EARNING THE BEAR ELECTIVES

(As indicated in your Bear book)

AFTER a Bear Cub Scout earns his Bear Badge he may begin working on earning Arrow Points in the Electives section of his book. He may work on his "Arrow Point Trail" at any time, however he cannot receive Arrow Points until AFTER he has earned the Bear Badge. Also, any extra achievement sections that were completed but NOT use to earn the Bear Badge may be used to earn Arrow Points. The Scout may go back and complete these additional sections for Arrow Point credit. The Achievement requirements and the Elective requirements can be freely mixed to count toward earning Arrow Points. In the following descriptions, we will use the term "Arrow Points" to refer to either type of requirement.

BEAR ELECTIVES

(THE ARROW POINT TRAIL)

There are 108 ELECTIVES TO CHOOSE FROM!
If your Bear Cub Scout has not completed third grade (or reached his tenth birthday), he can search the Arrow Point trail. On the Bear trail, the main sections were called achievements, things that we would like all boys to do. On the Arrow Point trail, the main sections are called electives. They are choices that a boy can make on his own and with your guidance. Details regarding the completion of the Bear electives can be found in the BSA Bear Cub Scout Book.

To earn a Gold Arrow Point to wear beneath his Bear badge, the boy must complete any ten elective projects of the more than one hundred choices shown in the book. If he does ten more, he qualifies for a Silver Arrow Point to wear beneath the Gold. Multiple Silver Arrow Points may be earned, but only one Gold along the Bear trail. The Arrow Points are presented at the pack meeting after he receives his Bear badge.

GOLD ARROW POINT:
For the FIRST 10 arrow points completed in the "Electives" section of his book, the Bear earns a GOLD ARROW POINT.

SILVER ARROW POINTS:
For EACH 10 arrow points completed after the Gold Arrow Point, the Bear Cub earns a SILVER ARROW POINT.

He may earn any number of SILVER ARROW POINTS, but he may only earn ONE GOLD ARROW POINT for the first 10 elective points that he completes.

The possible electives are as follows:

1. SPACE (p154)

a. Identify two constellations and the North Star.
b. Make a pinhole planetarium and show three constellations.
c. Visit a planetarium.
d. Build a model of a rocket or space satellite.
e. Read and talk about at least one man-made satellite and one natural one.
f. Find a picture of another planet in our solar system. Explain how it is different from Earth.

2. WEATHER (p156)

a. Learn how to read a thermometer. Put a thermometer outdoors and read it at the same time every day for 2 weeks. Keep a record of the weather for each day.
b. Build a weather vane, record wind direction for 2 weeks at the same hour. Keep a record of the weather for each day.
c. Make a rain gauge.
d. Find out what a barometer is and how it works. Tell your den about it. Tell what "relative humidity" means.
e. Learn to identify three different kinds of clouds. Estimate their height.
f. Watch the weather forecast on television every day for 2 weeks. Describe three different symbols used on weather maps. Keep a record of how many times the weather forecast is correct.

3. RADIO (p162)

a. Build a crystal or diode radio. Check with your local craft or hobby shop or in the Boys' Life ads. It is all right to use a kit.
b. Make and operate a battery powered radio following the directions with the kit.

4. ELECTRICITY (p 164)

a. Wire a buzzer or doorbell.
b. Make an electric buzzer game.
c. Make a simple bar or horseshoe electromagnet.
d. Use a simple electric motor.
e. Make a crane with an electromagnetic lift.

5. BOATS (p 168)

a. Help your dad or any other adult rig and sail a real boat.
b. Help your dad or any other adult repair a real boat or canoe.
c. Know storm warning flag signals.
d. Help an adult repair a boat dock.
e. Know the rules of boat safety.
f. With an adult, demonstrate forward strokes, turns, and backstrokes. Row a boat around a 100-yard course involving two turns.

6. AIRCRAFT (p 174)

a. Identify five different kinds of aircraft in flight, if possible, or from models or photos.
b. Ride in an airplane (commercial or private).
c. Explain how a hot air balloon works.
d. Build and fly a model airplane. (You can use a kit. Every time you do this differently, it counts as a completed project.)
e. Sketch and label an airplane showing the direction of forces acting on it (lift, drag, and load).
f. What are some of the things a helicopter can do that other kinds of airplanes can't? Make a list. Draw or cut out a picture of a helicopter and label the parts.
g. Build and display a scale airplane model. You may use a kit or build it from plans.

7. THINGS THAT GO (p 178)

a. Make a scooter or a Cubmobile. Know safety rules.
b. Make a windmill.
c. Make a waterwheel.
d. Make an invention of your own design that goes.

8. CUB SCOUT BAND (p 182)

a. Make and play a homemade musical instrument - cigarbox banjo, washtub bull fiddle, a drum or rhythm set, tambourine. etc.
b. Learn to play two familiar tunes on an ocarina, a harmonica, or a tonette.
c. Play in a den band using homemade or regular musical instruments. Play at a pack meeting.
d. Play two tunes on any recognized band or orchestra instrument.

9. ART (p 186)

a. Do an original art project and show it at a pack meeting. Every project you do counts as one requirement.
b. Visit an art museum or picture gallery with your den or family.

10. MASKS (p 190)

a. Make a simple papier-mâché mask.
b. Make an animal mask.
c. Make a clown mask.

11. PHOTOGRAPHY (p 196)

a. Practice holding a camera still in one position. Learn to push the shutter button without moving the camera. Do this without film in the camera until you have learned how. Look through the viewfinder and see what your picture will look like. Make sure that everything you want in your picture is in the frame of your viewfinder.
b. Take five pictures of the same subject in different kinds of light. (1) Subject in direct sun with direct light. (2) Subject in direct sun with side light. (3) Subject in direct sun with back light. (4) On a sunny day, subject in shade. (5) Cloudy day.
c. Put your pictures to use. (1) mount a picture on cardboard for display. (2) Mount on cardboard and give it to a friend. (3) Make three pictures that show how something happened (tell a story) and write one sentence explanation for each.
d. Make a picture in your house. (1) With available light. (2) Using a flash attachment or photo flood.

12. NATURE CRAFTS (p 200)

a. Make shadow prints or blueprints of three kinds of leaves.
b. Make a display of eight different animal tracks with an eraser print.
c. Collect, press, and label 10 kinds of leaves.
d. Collect, mount, and label 10 kinds of insects.
e. Collect eight kinds of plant seeds and label.
f. Collect, mount, and label 10 kinds of rocks or minerals.
g. Collect, mount, and label five kinds of shells.
h. Make a spider web print; mount and display it.

13. MAGIC (p 204)

a. Learn and show three magic tricks.
b. With your den, put on a magic show for your pack.
c. Learn and show four puzzles.
d. Learn and show three rope tricks.

14. LANDSCAPING (p 210)

a. Help your parents take care of your lawn or help take care of the lawn of a public building, school, or church. Seed bare spots. Get rid of weeds. Pick up litter. Agree ahead of time on what you will do.
b. Make a sketch of a landscape plan for the area right around your house or for an apartment building. Talk it over with your parents or den leader. Show what trees, shrubs and flowers you could plant to make the area look better.
c. Take part in a project with your family, den, or pack to make your neighborhood or community more beautiful. These might be cleanup parties, painting, planting, cleaning and painting trash barrels, and removing ragweed. (Each time you do this differently, it counts as a completed project.)
d. Build a greenhouse and grow 20 plants from seed. You can use a package of garden seeds, or use beans, pumpkin seeds, or watermelon seeds.

15. WATER AND SOIL CONSERVATION

(p 214)

a. Dig a hole or find an excavation project and describe the different layers of soil you see and feel. (Do not enter an excavation area without permission.)
b. Take three cans the same size and punch four holes in the bottom of each with a hammer and nail. Put clay in the first can, soil in the second can, and sand in the third can. Fill all three cans one half-full of soil. Pour one-half can of water into each can, one at a time. Write down the time it takes the water to run through (until dripping stops) each kind of earth. (The three kinds of earth are not good for growing things alone, but when mixed together they make very good soil.)
c. Visit a burned-out forest or prairie area, or a slide area, with your den or your family. Talk to a member of the U.S. Forest Service about how the area will be planted and cared for, to grow again the way it was before the accident.
d. Some people like to use live Christmas trees. After Christmas, plant the tree in your yard, or at school, your Boy Scout council service center, or a park. Find out all the things you need to know about how to take care of a live Christmas tree in your home.
e. What is wind erosion? Find out the kinds of grass, trees, or ground cover you need to plant to stop wind erosion.
f. As a den, visit a lake, stream, river, or ocean (whichever is nearest where you live). Plan a den project to help clean up this important source of water. Name four kinds of water pollution.

16. FARM ANIMALS (p 216)

a. Take care of a farm animal. Decide with your parent the things you will do and how long you will do them.
b. Name and describe six breeds of farm animals and tell their common uses.
c. Read a book about a farm animal and tell your den about it.
d. With your family or den, visit a livestock exhibit at a county or state fair.

17. REPAIRS (p 218)

a. With the help of an adult, fix an electric plug or an electric appliance.
b. Use glue or epoxy to repair something.
c. Remove and clean a drain trap.
d. Refinish or repaint something.
e. Agree with your parent on some repair job to be done and do it. (Each time you do this differently, it counts as a completed project.)

18. BACKYARD GYM (p 222)

a. Build and use an outdoor gym with at least three items from this list. (1) Balance Board (2) Trapeze (3) Tire Walk (4) Tire Swing (5) Tetherball (6) Climbing Rope (7) Running Long Jump Area.
b. Build three outdoor toss games.
c. Plan an outdoor game or gym day with your den (this can be part of a pack activity). Put your plans on paper.
d. Hold an open house for your backyard gym.

19. SWIMMING (p 226)

a. Jump feetfirst into water over your head, swim 25 feet, turn around, and swim back.
b. Swim on your back, using a resting stroke, for 30 feet.
c. Rest by floating on your back, using as little motion as possible for at least one minute. ("Drown-proof" floating or bobbing [jellyfish float] uses a minimum of arm and leg movement to lift the head for breathing.)
d. Tell what is meant by the buddy plan and the basic rules of safe swimming and simple rescue.
e. Do a racing dive from edge of pool and swim 60 feet, using a racing stroke.

20. SPORTS (p 232)

a. In archery, know the safety rules. Know how to shoot correctly. Put six arrows into a 4-foot target at a distance of 15 yards. Make an arrow holder.
b. In skiing, know the Skier's Safety Code. Demonstrate walking and kick turn, climbing with sidestep or herringbone, snowplow stop, stem turn, four linked snowplow or stem turns, and straight running in a downhill position, or a cross-country position, and show how to recover from a fall.
c. Ice skating, know the safety rules. From a standing start, skate forward 150 feet; come to a complete stop within 20 feet. Skate around a corner clockwise and counterclockwise without coasting. Show a turn from forward to backward. Skate backward 50 feet.
d. In track, show how to make a sprint start. Run the 50- yard dash in 10 seconds or less. Show how to do the standing long jump, the running long jump, or high jump. Land in a soft area.
e. In roller skating, know the safety rules. From a standing start, skate forward 150 feet; come to a complete stop within 20 feet. Skate around a corner clockwise and counterclockwise without coasting and show a turn from forward to backward. Skate backward 50 feet.

21. SALES (p 240)

a. Take part in a pack-sponsored, money-earning sales program. Keep track of the sales you make yourself. When the sale is over, add up the sales you have sold.
b. Help with a garage sale or rummage sale. This can be with your family, a neighbor, or a church, school, or pack event.

22. COLLECTING THINGS (p 242)

a. Start a stamp collection. You can get information about stamp collecting at any U.S. Post Office.
b. Mount and display a collection of patches, coins, or other things to show at a pack meeting. This can be any kind of collection. Every time you show a different kind of collection, it counts as one requirement.
c. Start your own library. Keep your own books and pamphlets in order by subject. List the tittle and author of each on a piece of paper or a card.
 

23. MAPS (p 244)

a. Look up your state on a U.S. map. What other states touch its borders?
b. Find your city or town on a map of your state. How far do you live from the state capital?
c. In which time zone do you live? How many time zones are there in the U.S.?
d. Make a map showing the way from your home to your school or den meeting place.
e. Mark a map showing the way to a place you would like to visit that is at least 50 miles from your home.

24. NATIVE AMERICAN LIFE (p246)

a. Native Americans lived all over what is now the United States. Find the name of the tribe who lived nearest where you live now. What is this tribe best known for? Where do they live now?
b. Learn, make equipment for, and play two Native American games with members of your den. Be able to tell the rules, who won, and what the score was.
d. Make a model of an Native American house.