Homemade Arrow for Arrow of Light Ceremony
The Arrow of Light Ceremony is often used to celebrate Cub Scouts' accomplishments and mark their journey. Cub Scouts that have demonstrated proper understanding of the Scouts' principles and Scout Law receive the Arrow of Light award, as well as a badge to wear on their uniforms. This award is the highest honor a Cub Scout can earn and allows the Scout to take the steps required to transition from a Cub Scout to a Boy Scout. You can purchase the carved arrowhead used in the award; however, if you need multiple arrows, it can be more cost-efficient to build your own.
Things You'll Need
- 1/4-inch diameter wooden dowel
- Saw
- Hot glue
- Stone arrowhead
- Twine
- Scissors
- Blue feather
- Yellow feather
Instructions
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1
Use a wood saw to cut a 1/4-inch-diameter wooden dowel to 2 feet in length, to form the arrow's shaft.
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2
Make a 1/2-inch-deep slot in one end of the wooden dowel.
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3
Insert a stone arrowhead into the slot at the end of the wooden dowel. Secure the arrowhead to the dowel with hot glue and hold the arrowhead firmly in place while it dries.
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4
Use twine to cover the connection of the dowel and arrowhead by wrapping a small amount of twine around the shaft. Tie the ends of the twine together and cut off the ends.
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5
Use scissors to cut a yellow feather in half along the central vane of the feather. Repeat the procedure for a blue feather.
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6
Cut the feather halves to between 3 and 4 inches in length. Make sure they are of identical length.
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7
Apply hot glue along the central vane of each feather half. Place the feathers on the wooden dowel at the end opposite to the arrowhead. Start with a blue feather, followed by a yellow, and so on. Space the feathers evenly around the dowel.
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8
Hold the feathers firmly in place and allow them to dry.
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9
Wrap twine around the bottom edge of the feathers for additional security.
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10
Repeat Steps 1 to 9 to create more arrows for the ceremony.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Paint the wooden dowel to the desired color using watercolors or oil-based paint.
Make sure to remind the Scouts that the arrows must be treated with caution, for safety, as well as with respect. The Arrow of Light award is not a toy.
References
- Photo Credit boy scouts image by Inhumane Productions from Fotolia.com
