory Council



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