Recognizing Quality
The BSA's Quality Unit Awards are the latest in a series of ways that the BSA tries to recognize units and individuals within those units that have strong, quality programs. Here's a brief sampler of the history of the unit award:
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The emblem at the top is a blank Patrol medallion used between the 50s and early 70s.
The National Presidents' Honor Unit Awards were used between 1974 and 1977. These unit awards were the first BSA attempt to standarize each unit's program. Units who meet adult and youth leadership, outdoor activities, BOYS' LIFE, service projects, program and membership goals pre-set with their Commissioner receive the flag streamer and an emblem. These items became PERMANENT parts of the field uniform and were worn below the Patrol medallion as shown here.
The problem with this first program was real apparent after the first year of the program. Did new Honor Units get the first patch (the blue patch without any stars) or did they receive the one with one star?? Did other units get to wear both the blank patch and the one with the single star, or do they just wear the one with the single star?? With very little guidance, this program became very hard to manage and in 1976 the National Office threw their hands up and told local Councils to "run it in the best way they chose to do so". Many local Councils started by then to develop their own unit recognition program based on these criteria and local Council programming criteria.
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Shown here is a blank Patrol medallion used between 1974 and 1989. The full-color patrol medallions were a part of the "improved and revised" Scouting uniforms introduced during this period.
Below that, is a Baden-Powell Patrol Star. This is a unit program and the star is awarded to Patrol members who meet activity, patrol membership, outdoor and leadership requirements for a three-month period. A Patrol can earn up to nine Baden-Powell "stars". The specific requirements for the award are located within the current Scoutmasters' Handbook as well as within the Troop Leadership Guidebook as well as electronically.
The BSA National Honor Unit Award was a standard set of required and optional program goals. These program goals -- in leadership training, membership, camping or summertime activities, service, planning, and development of a long-term plan -- are established by the unit leader and his/her Commissioner. Units who obtain 70 percent or better of their goals receive a certificate from the National office, a flag streamer, and patches to be worn below the Patrol medallion (or below the National Presidents' Honor Unit Award(s)) previously earned) as a PERMANENT award.
These awards were very popular with Scouters and units, but did not go far to measure the quality of the program, just that the unit "met the minimum". The BSA revised these awards when they introduced the Quality Unit Award. Also, units loved these awards because in many local Councils, the Council paid for the patches for each registered member that earned the award, therefore the unit did not have to pay for the patches. This too, was to change with the Quality Unit Awards.
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With the overhaul of the BSA's program, the Quality Unit Program was introduced in 1986. The Quality Unit program is a BSA consolidated effort....to recognize units and for the first time publically, Districts, Councils and Regions...that have met the narrow requirements established on a charter year basis.
The eight categories for the unit-level award -- six of which would quality a unit for this award -- are membership, adult leadership and training, camping/outdoor activities, youth advancement, committee meetings, service projects, BOYS' LIFE, and assistant or youth leadership -- have requirements depending on the type of unit (Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troop, Varsity Scout Team, Explorer Post or Ship, Career Awareness Exploring unit) and those requirements change every two years to reflect current programming.
Units who meet -- or surpassed -- their unit goals receive a special flag streamer and receives PERMISSION to purchase plaques, pins and these emblems to be worn below the Patrol medallion (or below either of the other unit awards) as a PERMANENT award.
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In 1990, the BSA revised the Quality Unit program to only allow that the LAST QUALITY UNIT AWARD earned to be worn. This eliminated shirt sleeves that looked like Christmas trees as members or leaders would wear all of the Honor/Quality Unit emblems that their unit has earned since "the start of time".
Also, for the first time, members of Quality Councils or Districts can wear the special Quality District (shown here for several years) or Quality Council (not shown here because I do not have one to scan...if you have one, please send it my way!) emblems IN THE PLACE OF but not IN ADDITION TO the Quality Unit emblem. In other words, starting in 1990, only one Quality Unit Award can be earned.
These awards are the indicators of a quality program and should be earned by units, districts and councils that have acheived a level of quality programming during a past year. By correctly wearing these emblems, other members and units can visually see this special achievement status by "the best of our best" units -- and now their Districts and Councils to which they belong to.
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