They will be among hundreds in the inaugural class, marking a milestone for the program, with skills the young women can hold onto for a lifetime.
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GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Fifteen local young adults are set to soar as the nation’s first female Eagle Scouts. They will be among hundreds in the inaugural class, marking a milestone for the program, with skills the young women can hold onto for a lifetime.
Bay-Lakes Council, one of the largest Boy Scout councils in the Midwest said 15 young women have completed requirements to earn the program’s highest rank, which only 6% of scouts on average achieve.
“It feels good, when I first started doing scouts I wasn’t expecting to get my Eagle Scout so fast or I didn’t have a goal of getting it, I kind of just went with it, because my brother was also in scouts,” said Aubree Kubicki, a future Eagle Scout and freshman at Bay Port High School.
Coinciding with the national program, 2019 was a milestone year in Bay-Lakes Council, expanding its co-ed programs it opened membership to girls ages 11 through 18.
“Man, I thought it was so cool that I was going to be in the first class, I definitely wanted to get my eagle scout, I knew that from the start, but I also wanted to help the other girls in my troop get there too,” said Raegen Schwartz, a future Eagle Scout and freshman at Appleton North High School.
By the end of the year, Bay-Lakes Council welcomed 176 young women into 25 new Scouts BSA troops.
Kubicki and Schwarz said being a part of the program means lifelong friends and skills, but there’s different opportunities as well, “like job opportunities since you do hold a lot of character, then you’d be more likely to get that position,” said Schwartz.
Part of the requirements include a range of topics like first aid, civics, business, and the environment.
“I can tell I’m more daring to do this type of stuff, I would never want to talk to people I don’t know, and get out of my comfort zone, which I’m doing right now, that’s what being an eagle means to me,” said Kubicki.
The girls feel honored and say they hope to inspire more girls in their current troops to also soar to the ranking of Eagle Scout.
