Local Cub Scouts make leap into Boy Scouting

Published March 4, 2014
By Gary Cooper
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 1

ROSAMOND, Calif. -- On March 1 four Cub Scouts from Edwards AFB Pack 741 crossed over into Boy Scouting. Cub Scouts are a family-oriented program for boys in the first grade through fifth grade. The Cub Scouting program is adult led and the scouts participate with their parents in all of the activities. The jump to Boy Scouts is a significant one, especially for the younger boys, because the program is "Boy Led" where the scouts run the activities and the adults provide transportation, safety oversight and act as enablers for the boy's activities. One of the other big steps for the boys crossing over is that the troop has scouts ranging from 11 to 17 years old, with the older boys acting as instructors and role models for the new scouts.

Several of the boys also earned their Arrow of Light, the highest award available to Cub Scouts. The scouts received the award for earning the Webelos Scout Badge, the highest rank in Cub Scouting, and earning eight activity badges. The Arrow of Light award holds a special significance in that it is the only Cub Scout award that can be worn on both the Boy Scout uniform and on adult scout leader uniforms. The Arrow of Light also fulfills several of the early Boy Scout advancement requirements, allowing them to be awarded the rank of Scout upon joining their new Boy Scout Troop.

Luke Spinelli, one of the four Scouts that crossed over, joined Rosamond Boy Scout Troop 41, which was established in January 1944 and is the oldest continuing troop in the Antelope Valley. Troop 41 has an active traditional scouting program with formal outings 11 months of the year averaging over 25 nights of camping that include an annual week-long summer camp. This year, Troop 41 will be going to Camp Whitsett in the Sierras, which was home to last year's television series "Are You Tougher than a Boy Scout?"

Troop 41 also gives back to the local area through several programs where the scouts can help their community and demonstrate their duty to country. Last year the Scouts helped place 80,000 flags honoring our fallen soldiers at the Los Anglese National Cemetery on Memorial Day, retired over 200 American Flags from our local community, and collected over 1,300 pounds of food for the St. Mary's Church food bank in Rosamond.

For information on Cub Scout Pack 741 (Edwards), visit them at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pack741/.

For information on Boy Scout Troop 41 and Cub Scout Pack 41 (Rosamond), visit http://www.troop41rosamond.org/, or call (661) 256-3380.

- Gary Cooper works at Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 1 here at Edwards