Tocobaga District makes crossing over bigger than ever
By Kyle LoJacono
Staff Writer
LUTZ — Before Cub Scout Jacob Tactuk, 10, could cross over to Boy Scouts, he had to earn the Arrow of Light award, the most important achievement for any Cub Scout.
All Cub Scouts Webelos have to earn the award before they move on to Boy Scouts. To earn the AOL, scouts must earn activity badges from 20 Webelo activities. Some of the activities include: fitness, aquanaut, citizen, communicator, outdoorsman, artist, scholar and handyman.
“It wasn’t hard work because it was so much fun,” said Tactuk, of Pack 12 in Lutz. “I like doing all the activities and getting awards.”
After earning the award, the scouts receive a badge that is sewn onto their Boy Scout uniform. The badge is the only one carried over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.
In past years, Cub Scouts crossed over to Boys Scouts when they received their AOL award, but the Tocobaga District, which covers all Cub Scout packs and Boy Scout troops in north Hillsborough County, decided to do something different this year.
Instead of crossing over to Boy Scouts when they received their AOL award, all north Hillsborough Cub Scouts will cross over together at group campout. The event, called Webelo Woods, will be Jan. 22 and 23, 2010 at Camp Brorein on Boy Scout Road in Odessa.
Tactuk is a fifth-grader at Lutz Elementary and started in Cub Scouts as a Wolf scout. He and his stepbrother, Nathan Burnside, were two of nine Webelo scouts from the pack that earned the award on Dec. 11. Their father, Matthew Burnside, is their den master.
“I’m very proud of what they’ve both been able to accomplish, and it’s been a great bunch of years helping them in Cub Scouts,” Burnside said. “Both my two boys and the other Webelos have all worked hard and will be very ready to be Boy Scouts…We go on more campouts than most Cub Scout dens to try and make them ready to be Boy Scouts. I’m biased, but I think they are the most ready to become Boys Scouts of any den in the area.”
Burnside said his oldest son, Matt, is a Life Scout in Boy Scout Troop 12, of Lutz.
The camp will have eight stations designed to teach the boys skills needed in Boy Scouts. Some of the stations will include: first aid; navigation skills and an axe yard to teach the scouts knife, axe and saw safety.
“I think it’s a good idea to have the district cross over together,” Burnside said. “Lots of boys drop out of scouting after they earn the AOL. It’s easy to lose interest without events like this one to prepare the kids and keep scouting in their lives.”
Tactuk said of earning the award, “I’m ready to start in Boy Scouts right now. The campout will real be fun too…My dad has helped me and Nathan and all the other scouts get our AOL.”
For more information on Cub Scouting, visit www.scouting.org. For information on the Tocobaga District, e-mail or visit www.boyscouting.com.
Pack 12 Webelos who received their Arrow of Light Award on Dec. 11 include:
- Nathan Burnside
- Camrin Cowden
- Krisztian Fedor
- Ryan Fisher
- Evan Hopkins
- Jacob May
- Liam McGann
- Jacob Tactuk
- Lonnie Wooton
