jmenand Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Hi, I searched in vain for an answer to this question: What is the significance of the colors in the Arrow of Light knot? Almost every other knot shares it's colors with it's associated medal/award. But the youth patch for the AoL is gold in the middle with a blue border, so why is the knot red and green? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendrickms24 Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 JMenand, This is a guess on my part but I bet its the same colors as the Webelos Colors used to hold the activity badges and/ or its the colors on the Webelos Neckerchief. Mark Maranto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTDScouter Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 I would agree with Mark's assessment above and add that there are at least two other knots for Cub Scout leaders that use the blue/gold foreground and background option. Perhaps these colors were chosen to more closely identify with the Webelo's coloration, and to make it stand apart from the Cub Scout leader knots. MTDS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmenand Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 Thank you both for your input, this seems very reasonable (especially the part about contrasting with the other adult cub leader knots). Assuming that this is correct, I suppose my next question would be what the meaning of the red and green with webelos "stands for?" Maybe my old Webelos handbook holds the answer...(This message has been edited by jmenand) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cubmaster Randy Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 The three colors of the Webelos stand for yellow/gold (cubs), red (Boy Scouts) and green (old exploring, probably means venturing now). I read in a ceremony once that blue and gold symbolized the past and the red and green were the future. Not sure if that is for real or someone made that up or how it relates to the color selection. Blue and Gold is sgnificant in many of the cub leader awards, not sure which award was made up first, so maybe they had to use colors not already used Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emb021 Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 "The three colors of the Webelos stand for yellow/gold (cubs), red (Boy Scouts) and green (old exploring, probably means venturing now)" Actually, that's not quite right, but I don't blame you for getting it wrong. For decades world-wide, the following colors have signified the different program divisions established by B-P: Gold- Cubs Green- Boy Scouts Red- Senior Scouts/Rovers These colors were used in the BSA. You could see the use of these colors in the choice of the wool garter tabs and in the service star color background. (Senior Scouts/Rovers was replaced by Explorer Scouts, forerunners of Explorers). When the red wool jac-shirt came out, it was originally ONLY for Explorers and their leaders. Boy Scouts got a green jacket. The use of the red jac-shirt for everyone came later. Nowadays most think of red= boy scouts and green= Venturing, due to the colors picked for the shoulder loops. (which confuses people when they look at the service stars). On the new W.D. Boyce unit organizer knot, you will see the background has gold, green, and red, to represent Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing respectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cubmaster Randy Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 thanks emb021, All these different colors can get confusing at times, can't they. I wear my green backing for the service star and I should have known. I still have my green garters for the old socks. I just got confused as I had double checked my answer with a website that had said the colors were switched in the 80's. So I switched the colors again so I got it wrong .....lol....Like my teacher used to say in school. Go with your first answer on a test. I tend to overthink my answers. http://www.loosahatchie.com/Loose3.htm Has the orignal question been answered? or is it still a mystery? I have seen the new Boyce award.. Looks nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendrickms24 Posted May 3, 2006 Share Posted May 3, 2006 I found this on the Ulttimate Boy Scoutof America History site. Pretty neat site. Mark M. Webelos Colors The Webelos colors were introduced with the "new" Webelos program in 1967. This program offered metal pins referred to as Activity Badges for meeting requirements. But whre to put the badges on the uniform that would not detract from other awards and clutter the uniform? The answer came from Baden-Powell's very first Scout campout at Brownsea Island in England. On August 1, 1907, each boy was provided with a shoulder knot, a long streamer of colored tape. The color of the tape designated the patrol that the boy belonged to. It is comprised of woven red, gold and a green streamer on a metal bar. The metal bar has a blue backing wiht gold border and letering spelling out Webelos. It is thought that the colors represented the various levels of Scouting; gold for Cub Scouts, green for Boy Scouts, and Red for Explorers. The "assigned" colors changed in 1980 with the Boy Scouts and Explorer colors reversing as new unifroms were introduced. Originally, there were only 15 activity pins and no more than five pins were to placed on each streamer. The cloth den numeral was removed and a metal numeral with a rounded top was centered on the yellow (gold) streamer. The numerals were not to be used until the Pack had more than one Webelos den. It is now an optional uniform item. It probably lost popularity due to it being in a place where it could easily be knocked off the unifrom during horseplay. The colors became known as having "weak" attaching pins. If the colors and badges were lost, the cost of replacement was very expensive. Also, the wearing of pins on cowboy hats and ball caps has become popular. The placement of pins on the Webelos cap reflects this trend. It is worn on the right sleeve and in 1967 was placed below the shoulder seam. As the flag was added to the uniform ,it was worn immediately below and touching the U.S. Flag. The top was squared off to fit better under the flag. Today, if a den number is worn, it is placed under and touching the den number. The national office was going to eliminate the Webelos Colors in the late 80's, however, an outcry from the field brought them back. Although, in today's Webelos books it is difficult to find pictures or references to the colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr56 Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 Good information, thanks for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJCubScouter Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 Just a note, all of the posts above the last one are from more than 10 years ago. Before today this thread was "active" for 4 days in April and May of 2006. Not that there's anything wrong with responding, at least not in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr56 Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 oops......you are correct..........my bad........shows how computer illiterate I am Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJCubScouter Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 No problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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