Very special scouting ceremony at Du Quoin State Fairgrounds

The future of our country is in good hands so long as there are parents and their children who are involved in scouting and ceremonies like the one held Monday evening at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.

Cub Scout Pack 128 in Du Quoin held its awards banquet and those honored included:

Caleb Ridgeway received his wildlife conservation belt loop and pin, horseback riding belt loop and pin and family travel belt loop and pin.

John Baker IV received the Webelos compass point.

Connor Baxter, Hunter Burris, Reese Rodely and Kameron Baumen received their Webelos citizenship activity pin.

Gavin Fancher and Ethan Fronek received their wolf rank advancement patch.

Connor Baxter, Hunter Burris, Reese Rodely and Kameron Baumen received their Webelos rank advancement patch.

Then came one of the highlights of the evening. Caleb Ridgeway, John Baker IV and Brandon Nippe received the highest award of cub scouting, the "Arrow of Light" badge. It is a small cloth badge with a tan background, blue border and a gold arrow pointing to the right (as viewed from the front) under a partial gold sun orb with seven rays that is worn on both the cub scout and the boy scout uniform.

Nippe explains that the individual elements of the badge represent: The sun shedding its light on all that we do; the seven rays of the sun representing seven says of the week and that we should do our best every day; and the arrow which is symbolic of everything which is straight and true.

The Arrow of Light is much more difficult to obtain than a belt loop or an activity badge or even one the other rank patches. To obtain this award these scouts have met a number of requirements, including completion of eight activity badges, participation in camps, hike and boy scout activities, the memorization of the scout oath and the scout law and the commitment to live by these principles. Essentially it is a "Coming of Age" ceremony symbolizing that cub scouts are now ready to become boy scouts.