Arrow of Light

Jacob had his final pack meeting as a cub scout this month. He has graduated from Webelo to 11-yr old scouts. After 3 years as a cub scout mom, I think I finally understand the program and will be able to help Mason more efficiently.

We had fun with Jacob's webelo year. He had really, REALLY great leaders who were always willing to help and listen and did lots of great activities. This summer Jacob and I looked through the book and saw he had done a lot but we had enough time if he wanted to that we could set a goal to earn all 21 badges. I had to keep asking him through the summer "do you want this goal?" because sometimes it seemed like I was more interested in the activities than he was. I didn't want this to be my goal. I wanted him to want it. He would affirm that he did want to reach his goal and would try harder. It was kind of like "feast or famine". I would find a day that was free from responsibility and we would spend the major part of the day working on requirements. I think that made it a little harder on him since it wasn't spread out more but that worked for me and lets' face it.... What works for mom is what works for mom......

Some of my favorite badges to work on with him were scientist, craftsman and athlete and showman. He got aquanot while on vacation with my brother's family in July and when my Dad took him boating in june. I felt a little pushy sending the requirements to my brother and saying....

"if you're near a pool, he needs to do this, this and this" but they got them done. He was able to complete most of his artist in school with a great art program he had at Cherry Hills Elem. in 5th grade.

Besides earning all 21 badges he also set a goal to earn the special 100 year anniversary patch and ribbons and his arrow of light. Some good friends of ours who have been big scouters for years were willing to come do an Arrow of light ceremony at his last pack meeting. They have a fake fire and these indian costumes and this big indian head with light-up feathers that they use to tell a story. It was fun and we appreciated their willingness to give of their time and knowledge.

Some of their props for the ceremony

They invited all the children in the room to come sit around the "campfire" to listen to the story.

Jacob crossing the bridge from cub scouts to boys scouts

and posing with "Akelah" and "Kind eyes" a.k.a. John and Tonya..

He worked on his craftsman projects with a good friend from another ward and his dad since Mark and I do not have a lot of tools. I found the idea for the webelo keepsake online and I think it's a great way to keep track of all their cub scout stuff once they're finished. This is how it turned out. After he made the basic frame with his friend, and after he had his final pack meeting, we took all the badges off his shirt & we glued the badges and belt loops on the wood and hammered little nails in and then pulled them out and stuck his webelo's pins in the holes around the edges. We pounded in a couple of nails in the bottom corners to hang some stamped leather badges he got from daycamp on. Jacob really wanted to get as much as he could on his keepsake. He kept his 100 yr badge because he can wear it on his boy scout uniform.

Here's how it looks hanging on his bedroom wall with the shelf he made in den meeting. He had to make 2 wood projects for Craftsman and these are them. I managed to find the right kind of hooks from Home depot that are shown in the Webelo's handbook and after seeing all the things my sister has accomplished all by herself in her newly purchased home on her blog, I went and found some screws and marched myself upstairs and hung it last week. It has been sitting on my computer armoir for several months but now, it is on his wall. Thanks for the inspiration Maury.

I'm a little sad because as a boy scout I will be less-involved in his requirements. I know it's also a relief of responsibility but it was fun to work with him on these accomplishments. I think cub scouts requirements can be a great opportunity for quality time together. It takes some effort to figure it all out and I've made lots of mistakes but now I'm ready for Mason...

He'll turn 8 in 10 months and we'll start this all over again!