Arrow of Light awards

[Sarge]

I have a question that came up while discussing our

upcoming 'crossing over' ceremony.

 

If the boys are given a ceremonial arrow decorated with their scout

career achievements, is there a "proper" sequence to put them in?

 

By that, I mean is there an etiquette to where the Tiger stripe goes.

Floating around on the net, I have found pictures of awards where the

orange stripe is closer to the fletchings and progressing forward to

W2 at the arrow head.

 

Others (more common), show the award with the orange closer to the

arrow head and the W2 achievements ending at the feathers.

To me, that seems backwards...

 

For me, AOL awards are 3+ years away. This question is just a result

of casual conversation.

Curious to hear how others have done/are doing theirs and if there is

a 'protocol'.

[Eagle92]

Never heard of any protocols. now I have seen some plaques with full CS diamond and AOL ( Bc, W, Be, and diamond W) in the proper formation.

[Basementdweller]

I have seen fantastic ceremony, dinners and awards for the AOL.

I have seen the here is your award AOL presentation.

 

IMHO my an authentic arrow, unadorned, Flint, real feathers.

 

There is no protocol for doing it, there is no more official award beyond the card, patch, and knot. follow your own tastes.

 

 

Just another question.

 

Are we making the AOL a bigger deal than it actually is?

 

It is easy to earn, A couple of weeblo weekend events and a trip to summer camp will more the easily fulfill the activity pin requirements. Then it is just the troop visit and the tenderfoot requirements. Easy in my book. It is the highest award in Cubs, not diminishing that, just musing.

 

Seen to many boys who put zero effort into it, earn it.

 

 

[Buffalo Skipper]

I've been so busy at work and and prepping for my son's B&G that I had overlooked this thread. Here is an excerpt from the ceremony we are using. It lists the meaning of the colors--I presume them to be in order. His den put them in this order....

 

Blue stands for the Bobcat rank

 

Orange stands for participation as a Tiger Cub

 

White represents the Cub Scout Motto, Promise and the Law of the Pack

 

Grey stands for the Wolf rank

 

Gold & Silver stripes represent arrow points earned as Wolf scouts

 

Brown stands for the Bear rank

 

Gold & Silver stripes represent arrow points earned as Bear scouts

 

Red/Yellow/Green/Blue stands for the Webelos rank

 

Yellow stands for the Arrow of Light Award

 

Red represents the crossover to Boy Scouts

 

I hope that helps....

[Sarge]

Skipper,

That's a different set of color combinations then I have seen in my research, but completely understandable.

The point of my thread originally was to gather which direction the color sequence 'flows'.

 

Does Bobcat start near the feathers and progress left to right with the AOL marking and crossover to BS ending near the arrow head?

Or is the Bobcat near the arrow head and the BS stripe ending near the feathers?

 

I have seen the 'kits' advertised on line with stripes flowing both directions. Just wondering if there is an overall concensus on which makes more sense.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Sarge,

I understand your dilemma. To me, logically, the front of the arrow should be the first award earned (though not all expressed is an award), and it should progress sequentially as you go back. But that is my logic, not necessarily someone elses. As a computer programmer, I have come to realize that all logic is relative to the programmerm, the language, or sometimes even the context in which it is presented.

 

Hope that didn't get you thinking backwards about this. Scouting is always about moving forward. (And I have learned that most non-programming Scouters are still learning how to think logically) (This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

[rjscout]

True, the logic can go either way. The arrowpoint is the front of the arrow, so the Bobcat should go first. But we use the Arrow Point as somewhat of a symbol for Webelos(the other ranks have the pawprint), so moving toward the arrowpoint with rank also makes sense. It really depends on how you want it to go. I have not heard a a standard direction.

[SSScout]

In my last year as a CM, I had 3 webs cross over, and about another 6 Cubs graduate, but not join Scouts ('nother thread). At the final Pack meeting (a picnic), I presented each boy with a Scout ooin and shook their hand and wished them well. Then, the AoL Cubs got their awards and a plaque I and the Web DL had made. It was a 6" 'cookie' from a cherry tree I had to cut down, wood burned with their name and date and Pack #, and a large AoL patch glued on, and a fletch end of an arrow stuck in at a acute angle. Then, the 'Bridging' Cubs were accosted by the District OA team, who led them to their Scout Troops across the bridge, all with appropriate who-hah.

 

 

[Buffalo Skipper]

We crossed our Webelos2s last night. Big show, lots of fun, good food. The boys received arrows (see above post). All the boys crossed to the same troop, and the SPL and PLs greeted each boy as they crossed, stripped their Webelos neckerchief and tabs and replaced with the new Boy Scout green.

 

My son crossed, and my wife is relieved that she is done with Cub Scouts. I on the other hand still have another year (I am the Webelos 1 den leader (Go Dragons!), but I will likely stay around on the committee for some time as this was my pack as a youth.

 

My son is excited about the transition to Boy Scouts, as are all of his former Cobra Den members!

[Eagle92]

I also prefer the flint arrowheads and real feather fletching. Instead of the fletching that come with the kit, I use hand painted imitation Golden Eagle feathers,the black and white eagle feathers, for the fletching.