National Quality Unit Award

[pack330]

I am having a hard time finding much information on how the award works. Could someone help me with all the different check off list that needs to be completed? I would love a list of those requirements. Thanks

[ASM7]

Check out this site. It should explain it for you.

 

http://www.meritbadge.com/files/14-221.pdf

[ASM7]

I was assuming Boy Scout Unit, so go to this site and pick the form you need. It is however for 2002.

 

http://meritbadge.com/files/index.htm

[AdvanceOn]

Are you saying you don't know what the actual requirements are? This site has a .pdf version of the Pack form. There are .pdfs of the troop and crew forms as well. http://www.scouting.org/forms/14-220.pdf

 

If you're asking for an interpretation of the individual items then I'll need to look at it more closely.

 

It is really fairly easy for a unit to get quality unit. This form is generally turned in at rechartering. Past year is the year that you just completed. You should be able to get the numbers and percentages from you unit records. the coming year is your "agreement" that your unit will complete the requirements.

 

Your unit commissioner or District Commissioner should be able to help you with this.

 

Hope this helps. If I missed the mark, let me know. I've got most of this information in my commissioner materials so I can look up specific information.

[Bob White]

 

 

This link will take you to the Pack 2003 Quality Unit Award.

 

The first column represents the work you have done this year, the second column is for goal setting for 2004. You have untill December 31, 2003 to complete the requirements.

 

It's a good idea to complete this form each year whether you earn the award or not. It is a good benchmark of how the unit is doing in delivering the scouting program.

 

Keep in mind that the National Quality Unit Ward reflects the minimum activity that a pack shoulld be providing to the boys. A good unit will not just meet, but exceed the requirements for the award.

 

Hope this helps,

Bob White

[dsteele]

The only thing Advanceon and the others didn't hit on is that Quality Unit can generally be earned anytime during the year. It is normally filed with the re-charter, but if something changes for the good, contact your unit commissioner and ask if you can still qualify. It is not removed during the year -- if for example, your trained Cubmaster leaves -- but can be awarded during the year if your untrained (new or otherwise) Cubmaster completes training.

 

They're right about the this year coming year columns. It is a goal setting tool as well as an award mechinism.

 

DS

[AdvanceOn]

Your information has never been presented to me as an option. Is there a reference for it? Not that I'm quesitoning your reliability but so that I have the information to take back to my fellow district commissioners.

 

I'd like to use it as a tool for my unit commissioners. that would be a really position approach with units that didn't get quality unit at rechartering but because of their efforts got it later in the year.

 

Thanks.

[NWScouter]

The one you turn in at recharter is reflective of the year just complete. You can apply anytime this year if you meet the requirements last year and didnt apply at recharter. You will apply for this year at upcoming recharter time using activities and metrics of this year. For example if you had a trained Cubmaster for part of the year and your new Cubmaster has not had a chance to get to training by recharter time , you still get to check it off because you had a trained Cubmaster that year. The number of meetings, growth of membership, advancement and all the requirements are based on the charter year. If you did it between the day charter started and the day it ends you a qualified for Quality unit. Think about it like the tax year, if your son isnt born by December 31 you cant take the deduction on that years taxes.

[acco40]

I did not think that Quality (Unit, District, etc.) awards went by calendar year but by the chartering year. Can someone lead me to some information that makes that distinction? Thanks.

 

From: http://www.vikingbsa.org/Programs/Awards/BSA_Non_Rank_Awards/Troop_Quality_Unit_Award.html

 

The Quality Unit Program was first introduced in 1986. The Quality Unit program is an effort to recognize units that have met specific requirements established on a CHARTER YEAR basis.

 

(This message has been edited by acco40)

[Bob White]

My error, The districts I have been involved in have always re-chartered at the end of the calendar year.

 

Bob White

[acco40]

I wonder if all districts recharter in December? I know mine does. Our troop recharters in January so it is weird to receive a 2002 Quality District Award in January 2003(earned the previous month) when it seems as if all of the Quality Unit Awards are of a different year.

 

Now the big, big question! The award does have the year on it. Why do they change the color scheme every year?

[SMT376Richmond KY]

Interesting thread. When I turned in new Troops charter in March this year and completed the section for Quality Unit plans this coming charter year. The council "nazi" would not accept it and returned the form to me, her rationale "you can't get that you're a new unit." Of course I told her I knew that but that was so the paperwork would be submitted as the Troop plan for the year so that in March 2004 the Troop could qualify for the 2003 year in which is why the form was submitted.

 

Which brings up another question. Which year do you earn the award for if the application has a section for what you plan to do and what you did. I would think that you would be awarded for the previous years activity if you met or exceeded your goal. Not the year you planned as you do not know if your plans we met or exceeded. Our council has you buy the current years patches. Thus why the Council "Nazi" said the new Troop could not earn the quality unit. I'm cornfuses.

[dsteele]

Thanks to Advanceon for making me do my homework. My answer about earning the National Quality Unit Award anytime during the year were way off base.

 

I was wrong and I ain't afraid to admit it. The resource I checked was the Commissioner Manual.

 

The National Quality Unit Award is awarded for the past charter year at the time of the charter renewal.

 

As to the "Council Nazi" question, I applaud that you filled out the committment part and the registrar should have accepted it and just kept it with the unit file. Perhaps they were just having a bad day.

 

While I was at it, I also found the answer to the question of which year should be awarded.

 

Here's the answer lifted from the Commissioner Manual:

 

"Units receive recognitions dated for the year of the month immediately following the unit's charter renewal. For example, qualifying units with December 2000 charter expiration dates will be the first units to receive the year 2001 recognition."

 

I hope this helps.

 

DS

[Twocubdad]

Think of it like the Superbowl. The 2004 Superbowl comes at the end of the 2003 season.

 

Our unit -- oops, the unit with which I serve -- recharterd in February and completed the QU application based on our accomplishments during the prior 12 months -- most of which was obviously in 2002. But since the award was received in 2003, the uniform patches (and if I remember right, the streamer) all say 2003.

 

(Looks like DS answered first, but I still like my football analogy.)(This message has been edited by Twocubdad)

[SMT376Richmond KY]

Thanks for the clarificaiton. Even in my Cubmaster days the Council never explained it that clear. By the way our Nazi isn't the registrar. It's the gal behikde the desk that runs the Scout shop.