What is a Quality Unit?

[Fuzzy Bear]

If the National Scout Office called you late one evening and said they needed your advice on what constitutes a Quality Unit, what would be on your list?

 

FB

[Laurie]

Thought-provoking question. My response would be any unit that consistently provides the program as the BSA outlines it, that utilizes the training & literature & other resources in order to teach citizenship, fitness, and character while having fun. I'm not sure this is something that can accurately be measured, but the forms we fill out should be utilized to indicate strong and weak points, and when used in that way, a unit can better plan for the following year. That's how I approach this anyway, and I look forward to other responses.

[eagle-pete]

I work primarily with the Cub Scouts. If National called me and asked this I would refer them to about 6 Cubs in our Pack that could give them a rundown of what they liked about Cub Scouts.

 

Actually, one of my WB ticket items was to meet with and interview each boy and their parents in my Pack and discuss what the boys liked about Cub Scouts, how I could assist the parents, and what the boys would like to see more of in the Pack. I then implemented all the suggestions. WOW! Was that an eye opener.

 

Eagle Pete

[fotoscout]

I think if you look at the Quality Unit application, you get most of the answer. In fact I think you get more than the answer.

 

Although I have some angst over recruiting goals as a QU requirement, I think the QU application does a very good job of defining for us what a true quality unit should be.

 

Try to remember that a quality unit needs to be more than a unit where the boys had good time this week. The boys need to have a good time week-in and week-out, with a regular smattering of success along the way. The criteria for QU, as outlined on the form, helps direct us toward an operation that can make that happen.

 

One item that I would like to see added would be a line that goes something like this, Adults play well together?. More than anything that I have seen, if the adults play well together they will tend to have a good unit.

 

[Laurie]

fotoscout, the only thing I disagree with about your post is that I know of a unit that looked good on paper but was a mess in reality. The adults did not play nice, but there were no patrols, no training for the boys, no program from week to week, and advancement was sporadic as was attendance. It met the requirements, but calling it quality seemed wrong in my opinion. And though the pack met the reqts, it has an ongoing problem with doing things the way they've always been done versus the way we've learned they should be done. Thus my opinion (though I've not been around for long, admittedly) that the form may not accurately reflect what the unit is like. Is it good? I think it's excellent, use it often, but think quality involves a bit more than what can be captured on paper.

[fotoscout]

What's important is that the form be filled out accurately. It's like doing a self assessment every year. We have to be honest in answering the questions.

 

For instance....if advancement was sporadic, I doubt that the unit could truly have met the requirement for QU, unless it's a very small or VERY large unit, since sometimes the math is misleading with these types of units.

 

The point you bring up is really this. Does the unit have to be By the Book to be a Quality Unit? The QU form does not ask enough questions to determine if the unit is By the Book. But, it does do a good job of determining if a solid program is being offered to the boys. It may not be By the Book, but the boys come, and learn, and have a good time. The program goes forward week after week, year after year. In some ways thats a quality program.

 

Clearly, not all units run By the Book, in fact, most probably avoid or skirt some part of the book. Does that mean they are bad programs? No. Certainly there are programs out there that are excellent, while not adhering many of the BSA guidelines. One can only wonder how much more the boys would get out those programs if they were run with more of the BSA program implemented on a routine basis.

(This message has been edited by fotoscout)