Boys and girls of different ages have different ranks in Cub Scouting. As you go from Lion (kindergarten) to Webelos Scout (age 10), you learn new things and new skills that you use to meet new challenges as you get older. Where you begin in Cub Scouting depends on your age at the time you join. If you join when you’re in first grade, you will begin as a Tiger Cub. If you do not join until the third grade, you’ll begin as a Bear Cub Scout. You won’t have to go back and earn the earlier badges. Arrow of Light (AOL) Grade 5 Boys and girls in the fourth and fifth grades become Webelos Scouts. Webelos Scouts do more advanced activities to get ready to graduate into Scouting. Webelos Grade 4 Boys and girls in the fourth and fifth grades become Webelos Scouts. Webelos Scouts do more advanced activities to get ready to graduate into Scouting. Bear Grade 3 Boys and girls in the third grade are members of a Bear den. They also work with their families to do the requirements for the Bear badge, but scouts this old will have enough knowledge and skill to take on more of the work by themselves. Wolf Grade 2 Second-grade boys and girls graduate into a Wolf den. They go to weekly den meetings on their own, but their families still help them work on the requirements for the Wolf badge. Tiger Grade 1 First-grade boys and girls join a Tiger den, where each boy works with an adult partner on the requirements to earn his Tiger badge. Lion Grade K First-grade boys and girls join a Lion den, where they are introduced into the world of Cub Scouts. More Information About Lions Age Group The Arrow of Light Rank The highest rank in Cub Scouting is the Arrow of Light rank, which you will begin working on as a Webelos Scout. It is the only Cub Scout badge that you can wear on the Boy Scout uniform. As you work on the Arrow of Light rank, you practice outdoor skills, get physically fit, and learn more about citizenship and working with others. All of these things prepare you for the next stage of Scouting. Scouts BSA The Scouts BSA program is for boys and girls who are 11 years old, are at least ten years old and have finished the fifth grade, or are at least ten years old and have earned the Arrow of Light rank as a Cub Scout. The purpose of Scouts BSA is the same as it is for Cub Scouts: to help boys and girls grow into good citizens who are strong in character and personally fit. But because they’re older, Scouts have a program with more and bigger challenges. Scouts work together in groups called patrols. The patrol leader is an older boy or girl, not an adult. The Scouts in the patrol elect their patrol leader. Patrols are part of a troop. The troop has adult leaders, but their job is to give guidance and advice to the Scouts. The Scouts run their own program. Troops have exciting outdoor activities. They go on long camping trips and long-distance hikes. They go canoeing and whitewater rafting, and more. They move through the Scout ranks, from Scout to Eagle Scout. They earn merit badges that show many kinds of knowledge and skills. Scouts can also earn special awards for feats of skill, such as completing a mile swim or 50 miles of hiking. Venturing Venturing is for young men and women who are 14 (and have finished the eighth grade) through 20 years old. Venturing has six experience areas: social, citizenship, service, leadership, fitness, and outdoor. The activities in Venturing help young people become adults, follow their special interests, get skills as leaders, and become good citizens. Venturing is the last of the three Scouting programs for young people. But it isn’t the end of the Scouting trail. You can stay in Scouting even as a grown-up by becoming a member of the National Eagle Scout Association or Order of the Arrow, volunteering as an adult leader, or taking a job in professional Scouting.