Centennial Quality Awards Program

Beginning in 2007 and continuing through 2010, the Centennial Quality Awards program, named in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, will replace the traditional Quality Awards program for units, districts, and councils.

By focusing on unit leaders working closely with commissioners to set specific goals and then monitoring progress toward them, the new award is designed to have a greater impact on improving the quality of the program in every pack, troop, team, and crew in the BSA.

"The revised award program enables us to salute those who truly deliver exceptional programs to youth members at all levels of the organization," said Keith Christopher, director of Leadership Support Service in the BSA Program Group. "By earning this award, a unit, district, or council makes a statement that they have provided the highest quality program experience possible."

As the first step in achieving the Centennial Quality Award, every unit, district, and council will establish annual goals in key areas of program delivery.

For packs, troops, teams, and crews, the process for 2007 begins late this year or early in 2007 when unit leadership meets with an assigned unit commissioner or a district-level volunteer in consultation with the district executive to complete a commitment form. (The form must be submitted and approved no later than January 15, 2007.)

On the commitment form, unit leaders agree to goals that will indicate sufficient progress in areas such as:

• percentage of leaders completing Fast Start and Basic Leader Training
• number of new youth members and active parents recruited and percentage of youth members retained from the previous year
• unit rechartering on time
• percentage of youth advancing in rank and having an outdoor experience or monthly activity
• conducting a program planning session and carrying out adequate money-earning activities to support that program.

During the year, the unit leader and committee chairman will get together with the unit commissioner for an action planning meeting to evaluate progress toward the commitment form goals.

Using a unit self-assessment process, they will review successes as well as areas needing improvement and determine how the remaining goals can be accomplished and if additional goals need to be added in other areas.

After Oct. 31, 2007, the unit leader, committee chairmen, and unit commissioner can review the total progress made toward each goal and determine if the unit qualifies for Centennial Quality status.

For each year of the award, a recognition patch is available in a different color: 2007, red; 2008, white; 2009, blue; and 2010, red, white, and blue.

Individual members of qualifying Centennial Quality Units wear the appropriate patch in position three on the right sleeve of their uniform (for packs and troops, below the den or patrol emblem).

Unit awards for packs, troops, teams, and crews include a unit ribbon, lapel pins for leaders, and a plaque for each year qualifying.

More information is available at the council service center or at http://www.scouting.org/awards/centennial.