Earlier this week, Elizabeth successfully completed her Eagle Board of Review, and just like that ... we had two Eagle Scouts in the house.
Because people who do not know us have felt compelled to comment on the lack of 21 merit badges on her sash [on Facebook!], it's important to note that she is awaiting at least 10 badges that were received over the past few months, but have not yet been shipped up from Texas. Perhaps I'm a bit hypersensitive to it, but over the past two and a half years, I have received a lot of "thinly veiled criticism" about girls in the "boy" scouting program. Having been a Girl Scout Leader for several years, and a BSA Scoutmaster for several years ... my opinion is that no youth program out there prepares the future leaders of tomorrow for tomorrow, like the BSA program.
And in case there is any doubt, or reservation regarding the incredible VALUE of girls in scouting:
When the opportunity presented itself in the spring of 2019 for girls to join BSA (Boy Scouts of America), Elizabeth is the one who really pushed our family, and her sister, to pursue it. And ultimately, convinced me - when no one else stepped up - to be the Scoutmaster.
She eagerly signed up as a founding member of the first girls-only troop in our area, and started recruiting friends from school and around the neighborhood, so that there would be enough people for a charter. She then worked tirelessly, to not only get herself through the rigorous rank requirements, but developed plans to help support the girls in the troop through the program, too.
She would do her absolute best to be at every meeting.
Every campout.
Every backpacking trip.
Every merit badge class.
Every service opportunity.
Every remote conference.
Every cooking competition.
Every boating event.
Every dance off.
Every plane ride.
In her full uniform from head to toe (including scout socks!), she served as an awesome example for not only her own troop - but her brothers' troop, too.
As the first elected Senior Patrol Leader, she worked extremely hard to make everyone feel welcome, and encouraged others to do the same. Even now, as we've moved to an entirely new state - she is using the skills that she has learned in scouting, to connect and serve others: like runners who hurt themselves during races, or pass out from heat exhaustion.
While scout troops around the world were losing members because of the pandemic, with Liz's enthusiasm and support - and awesome leadership skills (refined at ILST and NYLT) - we watched the headcount of our girls troop steadily grow from 3 to 27 within less than two years.
During this time, she recognized that she's a pretty good aim. While we were at the Philmont Family Camp two summers ago, she came back to the tent to let me know that for her birthday she wanted a 12-gauge shotgun. Wait, what?! Turns out she was able to consistently shoot 24/25 clay pigeon targets, surpassing young and old, alike.
And while we were at the BSA high adventure camp, Sea Base, this past Spring Break - she was elected Crew Captain of the 20-person co-ed charter, and had the helm of a 75-foot schooner for much of the week, as we sailed around the Florida Keys.
Every single weekend for the past year, she met with younger scouts from the troop and would "mentor" them on rank requirements: Knot tying, map and compass, lashing, fire starting, first aid, camping, cooking. She could do it all.
More than once, we had girls to our house, and Liz would be in the pool with them, teaching them how to swim so that they could pass the swim test and join us on water outings. She's taught at least two young women the critical skills of swimming; something they will likely thank her for - for the rest of their lives. She also worked tirelessly and compassionately as a Den Chief, working with the little cub scouts, and encouraging the younger girls to remain involved with the program.
This past spring, our girls troop participated in its first district-wide Camporee. Camporee last year had been canceled because of COVID, so this was the first opportunity the girls had the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and compete against boy troops from the area. In the end, they wound up taking the top awards, besting more than 40 local troops, including best second year patrol; best third year patrol; best overall patrol, and the coveted HONOR troop.
It was AWESOME!
One of the proudest moments of my life was to see our girls, who had worked so hard individually - and together as a troop, totally sweep this competition. And since it was a predominantly quantitative event, there was no mistake that these awards were justifiably earned and not just "given" to the girls.
A few weeks later, over the course of two days, Elizabeth recruited 60 people to come help her complete her Eagle Scout project, a 150-foot trail improvement in a nature preserve near our neighborhood in Texas.
And while we were on our six-week ... turned 12-week camping trip this summer ... she wrote up her final report, and jumped through the countless hoops to get all of the approvals in place that were required for her Eagle Scout rank.
While she was not in the inaugural class of 1,000 awesome female Eagle Scouts that was held in February 2021; she is in the inaugural "year" of female Eagle Scouts in the United States and is the first female Eagle Scout in her Texas troop and district. Moreover, if she was registered in Vermont - she would have been the first female Eagle Scout awarded in the Green Mountain State.
Alas, that honor will likely go to her sister, Carolyn, who is working hard to have her Eagle Scout finished by the end of the year.
Moreover, I would argue that although our boys have been in scouting since they were six-years-old, if not for Elizabeth's passion - energy - and her motivation to advance, the rest of our family wouldn't have worked so hard to keep up. I'm convinced that William's ability to wrap up his Eagle Scout rank last month, is largely due to his sister - hot on his heels. The diversity and inclusion value that girls bring to the scouting program is that they make it - and every single person in it - BETTER.
And THAT is a pretty darn good thing.
But for now, we could not be more proud of our newest Eagle Scout!
YES WE CAN!
