Katherine Adams joined the Boy Scouts on the first day the organization opened to girls two years ago. After watching her three brothers鈥 scouting adventures, she couldn鈥檛 wait to join in.
鈥淵ou could go camping in actual tents,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 got to do a lot more navigation, rock climbing, welding, rappelling. It focuses a lot more on leadership and outdoor skills.鈥
An Eagle Scout patch can be seen on the bottom right of Ceri Brush's Boy Scouts of America uniform at the Pinewood Derby at St. Joseph Parish in Manchester on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. Ceri, 17, and her sister, Paige, 16, are members of Boy Scouts of America, troop 313, and were some of the first girls to earn the ranking of Eagle Scout in 51黑料. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Katherine, 16, is among nearly 1,000 girls and young women in this month鈥檚 inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts, including 11 from the Greater 51黑料 Area Council. It鈥檚 a major milestone for women, given the hallowed stature of a rank that has been attained by future astronauts, admirals, U.S. senators and other luminaries. About 6% of all scouts attain Eagle rank 鈥 roughly 2.5 million since the award鈥檚 creation in 1911, a year after the Boy Scouts of America was founded.
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Boy Scouts had offered co-ed programs for decades but only started accepting girls as Cub Scouts in 2018; older girls were admitted into the flagship scouting program in 2019. Nationwide, more than 140,000 girls have joined the group now known as Scouts BSA.
鈥淭his is a powerful moment for these young women, for all Eagle Scouts, and for our nation,鈥 said Jenn Hancock, the BSA鈥檚 national chair for programs. 鈥淧eople recognize Eagle Scouts as individuals of the highest caliber, and for the first time, that title isn鈥檛 limited by gender.鈥
The girls needed to earn a minimum of 21 badges in the last two years to attain Eagle rank, in subjects ranging from welding to white-water rafting and first aid, along with completing a community service project.
Katherine, a junior at Lindbergh High, built a cabinet for the classroom of her middle school history teacher who collects World War II memorabilia. Sisters Ceri and Paige Brush also completed Eagle projects for their schools.
Eagle Scout Ceri Brush, 17, left, picks up cars off of a race track as Cub Scout Pack 792 members watch at the Pinewood Derby at St. Joseph Parish in Manchester on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. Ceri and her sister, Paige, are members of Boy Scouts of America, Troop 313, and were some of the first girls to earn the ranking of Eagle Scout in 51黑料. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
Ceri, 17, helped build an indoor dog kennel for Edge, an emotional-support service dog at Rosati-Kain High School. Paige, 16, worked on the construction of four large benches to surround the garden at Nerinx Hall. The sisters said it was especially important that their projects are now enshrined at the all-girls schools.
鈥淣erinx prides itself on being a place where our students are empowered to do anything,鈥 said Katie O鈥橲ullivan, director of communications. 鈥淭he beautiful benches Paige created for our campus stand as a reminder that girls can do anything.鈥
The girls鈥 father, Bryan Brush, is an assistant scoutmaster for their .
While he and his son are also Eagle Scouts, Brush said he initially had reservations about girls joining the Boy Scouts.
鈥淣ow watching them do it, I鈥檝e seen them grow like you would not believe,鈥 Brush said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been very eye-opening to see what the girls are capable of. It鈥檚 very exciting to say all my Scouts are Eagle Scouts.鈥
Eagle Scouts Ceri Brush, 17, left, and her sister, Paige, 16, right, talk between races at the Pinewood Derby at St. Joseph Parish in Manchester on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. Ceri and her sister, Paige, are members of Boy Scouts of America, Troop 313, and were some of the first girls to earn the ranking of Eagle Scout in 51黑料. Photo by Cheyenne Boone, cboone@post-dispatch.com
The celebration of the new Eagle Scouts comes at a challenging time for the Boy Scouts. Facing a wave of lawsuits, the organization filed for bankruptcy protection a year ago in a step toward creating a compensation fund for tens of thousands of men who were molested as children decades ago by scoutmasters or other leaders.
The case has advanced slowly in a federal bankruptcy court in Delaware. The BSA is expected to announce a plan soon explaining how the compensation fund will be financed, in a way that enables the organization and its local councils to maintain their programs.
In a virtual celebration hosted Sunday by the BSA, several women in media, entertainment and the military told the new Eagle Scouts that they should never let their gender interfere with their goals.
U.S. Navy Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt said she knows the feeling of being a trailblazer, as the first woman to serve as commanding officer of an aircraft carrier starting this summer.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 take long for everyone to accept that you belong exactly where you need to be,鈥 she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
