These young men have taken the journey through Bears. They have earned the Bear rank by earning 12 Achievements and have proven themselves to be elite Bear Scouts by completing all 24 Achievements, thus entitling them to the prized Bear Claw.
these Achievements which have been learned, will help them through their life journey. They have learned about God, country and self and the wisdom that they acquired will help them in their future in regards to decisions they make about themselves and others.
Through the Bear journey, Akela has been there to help guide them. As a constant reminder of their Bear journey with Akela, the stars have created a special constellation.
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are the Bear constellations. Ursa Major is the large Bear constellation and represents Akela. This constellation is off to the side of the smaller Bear constellation, keeping a protective eye on the young bear. The Akela constellation has the stars of the Big Dipper as a framework for the tail and back half of the body of the large bear constellation.
The Little Dipper is used in the formation of Ursa Minor which is the small Bear Cub constellation. The end star in the tail of Ursa Minor is the North Star, called Polaris. this star is almost exactly at the pole and is often used by navigators in guiding them to various locations. The North Star is a constant reminder to you, to follow the true and right course of life, which you have learned.
Earning the Bear Claw now creates opportunities for you to serve as Akela by guiding other boys in earning the Bear Claw.
The North Star District proudly presents to you, the Bear Claw.
Zim, Herbert S. and Robert H. Baker. Stars-A Guide to the Constellations, Sun, Moon, Planets and Other Features of the Heavens. Golden Press: New York, 1985