As the highest rank in Cub Scouting, becoming an Arrow of Light is a huge accomplishment for any Cub. In fact, I still have my AOL award that I earned years ago! Once a Cub has reached the age of ten and a half, or six months have passed since finishing the fourth grade, they will have the opportunity to earn this final rank.
While the Arrow of Light is a relatively short badge to earn, I recommend all Cubs only start working on it only after completing their Webelos requirements. An ideal timeline is to complete Webelos rank in fourth grade, and then devote fifth grade to earning the Arrow of Light rank.
PS. This article is a collaboration between Arrow Of Light, Chandler M, and Cole 🙂
There are only four required adventures and one elective adventure for the Arrow of Light. These adventures build off everything your Cub has already completed in their Cub journey! They cover citizenship, faith, outdoor skills, and the core principles of Scouting. Your Cub will also need to complete How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide and Protect Yourself Rules.
In this guide, I’ll be providing by best tips and explanations for completing each adventure and earning your Arrow of Light award! Let’s first review the list of requirements for the Arrow of Light rank, and then we’ll dive into the details of each of these four exciting required adventures!
What Are The Arrow of Light (AOL) Rank Requirements?
- Required Adventures
- Building a Better World
- Duty to God in Action
- Outdoor Adventurer
- Scouting Adventure
- Elective Adventures
- Aquanaut
- Art Explosion
- Aware and Care
- Build It
- Castaway
- Earth Rocks!
- Engineer
- Game Design
- Into the Wild
- Into the Woods
- Sports
- How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide
- Protect Yourself Rules
These 4 required Arrow of Light adventures will test your Cub’s knowledge of everything they’ve learned in Scouting up to this point. However, that’s to be expected, as this is culmination of every Cub Scout’s journey! Of course, they’ll be sure to have plenty of fun along the way too! 😀
Completing the ‘Building a Better World’ Arrow of Light Adventure
Building a Better World is all about your Cub’s role as a citizen. This adventure will teach your Cub what their duties are as a citizen and how to properly handle the U.S. flag. Cubs must complete every requirement in the Building a Better World adventure.
- 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.
Much of these topics are probably already familiar to your Cub, so this shouldn’t be too hard to complete. However, there are a few requirements like 4 and 6 that will push your Cub’s comfort zone, encouraging them to learn about their community and even meet some important figures. Let’s get right into the requirements!
1.1) Explain the history of the United States flag. Show how to properly display the flag in public, and help lead a flag ceremony.
There are multiple parts to this requirement. First, your Cub needs to learn and explain the history of the U.S. flag. This video (13:29) from the National Constitution Center provides a great overview of the flag’s history, helping your Cub learn what’s behind those stars and stripes.
Next, your Cub will need to show how to display a flag in public. They’ve likely seen the proper way to display a flag many times, but may not know why we fly it the way we do. Here’s another helpful video (4:29) by an Eagle Scout on how to properly hang the flag!
Finally, your Cub needs to help lead a flag ceremony. This is something that they’ve participated in while completing their earlier ranks, but probably didn’t help lead. Definitely check out my informative article on how to properly run a flag ceremony if you think your Cub could use a reference!
1.2) Learn about and describe your rights and duties as a citizen, and explain what it means to be loyal to your country.
Knowing your rights and obligations as a citizen is extremely important. Your Cub likely knows some of these, but I’ll provide a list as a refresher. For the rights portion, I’ll be referencing the Bill of Rights, but you can also talk to your Cub about rights that were put into law later on!
- Rights As A Citizen
- First Amendment
- Freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion.
- Second Amendment
- Right to bear arms.
- Third Amendment
- Prevents soldiers from forcing homeowners into letting them stay in their homes.
- Fourth Amendment
- Prevents unreasonable search and seizure.
- Fifth Amendment
- Charges must be started by a grand jury, no person can be tried twice for the same crime, have property taken without being compensated, and have the right to not incriminate oneself.
- Sixth Amendment
- Right to a speedy and public trial.
- Seventh Amendment
- Right to a jury.
- Eight Amendment
- Prevents cruel and unusual punishment.
- Ninth Amendment
- This is an umbrella for any rights not explicitly stated.
- Tenth Amendment.
- The Federal Government only has the rights given to it by the Constitution.
- First Amendment
- Duties As A Citizen
- Pay taxes.
- Vote.
- Be an active member of the community.
- Serve on a jury.
- Obey the law.
The second part of this requirement is to explain what it means to be a loyal citizen. Your Cub can reference the list of duties for this part. Again, they don’t necessarily need to be able to recite these word for word, but they should understand the meaning behind each important point. 🙂
1.3) Discuss in your Webelos den the term “rule of law,” and talk about how it applies to you in your everyday life.
The “rule of law” is an important part of how our government runs and how it treats its citizens. This term refers to “the process that supports the equality of all citizens before the law.” “Rule of law” prevents the government from gaining too much power — even government officials have to follow the law.
This can apply to daily life as all citizens are equal and should be treated as equal in the eyes of the law. Encourage your Cub to think about what that looks like, and what it would look like if we didn’t have the rule of law. They might appreciate some prompting or ideas from you before they discuss this with their den!
1.4) 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.
For this requirement, your Cub must meet with a government or community leader. This will take some planning ahead, but it isn’t as intimidating as it might sound. The leader might be someone who is in local government or the head of a community organization. The could even try to meet with the head of your local Scouting council!
While meeting them, have your Cub ask about issues that affect your community. This might be anything from pollution in a local park to a lack of resources for the hungry. Your Cub doesn’t need to come up with solutions, but they should definitely be learning how to discuss tough problems with an open, curious mind!
1.5) 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.
There are a plethora of activities that your Cub can plan for their den. These don’t need to be extravagant or completely novel ideas, but should definitely be something that the whole den can enjoy! Here are some possible activities that your Cub could plan:
- A Fun Cub Scout Game
- A group hike
- A visit to a historical site
- A canned food collection event
- A park cleanup
There’s a world of possibilities — your Cub just needs to get their plan approved. If they have an idea they’re excited about, encourage them to take the lead and pitch it to their den leader themselves! To be on the safe side, also make sure that your Cub has a backup idea in case their first choice is not approved.
1.6) 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 final requirement for this adventure offers your Cub a choice in what they’d like to do! For this section, I’ll give some brief tips and resources for each option. Whatever they choose, they’ll have a unique learning opportunity, and they may end up discovering some new interests along the way!
1.6.1) 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.
Luckily, there’s already an article on our site about Scouting around the world that can help your Cub complete this requirement! I suggest checking that article out, as it has plenty of detailed information on the international impact of the Scouting movement. Plus you’ll learn how Scouting outings differ from country to country! 😀
1.6.2) Set up an exhibit at a pack meeting to share information about the World Friendship Fund.
The World Friendship Fund is a Scouting organization that provides support to global Scouting efforts. This organization has been around since the mid-1940s and continues to strengthen Scouting’s reach around the world!
In order to set up an exhibit, I recommend looking at the official World Friendship Fund resources on the Scouting website. You’ll find plenty of pamphlets and other documents to inform your Cub’s exhibit. Have them take the most interesting aspects they find from the website and put them together in a creative way!
1.6.3) 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.
For this requirement, your Cub will attend a Jamboree in person, Jamboree on the Air, or Jamboree-on-the-Internet. All of these are great options to meet Scouts from around the world, but may be difficult to attend depending on when and where a Jamboree is happening!
If you can’t attend a Jamboree in person, I recommend visiting the official Jamboree-on-the-internet/on the Air website for information on how to attend remotely. This is a great way to meet global Scouts without the need to travel. 😉
1.6.4) Learn about energy use in your community and in other parts of the world.
This option asks your Cub to explore energy use in your community and abroad, gaining a better understanding of the importance of energy for many purposes in our world. It can also help them make informed decisions on how best to use and save energy.
For information on energy usage in your community, EIA offers an interactive map that allows you to see energy usage in your area. Using this tool, your Cub will be able to search for your hometown and find out where energy is coming from and how it’s being used! In my opinion, this is a straightforward, but super interesting and educational requirement.
1.6.5) Identify one energy problem in your community, and find out what has caused it.
This option provides a great opportunity to have a conversation with your Cub about energy-related issues in your own area, such as high energy costs, brown/blackouts, or lack of clean energy. You likely have a better understanding of local issues than your Cub, so try to point them in the right direction as they research! Now, on to the next adventure…
Completing the ‘Duty to God in Action’ Arrow of Light Adventure
Duty to God in Action is the culmination of every Duty to God adventure to this point. Many of these requirements are rehashes of what you and your Cub have completed before, but with the expectation that they’re gaining a better, more nuanced understanding as they learn and get older.
For this adventure, Cubs must complete requirements 1 and 2, with the option to pick 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.
As with the previous Duty to God adventures, you do not need to be religious to complete these requirements. There are plenty of options based on whatever religious or nonreligious beliefs your Cub and your family hold. Let’s jump right into each requirement!
2.1) 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.
Duty to God can mean different things to different people. In this conversation, you can explain what this idea means to your family, and ask what it means to your Cub. You might find out something new about their perspective on the world!
Have your Cub explain how they do their duty based on your family’s beliefs. This will be easier if they have regular religious routines, but even if not, they can talk about how their beliefs shape their actions in day-to-day life. Duty to God can even mean simply doing their best or spreading kindness to others!🙂
2.2) 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.
For this requirement, your Cub will be tasked with participating in a service project. This could be as straightforward as doing something for your family, or as intricate as volunteering in your community. Once they complete the service project, have them explain to you what they did and how it relates to the previous requirement.
2.3) Earn the religious emblem of your faith that is appropriate for your age, if you have not done so already.
You’re likely familiar with Scouting’s religious emblems by now. They can differ by faith and age group, so it’s best to reference the official Scouting website for your religious emblem. Your Cub may well have already earned their religious emblem at this point, but if not, doing so is usually simple enough!
2.4) 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.
This requirement will have your Cub making a plan on how they can better do their duty to God. This is another requirement where a family conversation is helpful. Have your Cub talk through some positive ideas with the family, and then keep track of the activities they chose throughout the month.
You might even want to encourage your Cub to choose activities that you can all do together as a family! Things like reading bible verses, writing appreciation notes, spending time walking together, or making a gratitude list are all great ideas. Doing this will help with accountability and build helpful habits, while also creating more time for family bonding!
2.5) Discuss with your family how the Scout Oath and Scout Law relate to your beliefs about duty to God.
This requirement’s answers can differ depending on your faith, so it’s best to go through the Scout Oath and Law as a family and discuss how different elements of each might connect to your beliefs. Here are the Scout Oath and Law for reference (linked are my full articles explaining these important principles and examples):
- Scout Oath
- On my honor, I will do my best
- To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
- To help other people at all times;
- To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
- Scout Law: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
By now, your Cub likely knows these Scouting principles by heart, but this requirement can serve as a good reference for your family as well. Take the time to evaluate your family’s beliefs and identify how they mirror some of the values outlined in the Scout Oath and Law!
2.6) For at least a month, pray or reverently meditate each day as taught by your family or faith community.
This requirement will also depend on your faith. If your family prays, have your Cub pray at a certain time every day and record when they did it. If you don’t pray, your Cub can meditate and reflect on their blessings each day for a month instead! Check out the resource below for a great, kid-friendly gratitude meditation video (5:58):
Congrats on Finishing The First Half of The Arrow of Light Rank!
Well done! You and your Cub are halfway through the required adventures for the Arrow of Light rank!! You’ve helped your Scout tackle big questions about their beliefs and their place in the world. In the next two adventures, you’ll explore the great outdoors and lay the foundation for BSA Scouting! 😀
Once you’re ready to continue on to part 2 of my guide to the Arrow of Light rank, click here!
(Part 2 is in progress, please subscribe to my newsletter for updates)
Also, if you’re interested in getting help with every other Cub Scout rank (along with an explanation of what you’ll learn through each one), make sure to check out my full guide here. PS: The article also links to my best resources for Cub Scouting success!