Girls across the country, including a handful right here in North Texas, are making history. They are part of the inaugural female class of Scouts B.S.A. earning a coveted rank: Eagle Scout.
From camping to survival and leadership training, earning merit badges along the way, Makayla Lunday says joining the youth organization formally known as the Boy Scouts of America has taught her life-long skills.
“Everyone just embraces failing almost because every time you fail, that’s another success coming,” she said.
This 17-year-old has indeed succeeded.
She is one of the country’s very first female Eagle Scouts since the Irving-based Scouts B.S.A. allowed girls to join in 2017.
“A very small percentage of all Scouts who join the program earn Eagle Scout,” said her father David Lunday. “And for her to be one of the very first girls to earn Eagle Scout, the highest rank in scouting, it’s a really big deal.”
The 11th grader is in an all-girl troop in the Circle Ten Council which encompasses part of North Texas and Southern Oklahoma.
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Makayla is also a Girl Scout, which has found itself competing for members since the dramatic shift in policy.
“[Girl Scouts] wasn’t as interactive enough for me and with Boy Scouts you get to camp more and you actually get to shoot guns and it’s so much more fun,” she said.
Her message to girls: you can do it.
“I would just encourage them with all my heart because it would change their life completely,” she gushed.
A representative from Circle Ten Council tells NBC 5 there are just a handful of female Eagle Scouts at this point. ‘The numbers should increase a bit the first part of next year.’
