The whaty-what of what?

questionmark_200Drop in on any conversation between commissioners and you’re likely to hear something like this:

So I was at Pack 123’s JSN. The CM was hoping for twenty new members but the CC said they only got fifteen. That’s good, considering the TAY at that school. There were a couple adult apps so the COR took care of them and said he’d hook up with the DE. We just need to make sure their YPT gets done. Their JTE is looking great and we’ve already scheduled a FOS right before their PWD.

Scouting is like almost every other venture in that it has its jargon and abbreviations that are common internally but bewilder outsiders. Continue reading “The whaty-what of what?”

How’s your Journey going?

(See the end of this post for an update.)

As we move into mid-September, it’s time to stop and evaluate how our Journey is going this year.

Of course, I’m referring to the Journey to Excellence, the BSA’s replacement for the Centennial Quality Unit award. Last fall, I wrote about the new evaluation program that stacks units up not against their own commitments but a list of thirteen reference points with measurements for each, similar to the old Quality Unit program, but with a twist: there are three levels of success and two ways to get there. You must score points in 11 of 13 categories, and the number of points you score determines your level — bronze, silver or gold. Continue reading “How’s your Journey going?”