Eagle Scouting

[carnation]

I had never seen an Arrow of Light ceremony until our 3rd son's this year. It was a lot like various honor society initiations I've been through...it was at sunset, and adults dressed as Native Americans came through the woods shaking instruments, then they told an NA story and gave "words of admonition" (I don't know how else to describe them) to the boys. (Unfortunately, one of the "Indians" was the French boy's dad so he was easily identifiable and also hard to understand, lol. We told him later that he must be an Algonquin or some other French-speaking Indian!)

Then the boys had to cross a bridge that had a log in it--the log symbolized obstacles that the boys would have to deal with and conquer someday. At the end of the bridge were older boys who put the new insignia on them. I warned our older sons not to mess with our younger one at this point...i.e., you're in big trouble if you toss him off the bridge or pants him.

But then you look at several aspects of Scouting and they're very similar to Greek life.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by carnation

I had never seen an Arrow of Light ceremony until our 3rd son's this year. It was a lot like various honor society initiations I've been through...it was at sunset, and adults dressed as Native Americans came through the woods shaking instruments, then they told an NA story and gave "words of admonition" (I don't know how else to describe them) to the boys. (Unfortunately, one of the "Indians" was the French boy's dad so he was easily identifiable and also hard to understand, lol. We told him later that he must be an Algonquin or some other French-speaking Indian!)

Then the boys had to cross a bridge that had a log in it--the log symbolized obstacles that the boys would have to deal with and conquer someday. At the end of the bridge were older boys who put the new insignia on them. I warned our older sons not to mess with our younger one at this point...i.e., you're in big trouble if you toss him off the bridge or pants him.

But then you look at several aspects of Scouting and they're very similar to Greek life.

That sounds more like the Order of the Arrow than the Arrow of Light?

[carnation]

I'll ask my husband what he remembers about Order of the Arrow--our oldest was inducted into it at camp several years ago. He got this huge arrow sash.This was 3 5th graders being inducted into the Arrow of Light and they got arrow plaques!

(Big cheer here for all the arrows that the Boy Scouts use! Haha! )

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AOIIalum

Yes, a scout has to choose a service project that fills a need the benefiting organization can't fill. It also has to be performed locally and can't benefit BSA or his troop's chartering organization.

And it can't benefit a for-profit organization/business.

Originally Posted by AGDee

That sounds more like the Order of the Arrow than the Arrow of Light?

Much, much more like OA than any Arrow of Light ceremony I've seen. Interesting.

[AOIIalum]

Originally Posted by carnation

I'll ask my husband what he remembers about Order of the Arrow--our oldest was inducted into it at camp several years ago. He got this huge arrow sash.This was 3 5th graders being inducted into the Arrow of Light and they got arrow plaques!

(Big cheer here for all the arrows that the Boy Scouts use! Haha! )

C, you just notice arrows everywhere, don't you?

Order of the Arrow is very ceremonial, and very secretive from what I understand. I don't know if that's even open to non-members, I'm thinking not but I'm not sure. The Arrow of Light ceremony is open to the entire pack and parents and the one insignia that a boy can wear on his Boy Scout uniform from Cub Scouts. Our son's den was the first to earn Arrows of Light in their pack, we actually started the pack and they came in as Wolves! I'll never forget the 40 or so Tigers, Wolves, Bears, Webelos I's and siblings watching the Order of the Arrow *in silent awe* as they performed the Arrow of Light ceremony for the four boys who earned it.

More trivia: A boy can only earn Arrow of Light as a Cub, he can't go back and get it later.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AOIIalum

Order of the Arrow is very ceremonial, and very secretive from what I understand. I don't know if that's even open to non-members, I'm thinking not but I'm not sure.

It certainly wasn't open to non-members back in the day. I don't think it is now, though it's been a while since I've been to an OA induction ceremony.

The Arrow of Light ceremony is open to the entire pack and parents and the one insignia that a boy can wear on his Boy Scout uniform from Cub Scouts. . . . More trivia: A boy can only earn Arrow of Light as a Cub, he can't go back and get it later.

But wait, there's even more trivia:

Arrow of Light is one of only three awards earned as a Cub or Boy Scout that an adult Scouter can wear (in the form of a knot) on his uniform. The three are:

Arrow of Light:


Eagle:


and a Religious Award (such as God and Country):


Don't know why the religious knot shows up smaller.

(And yes, I have all three on my uniforms.)

[AGDee]

Well, that Arrow of Light ceremony is definitely not like the one that our Pack uses. My son does have his Arrow of Light and his Religious knot. We also started doing an additional award for our high achieving Webelos called the Iron Man. A Webelo who got the Iron Man had accomplished all 20 of the Webelo Achievements even though only 7 are required for the Arrow of Light. My son did that too.

[aopirose]

MysticCat, I love your trivia. When I presented my den with their Religious Award Knots, I forgot to mention that the knot carried over to BS and AS uniforms. The Cubmaster picked up on that and told the audience. It was funny because everyone went either "Oooo" or "Ahhh".

Our recent Arrow of Light ceremony was very nice. After the boys crossed the bridge, the Cubmaster did a candle ceremony where each colored candle represented an attribute. He then painted a stripe on the boys' faces in the color cooridinating with the candle.

[catiebug]

I earned the religious award as a Girl Scout, and when I became a Cub Scout leader, I was allowed to wear the purple/silver knot on my Boy Scout uniform. I have that, plus the leader knots for Tiger, Wolf, Bear and Webelos, as well as the District Award of Merit.

Oh - and Woodbadge. NE-I-233.

I used to be an owl, and a good old owl, too...

[alum]

Originally Posted by carnation

I'll ask my husband what he remembers about Order of the Arrow--our oldest was inducted into it at camp several years ago. He got this huge arrow sash.This was 3 5th graders being inducted into the Arrow of Light and they got arrow plaques!

(Big cheer here for all the arrows that the Boy Scouts use! Haha! )

Carnation, my D agrees with you! Of course, I remind her that the Boy Scout symbol is the fleur-de-lis.

----
If these were 5th graders, they are probably Webelo IIs earning their Arrows of Light.

One cannot earn Order of the Arrow without having a certain number of overnight campouts, having achieved a certain rank, etc. Usually the earliest a Scout can be elected is in 7th grade although there are a couple of movers and shakers who are eligible in 6th.

The OA Ordeal is a bit secretive but BSA has to be somewhat open in light of the scandals that occurred in the past. The OA Candidate gets subsistence-only food for 24 hours and works on a service project with others however there is no talking. The candidate sleeps in a sleeping bag under the stars. My S is going to be an Elongomat this weekend for a neighboring district's ordeal. Elongomats are guides who are assigned to the candidates throughout the Ordeal.

There are 3 ranks within OA. An arrowman can try out for brotherhood after 10 months of active Ordeal time. Vigil takes at least 2 years from the date an arrowman makes brotherhood rank.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by alum

Vigil takes at least 2 years from the date an arrowman makes brotherhood rank.

And if I recall correctly, Vigil cannot be "earned." It's an honor that is bestowed by fellow Arrowmen.

And you're right that, if they're 5th graders, it would be Arrow of Light, not OA. Often, Arrow of Light is awarded at the same ceremony where boys bridge up to Boy Scouts, since a few of the requirements are likely to happen in the months leading up to bridging. Lots of packs look for ways to "liven" it up -- our Cubmaster is looking into having some OA members come next year for our boys. It sounds like carnation's pack went for an OA-inspired Arrow of Light ceremony.

[alum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

And if I recall correctly, Vigil cannot be "earned." It's an honor that is bestowed by fellow Arrowmen.

And you're right that, if they're 5th graders, it would be Arrow of Light, not OA. Often, Arrow of Light is awarded at the same ceremony where boys bridge up to Boy Scouts, since a few of the requirements are likely to happen in the months leading up to bridging. Lots of packs look for ways to "liven" it up -- our Cubmaster is looking into having some OA members come next year for our boys. It sounds like carnation's pack went for an OA-inspired Arrow of Light ceremony.

That is true about Vigil. The arrowman has to do a tremendous amount of work in OA which is still no guarantee that he will be nominated for this honor.

Most OA chapters have a Ceremonies Team. My son's chapter's team did many, many Arrow of Light ceremonies for Web2s in the spring. One Pack had the ceremony during a Blue and Gold Banquet so even the little Tigers could see the ceremony. What was nice about this particular event is that 2 of the OA teammembers were older hsers who were very tall and of course had deep voices and then there was one member who the Cubs could identify with a but as he still looks and sounds like a kid.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by alum

One Pack had the ceremony during a Blue and Gold Banquet so even the little Tigers could see the ceremony.

That's when we do it; it does give the younger Scouts that "that'll be me one day" moment.

And that's cool about the younger Arrow "man".