Pre-Amble

First let’s make sure we understand some terms. 

The Scouting year runs from September 1 to August 31.  For each Scouting year a youth will be in an age defines Section (e.g. as a Beaver or a Cub, or etc.).  When a youth ages out of a Section they will go up to the next Section in September.

The Registration year runs from January 1 to December 31.   Registration fees are paid to allow a member to participate during that Registration year.   Early registration for any year starts in the August before that year.

(Source : The Scouts Canada Help Centre Knowledge Base entry “Parent FAQs” at
https://help.scouts.ca/hc/en-ca/articles/28728048920596-Parents-FAQ#13)  

The Section in which a youth registered is determined by the age at the start of the Registration year.

There are many places in the Scouts Canada documentation that say those over 18 years of age must have a clean Police Records Check (PRC).   There is an exception.

Venturers Turning 18

Venturers, in their last year of being a Venturer, who have a birthday before September 1, will turn 18 as a Venturer.   These youth may finish the Scouting year as a Venturer without having to follow the Volunteer Screening Procedure, i.e. get a PRC.   (Source: “Supervision Guide for Scouting Activities” at           https://scoutsca.s3.amazonaws.com/2020/02/supervision-guide-for-scouting-activities.pdf )
With the start of the next Scouting Year, the Venturer may decide to remain a Venturer to finish the Registration Year or may decide to move up to Rovers. No matter which choice is selected, in this new Scouting year, members over the age of 18 must follow the Volunteer Screening Procedure.

Rovers Age 17

Youth who have a birthday September 1 to December 31, and who will be 18 at the start of the Registration year will register as a Rover (or, upon their choice, be moved up from Venturers to Rovers).  They will be 17 when they are moved up.  While 17, they do not need to follow the Volunteer Screening Procedure (i.e. no PRC required).   (Source: “Supervision Guide for Scouting Activities” at
https://scoutsca.s3.amazonaws.com/2020/02/supervision-guide-for-scouting-activities.pdf )

As soon as a Rover turns 18, the Volunteer Screening Procedure needs to be followed..  A 60 day grace period is given to allow time to get the PRC. The grace period allows participation to continue uninterrupted while getting the PRC.   (Source: The Scouts Canada Help Centre Knowledge Base entry “Police Record Check (PRC) Submission Process” at
https://help.scouts.ca/hc/en-ca/articles/15212396461332-Police-Record-Check-PRC-Submission-Process

Rover Screening

In addition to the PRC, which is a “Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check” (i.e. does not require a Vulnerable Sector Search (VSS), which would be required to volunteer as a Scouter), there are other requirements to be a Rover

• Either :
  • Register in MyScouts.ca, i.e. while 17, the parent must do this, when 18, the Rover does this, or
  • Have a MyScouts.ca transfer performed moving from the Company to the Crew.
• Registration includes giving 5 references
• Be interviewed
• Sign the Code of Conduct (CoC)
• Complete Scouting Fundamentals training

(Source: “Volunteer Screening Procedure” at
https://www.scouts.ca/resources/bpp/procedures/volunteer-screening-procedure.html

Volunteering as a Scouter

This document was not meant to address youth who volunteer to take on leadership roles in a Section as a Scouter or participant in other Scouts Canada Organisational Units in a normally adult capacity, e.g. a camp committee.  There are requirements additional to the information above when a youth volunteers to become a Scouter.