Arrow of Light Organization

Each Arrow of Light scout belongs to an Arrow of Light Den. The den is led by a volunteer Den Leader who has taken on the responsibility of organizing the program. This den leader is registered with Scouting America and trained. The den leader is responsible for planning the year's program so the scouts are given opportunities to attain their Arrow of Light rank badge by completing required and elective activities, called Adventures.

A den is more successful if the den leader has parents organize and lead individual events. This gives the scouts opportunities to experience different types of leadership styles and keeps parents involved in the program.

Your Arrow of Light Den is part of a Cub Scout Pack. The Pack is run by a CubMaster. A pack in Cub Scouting and a Troop in Scouts BSA are similar and are both refered to as 'units' in the scouting hierarchy. The pack will have lion, tiger, wolf, bear, webelos, and Arrow of Light dens made up of youth from 1st grade through 5th grade. After 5th grade, Arrow of Light scouts graduate on to a Scouts BSA Troop.
The Pack holds a monthly meeting where you have recognition ceremonies, skits, songs, and announcements of upcoming pack events. Packs usually have from 50 to 100 scouts. There are around 150,000 packs and troops across the country.

The Pack is supported by a pack committee, all volunteers. There is a Pack Committee Chairman and other pack committe members. Most pack committees consist of family members and members of the pack's chartered organization. The chartered organization is granted a charter by Scouting America to use the Scouting program. This chartered organization can be a school, service club, religious group, or other group interested in youth. The chartered organization approves the leadership of the pack, provides a meeting place, and operates the pack within the guidelines and policies of that organization and Scouting America.

Packs in your area are organized into a District based on geographic boundaries determined by the local Council. At the district level, summer camps, day camps, leader roundtables, and other events are planned. The district supports units through membership, finance, and program services. Your unit has a District Executive and that person helps your pack and den get help and resources it needs. There are thousands of districts.

Districts are grouped into a Council. A council is responsible for growing a successful scouting program in its locality, and is run by a Scout Executive. A Council owns camp property and runs summer camps. It also offers fundraising programs, adult training, and service projects to support the pack and troop units. According to the Scouting America National Council there are over 250 councils.

Councils in a geographic area are grouped into Territories of which there are 14 in the country. The staff of each terrirtory works with 10 to 20 councils. The territory staff maintain contact with the Scout Executive in a council and provides support as needed, and are liaisons between councils and the National Council. A territory provides direct support to its councils in the areas of fund raising, program, computers, and administration.

National Council, located in Irving, Texas, is the governing body of the scouting program in the United States. They set policy, offer national awards, organize national jamborees, own high-adventure camps, and define the scouting program. There are many helpful resources on their website. On-line registration and membership support, program and literature development, advancement support, liability insurance, and maintaining program consistency across the country are all services provided by the National Council.

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