Arrow of Light Award Requirements

The Arrow of Light Award is the highest rank in Cub Scouting. A Webelos Scout should set his sights on it early. It's tougher to earn than the Webelos badge, but he can do it! The Cub Scout will have to earn the Webelos badge and at least eight activity badges, including Citizen, Readyman, and Fitness. The total must include one from each of the five activity groups.

By the time he has earned the Arrow of Light Award, he will have learned many things about a lot of subjects - and a lot about Boy Scouting. He will be ready to join a Boy Scout troop!

1. Be active in your Webelos den for at least six months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge.
2. Show your knowledge of the requirements to become a Boy Scout by doing all of these:
• Repeat from memory and explain in your own words the Scout Oath or Promise and the 12 points of the Scout Law. Tell how you have practiced them in your everyday life.
• Give and explain the Scout motto, slogan, sign, salute, and handclasp.
• Understand the significance of the Scout badge. Know its parts and tell what each stands for.
• Tell how a Boy Scout uniform is different from a Webelos Scout uniform.
• Tie the joining knot (square knot)
3. Earn five more activity badges in addition to the three you already earned for the Webelos badge. The total of eight activity badges must include:
• Fitness (already earned for the Webelos badge)
• Citizen
• Readyman
• At least one from the Outdoor Group
• At least one from the Mental Skills Group
• At least one from the Technology Group
• Two more of your choice.
4. With your Webelos den, visit at least
• one Boy Scout troop meeting,
• and one Boy Scout-oriented outdoor activity.
5. Participate in a Webelos overnight campout or day hike.
6. After you have completed all five of the above requirements, and after a talk with your Webelos den leader, arrange to visit, with your parent or guardian, a meeting of a Boy Scout troop you think you might like to join. Have a conference with the Scoutmaster. Complete and turn in a "Join Boy Scouting" application to the Scoutmaster during the conference.

The following is NOT part of the Official BSA Requirements.
It is our interpretation of the last requirement above.

The last sentence of Requirement 6 does NOT say "Join a Boy Scout Troop", it says "complete and turn in" an application.  Since (1) the Arrow of Light can not be earned after a boy has transferred into a Boy Scout Troop, (2) the troop where the boy has his conference is not necessarily the one he ultimately may join, and (3) there may be an extended period between the time he has the conference and the time he actually joins a Boy Scout Troop (if he does join one), since he may want to stay in the Pack to earn more Activity Badges or transition with the other members of his den, we recommend the following procedure be followed:

1. Do EXACTLY what the last sentence of requirement 6 says:
   "Complete and turn in a "Join Boy Scouting" application to the Scoutmaster during the conference."
Then do the following:
2. Have the Scoutmaster sign the application during the conference, as proof that the conference took place.
3. At the end of the conference, take the application back, bring it to the next Webelos den meeting, show it to the Webelos den leader, as proof that the requirement  was done, and ask the leader to initial requirement 6 in his book.
4. Once the boy has completed the other requirements, and received his  Arrow of Light, and when he is ready to transfer to a Troop, turn in the application to the troop of the family's choice, pay any fees for   transferring or joining, and ask that the form be processed.  If it is a different troop, just use a new application form.