Surrey-Thomas Rover Crew
Encyclopedia
The Surrey-Thomas Rover Crew now Surrey Thomas Rover Crew (STR) is best known for its role in the development of the sport of rogaining
. The Rover
Scout crew was formed in 1971 in Brighton, Australia
It is part of Scouts Australia
in the Australia
n State of Victoria
. Soon after forming, the crew undertook to run an annual twenty-four hour cross-country navigation event. At the first Surrey-Thomas twenty-four hour rogaine in 1972, forty starters, mostly from scouting, set off from Gembrook and circled the base camp at Basan's Corner via a series of loops along forest roads. True cross-country navigation was minimal, but the publicity from the event and the emphasis placed on quality base camp service and a friendly atmosphere was sufficiently popular that there was a demand for similar events over the next two years. These were followed by an important shift to an all cross-country score event set at Yea in 1975, the first such event in the world catering for the general public. This led to the recognition that these events had a far wider appeal and marketing potential than had been previously thought and were worthy of being a sport in their own right. STR crew members then led the process by which the sport was named rogaining, rules were adopted and the world’s first rogaining association (Victorian Rogaining Association) was constituted.
Apart from founding the world's first rogaining association, the STR crew was recognized for several other achievements over the next decade. With remarkable diversity, the crew and its members pioneered the introduction of females into scouting in Victoria, set up a rock climbing club that taught climbing leaders from all over Victoria, opened up several new climbing areas, provided leaders for a number of scout troops and rover crews, went on regular caving and canoeing expeditions and organized bushwalking, rafting, climbing, flying and camping trips all over south-eastern Australia. The crew is still functioning today.
Rogaining
Rogaining is a sport of long distance cross-country navigation, involving both route planning and navigation between checkpoints using a variety of map types. In a rogaine, teams of 2-5 people choose which checkpoints to visit within a time limit with the intent of maximizing their score...
. The Rover
Rovers (Australia)
Rovers, formerly Rover Scouts, is the fifth and final section of Scouts Australia, and began in 1918. Rovers are aged between 17 and 26 years of age and are organised into local Crews, which can be associated with a Scout Group or operate as a stand-alone Crew. Crews accept anyone interested in...
Scout crew was formed in 1971 in Brighton, Australia
Brighton, Victoria
Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...
It is part of Scouts Australia
Scouts Australia
Scouts Australia is an organisation for children and young adults from 6 to 26 years of age. Scouts Australia is part of the global Scouting movement and has been a national member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement since 1953...
in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n State of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. Soon after forming, the crew undertook to run an annual twenty-four hour cross-country navigation event. At the first Surrey-Thomas twenty-four hour rogaine in 1972, forty starters, mostly from scouting, set off from Gembrook and circled the base camp at Basan's Corner via a series of loops along forest roads. True cross-country navigation was minimal, but the publicity from the event and the emphasis placed on quality base camp service and a friendly atmosphere was sufficiently popular that there was a demand for similar events over the next two years. These were followed by an important shift to an all cross-country score event set at Yea in 1975, the first such event in the world catering for the general public. This led to the recognition that these events had a far wider appeal and marketing potential than had been previously thought and were worthy of being a sport in their own right. STR crew members then led the process by which the sport was named rogaining, rules were adopted and the world’s first rogaining association (Victorian Rogaining Association) was constituted.
Apart from founding the world's first rogaining association, the STR crew was recognized for several other achievements over the next decade. With remarkable diversity, the crew and its members pioneered the introduction of females into scouting in Victoria, set up a rock climbing club that taught climbing leaders from all over Victoria, opened up several new climbing areas, provided leaders for a number of scout troops and rover crews, went on regular caving and canoeing expeditions and organized bushwalking, rafting, climbing, flying and camping trips all over south-eastern Australia. The crew is still functioning today.