Transition. It seems that life is full of opportunities to do this.

 

When it comes to the Boy Scouts, transition is something to be celebrated with family and troop.

 

At a recent Arrow of Light / Crossing Over Ceremony held at the First United Methodist Family Life Center, visitors were given the opportunity to observe a transition of two young boys, Kevin Cales and Daniel Nuccio, from their Webelo rank in Cub Scout Pack 2 to a Boy Scout in Troop 2.

 

Scout Master for Troop 2 Keith Kingrey, along with Cub Master Elgie Bennett has a lot to say about the ceremonies, the scouting program and the transitions that occur throughout a member’s progress.

 

“First of all, Scouting and Cub Scouts are geared completely different,” Kingrey said. “Cub Scouts have monthly pack meetings and are for boys in 1^st grade through 5^th grade, ages 5 through 10. Boy Scouts is for boys 10 through 18 years old.

 

“Cub Scouts is an instructor led program. Instructors are adults who put on programs specifically geared to outdoor and civic responsible programs. Cub Scouts prepare boys to become Boy Scouts, who take responsibility for themselves and have autonomy in their own progress with only guidance from adults. Adults are there for guidance and to facilitate the boys.”

 

The final position in Cub Scouts is Webelos, after meeting all of the requirements in their Cub Scouts Book and obtaining all of their badges they earn their Arrow of Light, Kingrey said. In the ceremony, the arrow is not only awarded to the boys entering Cub Scouts but their parents as well.

 

“It is the equivalent of Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts, to a Cub Scout,” Kingrey said. “Scouting is a lifestyle and for Cub Scouts that includes their entire family. When they are at the front being recognized with their award, their parents are up there as well, because many badges require parent participation of some sort.”

 

The boys who earn the rank of Arrow of Light share their arrow with their parents during the ceremony. They then come to the part of the evening where they walk alone but are surrounded by family and their combined troop and pack members for the Crossing Over Ceremony.

 

This transitions them into the Scout Troop and recognizes them for their achievements. It welcomes them into the troop.

 

Troop 2 currently has 30 members and Pack 2 has approximately 70 members.

 

There is a possibility that all 70 current Pack 2 members will not make it through to become Troop 2 members.

 

“Sometimes a Cub Scout will fall out of scouting for one reason or another,” said Kingrey. “There may be hardships getting them to the meetings or events, or perhaps it is just not for them. But for the ones that stay in and earn their rank of Eagle, that is something that you just can’t say enough about. Those are the ones that go forward and do something in life.

 

“When a college or employer sees that an applicant has their Eagle Scout badge, that tells them that this person can stay with something and achieve. The Eagle rank is no small accomplishment. It is hard work and takes a lot of time to earn.”

 

First United Methodist Church, the sponsor of Troop 2 and the second largest chartering denomination sponsor in the United States, turns out between two to four Eagle Scouts a year.

 

“In a ten year period we would have sent approximately 40 to 50 Eagle Scouts into the world and that makes me proud,” says Kingrey.  “We are returning someone to society who is going to do something with themselves and make a difference.”

 

It all goes back to transition. Transitioning from a boy to a man, while leaving the world a better place than they found it.