Required 8 requirements
Bobcat (AOL)
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Arrow of Light 5th grade Ages 10–11
Arrow of Light adventures and requirements
A Cub Scout earns the Arrow of Light badge in 5th grade by completing 6 required Arrow of Light adventures, starting with Bobcat, plus at least 2 elective adventures the den chooses. Most dens spend two or three meetings on each adventure, so the year is tighter than it looks.
Arrow of Light is the final Cub Scout rank and the bridge to a troop. Required adventures include visiting a troop and a troop campout.
5th grade
Grade, ages 10–11
6
Required adventures for the badge, Bobcat included
2
Elective adventures the den picks
22
Electives published for Arrow of Light to choose from
Required Arrow of Light adventures
These are the ones the badge depends on. Plan them first and leave the electives for spring, when the den knows what it enjoys.
Required 4 requirements
Personal Fitness
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Required 7 requirements
First Aid
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Required 3 requirements
Duty to God
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Required 2 requirements
Citizenship
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Required 8 requirements
Outdoor Adventurer
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Arrow of Light elective adventures
Pick at least 2. Let the den vote between two you are willing to run, rather than offering the whole list to eight children at once.
Elective 8 requirements
Archery (Arrow of Light)
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 8 requirements
BB Gun (Arrow of Light)
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 6 requirements
Building a Better World
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 6 requirements
Champions for Nature (Arrow of Light)
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 7 requirements
Cycling
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 6 requirements
Duty to God in Action
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 5 requirements
Engineer
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 4 requirements
Estimations
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 7 requirements
Fishing
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 4 requirements
High Tech Outdoors
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 5 requirements
Into the Wild
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 5 requirements
Into the Woods
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 5 requirements
Knife Safety
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 8 requirements
Modular Design (AOL)
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 9 requirements
Paddle Craft
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 6 requirements
Protect Yourself Rules (AOL)
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 5 requirements
Race Time (Arrow of Light)
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 6 requirements
Scouting Adventure
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 8 requirements
Slingshot (Arrow of Light)
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 1 requirement
Summertime Fun (Arrow of Light)
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 4 requirements
Swimming
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
Elective 7 requirements
Yo-Yo (AOL)
Requirements in plain language, plus a sixty minute den meeting plan that closes them.
How a Arrow of Light den year usually goes
Roughly thirty den meetings between September and May, against 6 required adventures and 2 electives. The arithmetic is tight, which is why the empty weeks matter.
September to November
Bobcat first, in the first two or three meetings, because no Arrow of Light badge can be awarded until it is done. Then take the outdoor required adventures while the weather still cooperates, and pair one of them with the pack campout.
December and January
One meeting in December if you are lucky, usually a service project. January belongs to the Pinewood Derby, so plan an indoor required adventure around it and accept that you will lose a week.
February to March
Blue and Gold takes a week. This is where you check every Scout against the required adventures and find the two who are behind, because there is still time to fix it with a make-up night in the gathering block.
April and May
Finish the electives, get outdoors again, and record everything before the awards meeting. Leave the last meeting for the den to plan itself. They have earned it, and you will need the week.
The other Cub Scout ranks
Lion, Kindergarten Tiger, 1st grade Wolf, 2nd grade Bear, 3rd grade Webelos, 4th grade
The official Arrow of Light adventure page at scouting.org has the current requirement text and the handbook year it belongs to.
See which of these your Scouts still need
DenBuddy reads your den's advancement out of Scoutbook Plus and shows you the open requirements, Scout by Scout, so the next meeting picks itself. One den is free, forever.
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Adventure names and requirements are Scouting America's. The summaries here are paraphrased for planning and are not a substitute for the handbook or Scoutbook Plus. DenBuddy is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Scouting America. Cub Scouts, Scoutbook and adventure names are trademarks of their respective owners.