Is improving your unit the way you roll?

In bowling, you get instant feedback. Roll the ball, watch the pins, and look at the screen.

What if tracking the hits and misses in your Scouting unit were that easy?

Turns out it is.

With the Journey to Excellence program, your pack, troop, team, crew, ship, or post simply uses the appropriate scorecard to track 10 to 13 objectives — areas like advancement, retention, budget, service projects, and camping.

Then — voila! — you know instantly if your unit qualifies for a Bronze, Silver, or Gold award. And if not, you know where you can improve to stay out of the “gutter.”

JTE perfects on and replaces the old Quality Unit awards, and with the 2013 scorecards now online, the timing’s right to make sure your unit is aimed at success. Here’s what you need to know:

Seven ways Journey to Excellence helps your unit

  1. Offers a framework for planning the year.
  2. Helps you evaluate your unit.
  3. Points to areas where your unit can do better.
  4. Provides specific guidelines and standards for what Scouting success looks like.
  5. Warns you of potential problems before they hinder your unit.
  6. Recognizes good packs, troops, teams, crews, ships, or posts.
  7. Establishes benchmarks for you to get tips and ideas from other units.

Which award year applies to my unit?

Consult this calendar that’s based on your unit’s recharter month:

Where do I find JTE scoresheets?

Find 2011, 2012, and 2013 scorecards at the official BSA Journey to Excellence hub.

What “stuff” can we earn?

Show off your success with Journey to Excellence patch emblems and flag ribbons — available at ScoutStuff.org, of course!

More questions?

First consult this list of 51 frequently asked questions for the unit-level JTE awards (link opens PDF).

What do you think?

Has your unit earned a JTE award? What did you think of the experience. Share your thoughts in the comments section.


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.