Arrow of Light

On April 22, Jacob recieved his Arrow of Light - the highest award you may receive in the Cub Scout program.  I think David and my enthusiam for this event surprised many around us.  And I have wondered why this was such a big deal to me personally.  I thought about his award often before the pack meeting.  I was nervous for him, yet so excited at the same time.  And when he finished his last requirement, I felt like I'd burst with pride.  I may have actually skipped to the van while humming a happy tune after his last den meeting.  I'm sure much of this is because I was Jacob's scout leader through Wolves, Bears, and some of Webelos.  I know what he's worked on and accomplished.  I know it wasn't always easy or fun for either of us :).  I am so proud of him for memorizing the many things needed for boy scouts which seemed like a lot to me: scout motto, scout slogan, scout law, scout oath, scout handshake, scout salute, scout sign, and the meaning of the first class scout badge.  I know how much Jacob wanted his Arrow of Light and how proud he must feel of himself when he finished it.

To show our appreciation of his accomplishment, David and I purchased a symbolic arrow for him to keep in his room.  Our pack used to give arrows to all boys receiving their Arrow of Light, but that practice was stopped a few years ago.  Jacob was thrilled when we gave him that arrow and it was so fun for us to present it to him.  What a happy day for all of us!  What a milestone as well :)!  I think the pictures below tell the story better than my words.

And because I'm always behind on this blog, adding photos from Jacob's pinewood derby (January) here wouldn't be amiss.  Jacob made a sweet Target Nascar car this year.  Note the bottom picture where a victory is clearly imminent.  I can't say I will miss the stress and expense of the Pinewood Derby, but am glad Jacob was able to participate and had so much fun doing so.  This year, Jacob took a very respectable third place overall in the pack.  Not bad Jacob and of course, we know your car looked the coolest no matter where you placed :).