5th grade · Ages 10–11
Arrow of Light is the highest rank in Cub Scouting and the bridge to Scouts BSA. It’s the only Cub Scout badge that scouts can wear on their Scouts BSA uniform after they cross over — a permanent record of completing the Cub Scout program.
What Arrow of Light scouts do
Arrow of Light scouts complete the most demanding Cub Scout program:
- Six required adventures, many focused on outdoor skills, character, and getting ready for Scouts BSA
- Significant outdoor time — overnight campouts, longer hikes, navigation
- Visits to local Scouts BSA troops to find the right fit for crossing over
- A culminating Crossover Ceremony at the end of 5th grade
Arrow of Light is also where leadership starts. Scouts in this rank often help younger dens, lead parts of pack meetings, and take real responsibility for planning their own activities.
How Arrow of Light dens work
The den operates more like a small Scouts BSA patrol than a traditional Cub Scout den. Scouts plan meetings together, take turns leading, and work on advancement with less direct adult instruction.
Parents are still part of the program — every Cub Scout den has adult leaders — but the day-to-day work increasingly belongs to the scouts.
What you need
Most Arrow of Light scouts are wearing the tan Scouts BSA uniform shirt by this point, since they’ll be using it next year anyway.
- Scouts BSA uniform shirt (tan) — recommended over the blue
- Arrow of Light neckerchief and slide
- Arrow of Light rank patch (earned during the year)
- Arrow of Light handbook
If you want, the blue Cub Scout shirt is still allowed. But the tan shirt makes the transition to Scouts BSA seamless.
Crossing over to Scouts BSA
The Crossover Ceremony is one of the biggest moments in a Cub Scout’s journey. We hold ours each year — typically in the spring — and it’s the moment Arrow of Light scouts officially join their chosen Scouts BSA troop.
We work closely with local troops throughout the year to give Arrow of Light scouts time to visit, camp with them, and figure out which troop feels like the right fit. Each scout makes the choice that’s right for their family.
After Arrow of Light
Welcome to Scouts BSA. The path continues — but that’s a story for another website.