Female Eagle Scouts: For the first time, girls were eligible to become Eagle Scouts – and nearly 1,000 earned elite rank

“Earning the rank of Eagle Scout helps young people acquire new skills, learn to overcome obstacles and demonstrate leadership among their peers and in their communities,” said a BSA statement to CNN. “These benefits are invaluable, and we are delighted that they are now available to both young men and young women.”

Becoming an Eagle Scout is not easy

Becoming an Eagle Scout is a rigorous process. A candidate must earn 21 merit badges ranging in subject matter from first aid to business, take on leadership roles, and undertake a major community service project. All of this must be done before you turn 18.

Due to the tough requirements, only 6% of Boy Scouts become Eagle Scouts, BSA told CNN.

Because girls were not admitted into the organization until 2019, some, like Mia Dawbin, a Maine resident who turned 18 on Jan. 3, was a time-cracker. She noted that older girls in the organization needed to have “a plan” to complete as soon as possible, although some were given a reprieve due to the pandemic.

Being in BSA was “kind of in the family,” said Dawbin. Her father and uncles were Eagle Scouts, and her grandfather was their Scoutmaster. Like Johnston, she had attended BSA events while her siblings were growing up.

Earning badges and completing projects became difficult as the Covid-19 pandemic limited personal activities. Some tailored their projects to help others during the pandemic: Johnson organized a food and donation campaign for the New Hampshire Human Society, Dawbin donated 201 care kits containing masks and hand sanitizer to local homeless shelters, and 17-year-old Ysa Duenas Chesapeake, Virginia, made foot-operated sanitizers for its local YMCA.

“I was just trying to make sure I was doing my part to keep the community safe,” said Duenas.

They were faced with questions as to why they would want to become a Boy Scout

Aside from completing difficult tasks in a limited timeline, the girls in this class faced one major barrier: one of the first female scouts in BSA. Lauren Krimm, a 19-year-old from Maryland, recalled facing setbacks from peers who wondered why she would want to join BSA as a girl.

The most hurtful comments, she said, came from other girls.

“I had to pave the way, I had to clear the way and prove that we can and that we go, they, no matter how hard others push back, we will keep moving forward,” Krimm said. “Of all the people I thought would have given me back, that was the last group of people I expected.”

Dawbin said she too was criticized, and recalled a case when she was 14 when parents asked why a girl was a staff member in Boy Scout camps.

Duenas noted that when she joined BSA, she was delighted at the prospect of spending more time with her male friends. However, this excitement was short-lived, as she said the boys “didn’t want me there.”

Instead, she found camaraderie with other girls in her troop.

“It was a little bit heartbreaking, but it really fed me because I thought, ‘Well if you don’t want me here, that’s fine, but I’m going to do the same as you, but better’, ‘Duenas said. having intercourse with, you know, strong, independent women who were able to govern themselves, gave me the strength. “

And they hope to encourage other girls to follow them

Cooking skills, time management and improved communication are just some of the lessons from BSA that the female Scouts said they will carry with them in the future. Along with these skills comes the prospect that other girls can follow in their footsteps.

“If you have the opportunity to participate, get involved and work your best for it,” said Johnston. “It’s not always going to be easy, you can get some resistance, but I really hope that gets easier for future girls.”

“Not everyone is going to be super excited about everything you want to achieve in life, but you don’t have to pay attention to people telling you that you can’t or can’t do something,” said Dawbin.

While they hope their accomplishments encourage younger girls, these women said the most memorable and enjoyable aspects of becoming Eagle Scouts didn’t come from being the first.

Instead, they remember the hard work and community they found in being a part of BSA.

“I didn’t, so I could get on TV, be interviewed and go down in history. I did it because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, something I knew I would be proud of and that no one can do. ever take anything away from me, ”said Krimm.