The Right Direction

Last night Frank got his Arrow of Light Award. It is the highest award in Cub Scouts and means that Frank crossed over and will now be a Boy Scout. Frank and the boys in his den made their own arrows and plaques - they were all different shapes and stains and paints.

The ceremony is a fun one. Older Boy Scouts boys dress in Native American costumes and examine the arrows to make sure that the arrows are straight and well made. Each of the boys was given careful consideration before being allowed to "cross over" and become a Boy Scout. After several of the boys had crossed, the Chief examined an arrow, exclaimed, "Not worthy!" and snapped the arrow in half. The Arrow of Light boys chuckled (they had seen an Arrow of Light ceremony before and knew that the snapped arrow belonged to the Cub Scout Leader and not their friends) but the little Tiger Scouts looked surprised and watched the remaining scouts carefully. All of Frank's fellow Arrow of Light candidates were determined "worthy," and we celebrated with pictures and cake.

The Webelos Ceremony followed the cake and I watched with interest as Frank and the other new Boy Scouts were included in the ceremony and gave the Webelos patch to the new Webelos. The Arrow of Light scouts solemnly shook the hands of the new Webelos. The Arrow of Light Scouts did not need to be reminded to be quiet or to use their right hand to shake and salute. They really have learned reverence and ceremony. I mean, they have learned all kinds of things as their belt loops and pins attest, but what Boy Scouts does best is teach ceremony.

A softball coach once commented to me that if by the end of the season all the girls were running around the bases in the right direction, he was going to consider the season a success. I thought of that as I looked at the squirrely 6 year olds compared to the solemn 11 year olds, and remembered our start in Scouting.

Frank, my youngest, is no longer a Cub Scout. Soon he will no longer be an elementary school student. Next year my kids will all be in middle school and high school. Milestones are tough for parents. They celebrate success and futures, but they also mark the end. You'll note that I am smiling in the picture, but I also felt like my heart was pushing up into my throat. Stupid heart didn't know that it was already outside my body.