Centennial Quality Unit Award -- what now?

[BartHumphries]

So, we'd really like to be a "quality unit" in 2011. Is the Centennial Quality Unit Award going to change back to the 2011 National Quality Unit or maybe just 2011 Quality Unit?

[Scoutfish]

Great question!

 

You'd think that the Centennial Award would only be available in the years 2010, 2120, 2210, 2310, etc...or every 100 years as that is a centennial year for BSA.

 

After that, you'd think it would just be a "Quality Unit Award" with the current year of 2011 right up until 2109, at which point, it would become a Centennial award again for 2110.

 

In my Cub Scout Leaders Handbook, the index lists "Quality Unit" under the "awards" heading and gives the pages info can be found on.

 

But when you go to those pages, there is NOTHING about "Quality Unit Awards" ,only "Centennial Quality Unit Awards".

 

Then, it CLEARLY shows a patch that has the 1910 - 2010 logo beside the wording "Centenial Quality Unit 2007"

 

But then, would that patch have been made in 2007( or actually 2006) since it was not yet 2010? Is this right since 2007 was not a centennial date?

 

 

 

Hmmmm? Could this be another screw up or lack of attention to detail much like the literature that showed a Tiger Cub ( in orange hat and necker) with the Bobcat, Tiger, Wolf and Bear rank patches on his shirt?

 

 

In my opinion, and it is only just that - an opinion - Somebody copied an existing paragraph and existing picture and modified only the wording to match this year as it was indeed a centennial year.

 

I'm thinking that come next year, you will not earn a "Centennial Quality Unit Award", but will just earn a "Quality Unit Award" .

 

I'm thinking this whole mess was either a simple oversight where sombody clicked on an edit function on their computer and missed the small detail, or somebody who works in a print shop - who really has no connection to BSA - made the edit, and therefore didn't understand the signifigance of the error.

 

Edited to fix the small details!

(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

[Scoutfish]

Do what it takes to be a quality unit. Earn that award.

 

Then see which version of the award they hand you.

 

The biggesr issue is that you are a quality unit, not wether it's Centennial or not!

[rkfrance]

This is the response I received from National a few months ago. September is almost done though.

 

 

2011 Quality program

 

That project has been going on since last August and is not complete yet. It is our intention to have the roll out of the new plan starting the first of September. I can tell you that it will be set criteria, not setting goals; there will be standard achievement and advanced (for those high octane units); and it will be due with the unit's charter renewal each year instead of at the end of the year. There will be separate criteria for Packs, Troops, Teams, Crews, Districts and Councils.

 

Things are still changing.

 

[rkfrance]

Forgot to add, it will not have Centennial attached to the name.

[UCEagle72]

According to what I found in our Commissioner circles, the next program will be called the "Journey to Excellence" Quality Award.

 

And from what I have been told, this will go back to a standard set of National criteria, and no longer have "unit definable" goals.

(This message has been edited by UCEagle72)

[ScoutNut]

No "mess" here. Neither is the Centennial Quality Unit patch with 2007 on it a typo, or an oversight. The first Centennial Quality Award was for the year 2007.

 

The Centennial Quality Award program is part of the BSA National Strategic Plan "When Tradition Meets Tomorrow". This plan covers the years 2006-2010.

 

The next National Strategic Plan covers the years 2011-2015.

 

As part of that Strategic Plan the Quality Awards for Council, District, and Unit, for 2011-2015, will be restructured to meet the goals of that plan.

 

As usual, the first year (2011) will be messy, especially if BSA is going to move it from calendar year, back to recharter year, as it was prior to 2007.

 

I imagine that information on the new Quality Awards will be released sometime between October, and the end of the year. Hopefully sooner, rather than later.

[BartHumphries]

Hunh. My 40+ year old unit has never earned a Quality Unit Award before -- nobody ever really looked at it. I though that, just over a month from now at the beginning of November, the Scoutmaster and Unit Committee Chair would chat and set goals for next yet. I do hope they change the first line, since all leaders must be 100% trained now. It would be nice to know sooner rather than later what type of goals we'll have to be working towards.

 

This'll affect the Scouter's Key, as you have to be a quality unit two out of the three years.

 

Setting unit goals seemed like it would have worked well, as it could be adjusted for small and large units. If a unit has 60 boys, recruiting 5 more isn't that big of a deal. If a unit has 5 boys, recruiting 5 boys is pretty huge. Well, I guess it's just a waiting game now to see how it all turns out?

[ScoutBox]

Good question here. I'll bring it up at the TAC Commissioner's Course next Month. I do want to know this one.

[Scoutfish]

LOL! Wonder why I said :

"I'd like to think it's because..."

 

Well, I have learned that some things just make no sense unless you are on some National committee or board.

 

So the centennial, which should be based on a 100 year mark, is actually a 5 year span? And the next one will be in about 95 years or so?

 

No wonder so many people ask questions and there are almost never any absolute clear answers.

 

I completely understand why personal interpretation ends up being a rule.(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

[ScoutNut]

No, the "centennial" is not a "5 year span". The BSA NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN is a 5 year span.

 

The current one was from 2006-2010, and because it INCLUDED the Centennial year of 2010, it also included Centennial events, activities, programs, etc.

 

The whole concept of that 5 year Strategic Plan was to take BSA into the next century of Scouting, and revolved around the Centennial.

 

And NO, you do NOT have to be on some National Committee, or board, to know about these things.

 

[nolesrule]

Helping a unit set their QU goals, filling out the paperwork and reviewing them periodically is part of the duties of the unit commissioner. If you've never seen the paperwork, ask your unit commissioner why not. If you've never seen your unit commissioner, ask your district commissioner why not.

 

As for the "Centennial" term, everything that has been involved with the buildup to 2010 has been branded Centennial, not just things happening in 2010, so that includes what ScoutNut was referring to with the strategic plan.

[Eagle92]

I beleive, stressinge the word beleive, the 'Centennial Quality Unit Award" started in 2007 to celebrate the founding of Scouting on Brownsea Island in 1907. If my memory serves, you did have a few scout troops, not many, spring up in the USA prior to BSA's incorporation in 1910, in one case I know of set up by Anglican Missionaries.

 

 

[Twocubdad]

Back in '07 when the program began, I was the point person on it for the district committee, along with the district commissioner.

 

One of the selling points was the "upgraded" patches which would culminate in a really great patch for units which made quality unit all four years.

 

Anyone know if there is something special planned? Have you seen the 2010 patches?

[gcnphkr]

The 2010 patch is just red, white and blue.

 

http://nsa-bsa.org/resources/Centential+Quality+patches++ribbons.JPG