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1st Chaudiere Sea Rover Scout Crew

by John MacFarlane 2013

1st Chaudiere Sea Rover Scout Crew

With the traditional left–handed scout handshake, Bryce Gibson (Commissioner of the Halifax North District for the Boy Scouts of Canada) presents the charter of the 1st Chaudiere Rover Crew to Commander George R. MacFarlane, commanding officer of HMCS Chaudiere, and Petty Officer Peter Wilkins RCN looks on. It was reported at the time that the Rover Crew was unique in the Canadian Scouting world.

There was a concern about the lack of positive–focus activities for under–age members of the ship’crew while they were in foreign ports.

The idea for forming a Rover Crew was put forward by Able–Seaman Brian Doucett RCN and Petty Officer Peter Wilkins RCN, Scout Master of the 1st Chester Scout Troop in Chester NS. Doucett was formerly a member of the 68th Hamilton Scout Troop in Hamilton Ontario. He proposed the establishment of the scouting unit as a possible response to other social pressures on young crew members.

1st Chaudiere Sea Rover Scout Crew

Members of the 1st Chaudiere Rover Crew with HMCS Chaudiere’s Commanding Officer Commander G.R. MacFarlane RCN.

There was a successful recruiting campaign among the younger members of the crew of HMCS Chaudiere. The Rover Crew made contact with Rover Scouts at various ports of call while the ship was on foreign cruises. Officially the goal was to "further Canadian goodwill both as a unit of the Canadian Navy and of the Scout organization."

It is not known how long the Rover Crew was in existence. The success of the Rover crew was short lived. When key leaders were posted ashore or to other ships the organization shut down. It was a good idea (in theory) but not really sustainable social engineering.


To quote from this article please cite:

MacFarlane, John M. (2013) 1st Chaudiere Sea Rover Scout Crew. Nauticapedia.ca 2013. http://nauticapedia.ca/Articles/Sea_Rover_Scouts.php

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