Scouts complete year, hold crossover ceremony

By: Toni Walker

Editor

news@steelcountrybee.com

Although there is still a month left in the school year, the Cub Scout year has effectively come to an end. The Cub Scouts of Pack 220 in Daingerfield celebrated the completion of their year with their annual Crossover ceremony.

Scouts, parents, and family, and friends gathered at the pavilion at Daingerfield State Park to mark the end of their year with the promotion ceremonies known as “Crossover.” Boys in each den were awarded their den patches, signifying they completed all requirements for that level of scouting. Each scout was also awarded any other pins, patches, and awards that they had earned throughout the year.

Cub master Randy Terry recognized Arrow of Light leaders Daniel Walker and Brandy Watkins for their service to the boys who were in their final year of Cub scouts. Terry also recognized special visitors from Troop 220, who were there to take part in welcoming the new scouts to the troop.

Cub Scouts begin as Tiger cubs, and advance through the ranks of Bobcat, Bear, Wolf, and Webelo, until they reach Arrow of Light. This year, two boys completed their Arrow of Light, which is the highest award any Cub Scout can earn, and is the only Cub Scout award that can be worn on the Boy Scout uniform. This year’s Arrow of Light recipients were Jonah Walker and Matt Watkins. Both boys were awarded their Arrow of Light patch, and a special arrow commemorating their time in Cub Scouts. Each band of color on their arrows marked one of their achievements during scouts. The boys also were striped with the colors of scouting by their parents, who were also recognized for the efforts in assisting the boys through their journey in scouting.

The final act of the ceremony was the actual “crossover,” where the boys crossed over a bridge from Cubs to Scout master Tim Ridenour, who presented each boy with his “guidebook to Eagle Scout,” the Boy Scout Handbook.

The crossing of the bridge symbolizes the crossing from the world of Cub Scouts, where they were lead at each point by their Akelas, to Boy Scouts, where they will blaze more of their own trail to the highest rank of Eagle Scout.