Willing Hands Needed: Arrow of Light: Indiana Jones

Here is the Arrow of Light ceremony we did for my own son and another boy in my den. The idea for the activities and the basic elements of the script are taken from this great blog called Arrow of Light Done Right. There are several different high action type Arrow of Light ceremonies there. I rewrote most of the script to fit our needs and make it more entwined with scouting and scouting values.

Instructions to how to make a toy whip, like the one we for this ceremony can be found on my blog HERE.

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Narrator: We have a special presentation to make tonight. We will start with the telling of the story of a great explorer named Indiana Jones. In the spirit of a true scout, Indiana Jones showed courage in the face of danger, and calm and cool in the face of challenges. The training boys receive in cub scouts give them similar skills to face danger and challenges. Tonight we have two scouts that have advanced through three years of cub scouting, and have satisfied the requirements to earn the highest: The Arrow of Light.

_________________, please come forward. Like the explorer Indiana Jones, these young men have acquired great skills. Tonight they will face three challenges to show they are truly worthy of the great honor of the Arrow of Light. First they must wear proper explorer attire. (give each boy a hat, whip, jacket, for each).

Challenge #1 Balance Beam Cross

Narrator: The first challenge is the balance beam cross. Indiana Jones had to cross many difficult passes to achieve his goals.

*Scouts walk a balance beam while scouts shoot marshmallows at them, or hit them with pool noodles or nerf balls*

Well done! Remember Scouts, a scout must constantly balance school, family, hobbies and faith, choosing wisely how to spend his time and not allowing himself to be distracted by unworthy things.

Challenge #2 Rope Swing

Narrator: The second challenge is the rope swing. Indiana Jones used his whip to swing across unfortunately placed bottomless pits, to save his life.

*Scouts complete the swinging challenge (a rope tied to the basketball hoop) across the wild animal pit. (stuffed animals in a hula hoop or infant pool) *

Nice work scouts! That was a close one! Remember scouts, living the standards of the scout law, standards like being Honest, Helpful and Obedient, helps you avoid many of the pitfalls of life.

Challenge #3 Temple Run

Narrator: The Final Challenge is the temple run. Indiana Jones risked his life entering the temple to get to his goal, because he knew the prize found there was worth any sacrifice.

*Scouts complete the temple run challenge. They run down the aisle, around obstacles, while other scouts shoot q-tips at them with straws, chased by a large yoga ball. At the end of the aisle they grab the arrow*

Good work! Remember scouts, there is great value in setting goals and working towards the prize of becoming an Eagle Scout.

The Arrow of Light you have earned has several symbols. The arrow is straight and narrow, reminding you to live your life straight and true. The point of the arrow is similar to the compass point found on the scout symbol, a point that directs you on the true path of Eagle Scout. The compass always helps you know the right way to go, the values you have learned in cub scouts and at church will always help to point you the right way. Your Arrow of Light patch also has seven rays of the sun, these rays may remind you of the seven days of the week, that each new day, is a day to do your best.

Congratulations Scouts!

*The Narrator now invites the parents forward and the cub master will award the Arrow of Light patch to the boys and pins to the parents.