Ceremonies - Arrow of Light

Broken Arrow Ceremony Props: An arrow, two council fires. Personnel: Akela dressed as Indian chief standing by first council fire. Scout Master standing by second council fire. Akela: Will ________ and his parents please come forward and take their place of honor at the council fire. Tonight ______ has achieved two high honors. He will receive his Arrow of Light award and graduate from Cub Scouting. I hold in my hand an arrow. As you can see, it is straight and true, for only an arrow that is straight and true will hit its mark. In order to fly straight, it must have at least three feathers. These represent the first three ranks of Cub Scouting you have achieved; Bobcat, Wolf, and Bear. With these awards in place, you began to ascend along the shaft of the arrow by earning your Webelos rank until you reached the tip of the arrow, the Arrow of Light award. This is the culmination of all your Cub Scouting efforts. Without a hard, sharp tip, the arrow is not an effective weapon. Since you have achieved this, you will now be a more effective Boy Scout. Please stand. I now present your parents with your award and ask that they present it to you. Please present your mother with the mothers pin and give her a proper salute (for a mother the proper salute is at least a hug). I now present you with this arrow. Since you are graduating from Cub Scouting, you will no longer be a Cub Scout, except in memory. Because this arrow represents the path along which you have come, but not the path which you must go, I will ask you to return the arrow. (Take the arrow and crack it over your knee only enough to crack it but not completely break it in two.) This broken arrow, will now and forever be a reminder of everything that you have achieved in Cub Scouting and that you have graduated with honor. It will no longer fly, just as you will no longer be a Cub Scout. You will always wear the Arrow of Light symbol on your uniform as a reminder of your accomplishments. Keep this broken arrow as a reminder of your Cub Scouting years. I give you one last salute before you leave our council fire to join your new Boy Scout brothers at their council fire. Always be straight and true. At this time the scout is summoned to the second council fire by the Scout Master and welcomed into the troop.