Arrow of Light
Arrow of Light Core Adventures: http://usscouts.org/usscouts/advance/cubscout/aol-core.asp
Arrow of Light Elective Adventures: http://usscouts.org/usscouts/advance/cubscout/webelos-aol-elective.asp
Youth Protection Requirements
Protect Yourself Rules video
OR Earn the Protect Yourself Rules Preview Adventure for Arrow of Light
Duty to God in Action
Complete Requirements 1 and 2 and at least two others.
Discuss with your parent, guardian, den leader, or other caring adult what it means to do your duty to God. Tell how you do your duty to God in your daily life.
Under the direction of your parent, guardian, or religious or spiritual leader, do an act of service for someone in your family, neighborhood, or community. Talk about your service with your family. Tell your family how it related to doing your duty to God.
Earn the religious emblem of your faith that is appropriate for your age, if you have not done so already.
With your parent, guardian, or religious or spiritual leader, discuss and make a plan to do two things you think will help you better do your duty to God. Do these things for a month.
Discuss with your family how the Scout Oath and Scout Law relate to your beliefs about duty to God.
For at least a month, pray or reverently meditate each day as taught by your family or faith community.
Scouting Adventure
Complete the following Requirements.
Prepare yourself to join a troop by completing at least a-c below:
Repeat from memory the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout motto, and Scout slogan. In your own words, explain their meanings to your den leader, parent, or guardian.
Explain what Scout spirit is. Describe for your den leader, parent, or guardian some ways you have shown Scout spirit by conducting yourself according to the Scout Oath, Scout Law, Scout motto, and Scout slogan.
Give the Scout sign, salute, and handshake. Explain when to use each.
Describe the First Class Scout badge, and tell what each part stands for. Explain the significance of the First Class Scout badge.
Repeat from memory the Pledge of Allegiance. In your own words, explain its meaning
Visit a troop meeting with your parent or guardian and, if possible, with your den members and leaders. After the meeting, do the following:
Describe how the Scouts in the troop provide its leadership.
Describe the four steps of Scout advancement.
Describe ranks in Scouting and how they are earned.
Describe what merit badges are and how they are earned.
Practice the patrol method in your den for one month by doing the following:
Explain the patrol method. Describe the types of patrols that might be part of a troop.
Hold an election to choose the patrol leader.
Develop a patrol name and emblem (if your den does not already have one), as well as a patrol flag and yell. Explain how a patrol name, emblem, flag, and yell create patrol spirit.
As a patrol, make plans to participate in a troop’s campout or other outdoor activity.
With your Webelos den leader, parent, or guardian, participate in a troop’s campout or other outdoor activity. Use the patrol method while on the outing.
Do the following:
Show how to tie a square knot, two half hitches, and a taut-line hitch. Explain how each knot is used.
Show the proper care of a rope by learning how to whip and fuse the ends of different kinds of rope.
Demonstrate your knowledge of the pocketknife safety rules and the pocketknife pledge. If you have not already done so, earn your Whittling Chip card.
Outdoor Adventurer
Complete Option A or Option B.
Option A
With the help of your den leader or family, plan and participate in a campout.
On arrival at the campout, with your den and den leader or family, determine where to set up your tent. Demonstrate knowledge of what makes a good tent site and what makes a bad one. Set up your tent without help from an adult.
Once your tents are set up, discuss with your den and den leader or family what actions you should take in the case of the following extreme weather events:
Severe rainstorm causing flooding
Severe thunderstorm with lightning or tornadoes
Fire, earthquake, or other disaster that will require evacuation. Discuss what you have done to minimize as much danger as possible.
Show how to tie a bowline. Explain when this knot should be used and why. Teach it to another Scout who is not a Webelos Scout.
Recite the Outdoor Code and the Leave No Trace Principles for Kids from memory. Talk about how you can demonstrate them while you are working on your Arrow of Light. After one outing, list the things you did to follow the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace.
Option B
With the help of your den leader or family, plan and participate in an outdoor activity.
Discuss with your den or family what actions you should take in the case of the following extreme weather events:
Severe rainstorm causing flooding
Severe thunderstorm with lightning or tornadoes
Fire, earthquake, or other disaster that will require evacuation. Discuss what you have done to minimize as much danger as possible.
Show how to tie a bowline. Explain when this knot should be used and why. Teach it to another Scout who is not a Webelos Scout.
Recite the Outdoor Code and the Leave No Trace Principles for Kids from memory. Talk about how you can demonstrate them while you are working on your Arrow of Light. After one outing, list the things you did to follow the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace.
Building a Better World
Complete the following requirements.
Explain the history of the United States flag. Show how to properly display the flag in public, and help lead a flag ceremony.
Learn about and describe your rights and duties as a citizen, and explain what it means to be loyal to your country.
Discuss in your Webelos den the term “rule of law,” and talk about how it applies to you in your everyday life.
Meet with a government or community leader, and learn about his or her role in your community. Discuss with the leader an important issue facing your community.
Show that you are an active leader by planning an activity for your den without your den leader’s help. Ask your den leader for approval first.
Do at least one of these:
Learn about Scouting in another part of the world. With the help of your parent, guardian, or den leader, pick one country where Scouting exists, and research its Scouting program.
Set up an exhibit at a pack meeting to share information about the World Friendship Fund.
Under the supervision of your parent, guardian, or den leader, connect with a Scout in another country during an event such as Jamboree on the Air or Jamboree-on-the-Internet or by other means
Learn about energy use in your community and in other parts of the world.
Identify one energy problem in your community, and find out what has caused it.
The following adventures are optional electives. Only one elective is required to earn the Arrow of Light Rank. More elective options can be found using the links at the top of this page.
Elective Adventure: Earth Rocks!
Complete the following requirements.
Do the following:
Explain the meaning of the word “geology.”
Explain why this kind of science is an important part of your world.
Look for different kinds of rocks or minerals while on a rock hunt with your family or your den.
Do the following:
Identify the rocks you see on your rock hunt. Use the information in your handbook to determine which types of rocks you have collected.
With a magnifying glass, take a closer look at your collection. Determine any differences between your specimens.
Share what you see with your family or den.
Do the following:
With your family or den, make a mineral test kit, and test minerals according to the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
Record the results in your handbook.
Identify on a map of your state some geological features in your area.
Do the following:
Identify some of the geological building materials used in building your home.
Identify some of the geological materials used around your community
Elective Adventure: Sports
Complete the following requirements.
Show the signals used by officials in one of these sports: football, basketball, baseball, soccer, or hockey.
Participate in two sports, either as an individual or part of a team.
Complete the following requirements:
Explain what good sportsmanship means.
Role-play a situation that demonstrates good sportsmanship.
Give an example of a time when you experienced or saw someone showing good sportsmanship.
Elective Adventure: Into the Wild
Complete at least six of the following requirements.
Collect and care for an “insect, amphibian, or reptile zoo.” You might have crickets, ants, grasshoppers, a lizard, or a toad (but be careful not to collect or move endangered species protected by federal or state law). Study them for a while and then let them go. Share your experience with your Webelos den.
Set up an aquarium or terrarium. Keep it for at least a month. Share your experience with your Webelos den by showing them photos or drawings of your project or by having them visit to see your project.
Watch for birds in your yard, neighborhood, or area for one week. Identify the birds you see, and write down where and when you saw them.
Learn about the bird flyways closest to your home. Find out which birds use these flyways.
Watch at least four wild creatures (reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, fish, insects, or mammals) in the wild. Describe the kind of place (forest, field, marsh, yard, or park) where you saw them. Tell what they were doing.
Identify an insect, reptile, bird, or other wild animal that is found only in your area of the country. Tell why it survives in your area.
Give examples of at least two of the following:
A producer, a consumer, and a decomposer in the food chain of an ecosystem
One way humans have changed the balance of nature
How you can help protect the balance of nature
Learn about aquatic ecosystems and wetlands in your area. Talk with your Webelos den leader or family about the important role aquatic ecosystems and wetlands play in supporting life cycles of wildlife and humans, and list three ways you can help.
Do ONE of the following:
Visit a museum of natural history, a nature center, or a zoo with your family, Webelos den, or pack. Tell what you saw.
Create a video of a wild creature doing something interesting, and share it with your family and den.
Elective Adventure: Into the Woods
Complete Requirements 1-4 and one other.
Identify two different groups of trees and the parts of a tree.
Identify four trees common to the area where you live. Tell whether they are native to your area. Tell how both wildlife and humans use them.
Identify four plants common to the area where you live. Tell which animals use them and for what purpose.
Develop a plan to care for and then plant at least one plant or tree, either indoors in a pot or outdoors. Tell how this plant or tree helps the environment in which it is planted and what the plant or tree will be used for.
Make a list of items in your home that are made from wood and share it with your den. Or with your den, take a walk and identify useful things made from wood.
Explain how the growth rings of a tree trunk tell its life story. Describe different types of tree bark and explain what the bark does for the tree.
Visit a nature center, nursery, tree farm, or park, and speak with someone knowledgeable about trees and plants that are native to your area. Explain how plants and trees are important to our ecosystem and how they improve our environment.