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Who is responsible for the Arrow of Light award?


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I was just wondering if there is any guidance anywhere that states who is responsible for buying and putting together the Arrow of Light award for webelos when they've earned it? Up til now it has always been our cubmaster who has handled this, but now it has fallen to our webelos den leader. Just would like to know if there is anything out there that states specifically who's responsibility it is. Haven't been able to locate anything yet.

 

Thanks!

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I doubt you will find it , short of it being a unit rule. It can be committee, CC, CM, DL or any group or special AOL awards chair.

 

In our pack, it is usually handles by the DL of that den and any ADL's and parents who want to help.

 

I seriously doubt that BSA has, or could enforce a rule stating who is responcible....beyong the CM being responcible overall for making sure it gets done as part of the program...but it won't say the CM has to be the one to buy it or be responcible for placing an order or making it.

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Beyond the patch and the card, there's not really an official award.

 

Many, many packs and troops have traditions of presenting each AoL recipient with an arrow mounted on a plaque or piece of wood. But that is entirely optional.

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I suspect the original poster is referring to a "career arrow" or other such decorated token that commemorates a scout's time in cub scouts.

 

As to who is responsible for the arrow of light award, it is "just" a cloth patch award that needs an advancement report, so it should be handled by your advancement coordinator, or whoever normally is responsible for procuring other rank badges like Bear, Wolf, etc.

 

As to any special token, each pack does its own thing.

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As pointed out the AOL is merely a patch and Card purchased from the scout shop. Soooo I would say the advancement chair.

 

If you are the webelos den leader and don't want to do anything special for your scouts then don't, you are under obligation to provide more than the card and patch.

 

Looking for an out.....Pretty simple gather the affected parents in a room with out their boys and say if you want this for your boys then some one needs to step up and make it happen.

 

I am CM and take great pride in the career arrows I make. Each one is custom following the scouts career down to the number of campouts they attend. It takes a number of hours per scout to accomplish the task. I have already begun making this years batch......12 from the way it looks. I hand split and sand the turkey feathers, mount them with sinew and mount the arrow head with sinew. Then use cross stitch thread to create the bands.

 

As pointed out, these are very pack specific.....I have known most of these boys since they have been tigers. I am delighted to be able to give them a token of their scouting career.

 

In past years I have had young men break them in half right after the ceremony. mad parents about perceived mistakes in the awards...

 

 

We treat this as a Career arrow....every boy aging out of the Pack or receiving their AOL gets one.

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Ok SMART ALECK ALERT. ;)

 

The AOL is either a cloth badge, or a metal pin (just like the BS rank pins that are available).

 

Arrow of Light Award, cloth, blue on khaki, No. 00044,

 

Arrow of Light Award, metal pin, No. 00463

 

There are also both pocket certificates and full size ones.

 

Additionally the Mom's pin, now called a parent's pin, can also be used as a lapel pin for non-uniform wear.

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It might worth mentioning that the AOL award is the only Cub rank award that a boy wears on all his Scout Uniforms the rest of his life, even as an adult. So that is why it does have some prestige or honor over the other cub awards.

 

That being said, I think Den leaders are very busy people and do the best that they can. I agree that if the DL just wants to present the AOL the same as the other awards, that is fine because there is honor in that. If the DL wants a more prestigious ceremony but doesnt know how, then they can go out and ask for help from folks like us who are just looking for an excuse to have some fun.

 

While I was the Webelos Den leader, I presented all the awards and pins to the Scouts at the following Den meeting they were earned. I like that instant recognition thing. All the parents learned to show up 10 minutes before the end of every den meeting to watch and honor the scouts who received their awards. Then I gave the award cards and mothers pins to the CM to be presented at the Pack meeting so the rest of the pack could honor and witness what the scouts had accomplished. As for the AOL cermony, after all the scouts had earned the AOL, I performed a special presentation at the pack meeting where the scouts recieved an arrow or gift.

 

Barry

 

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I have only one argument in favor of just awarding the patch:

 

It will remind the boy that it goes on a uniform.

The only point of having a uniform is to be in a unit.

No unit, no uniform, no one to see the patch.

So, the best way to get the most recognition for your AOL: join a troop.

 

That said, I love cub leaders' enthusiasm for regaling their boys and parents with all kinds of stuff. It's really cute, and exactly why I'm not cut out for cubs!

 

Keep up the good work!

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In my Pack, the responsibility to plan the AoL awards falls to the Webelos Den Leader with the assistance of the Cubmaster. In our Pack, the cost to obtain any extra AoL supplies typically falls to the Webelos Den families since the costs can vary greatly. The Den families make the final decision on how much recognition "stuff" they want their boys to have.

 

As Cubmaster, I will assist the DL to obtain supplies and resources if needed. I will also assist the DL to help ensure they have an impressive AoL ceremony. For an impressive ceremony, our District has a very active Order of the Arrow chapter and they will come and give a nice Arrow of Light ceremony.

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I observed while I was a CM (before I was a WDL) that the majority of the Webelos typically finished all the AOL requirements within 12 months. But since most packs traditionally present the AOL at B&G, scouts had to wait several months for the AOL presentation and never got to wear the patch. So when I became a WDL, we decided to present the patch as soon as each scout completed the requirements, thus allowing them to wear their AOL patch while they were still in the pack. I saw later that it also motivated the other scouts to hurry up and finish their requirements as well.

 

Barry

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