7 Charles City boys earn Arrow of Light award

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

Seven boys received the Arrow of Light on Sunday at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Parker Heiselman, Marcus Griffin, Ethan Friedrich, Jayden Hubbard, Carter Burkhardt, Aidan Shannon and Hayden Heyer all earned the highest award possible for a Cub Scout.

To achieve the Arrow of Light a Cub Scout has to go above and beyond what is expected, Cubmaster Jeremy Heyer said.

“We as a pack try to make sure we give them the opportunity to get it,” Heyer said.

The Arrow of Light is not a required award for a Cub Scout to transition to Boy Scout, or to earn Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Scouting.

Boys younger than 12 years old can join the Boy Scouts, being a Cub Scout is not required.

This was the last time Heyer was able to give out the Arrow of Light, and you could tell. Heyer got emotional as he spoke each boy’s name to receive the honor.

“I’ve been with this pack since 2008,” Heyer said. “This is the last time I’m going to be able to do this.”

Heyer’s son is moving up to Boy Scouts and his other son was part of the troop doing the ceremony.

“I like this because there’s so much excitement and energy,” Heyer said. “I’m going to miss that.”

In Charles City there are two Cub Scout packs and two Boy Scout troops.

Pack 4166 celebrated their Cub Scouts on Sunday with various other awards being handed out prior to the Arrow of Light ceremony.

Heyer isn’t an Eagle Scout, but he was a Cub Scout in his youth, and earned the Arrow of Light.

“We didn’t have a Boy Scout troupe in our town,” Heyer said. “I do regret that, which is why I really encourage them to keep moving along.”

Heyer has been part of seven prior Arrow of Light ceremonies since joining this Cub Scout pack.

Getting the Arrow of Light was no picnic for the boys that earned it.

“I was kind of nervous,” Jayden Hubbard, 11, said. “It’s been a rough one, there’s been a lot of bumps.”

Hubbard has been in Cub Scouting for five years, since he was in first grade, he said.

He’s hoping to become an Eagle Scout.