A group of 17 girls in Pennsylvania have formed one of the nation’s first all-female scout troops since the Boy Scouts of America began accepting girls this month.
Chester County’s Troop 19 held their first official meeting in recent weeks, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, which reported that the troop is the nation’s first.
A spokeswoman for the Boy Scouts of America noted to The Hill that the national organization has not officially identified a first all-girl troop.
Melissa Pendill, the troop’s scout leader, told the Enquirer that the girls in her troop, some of whom are also in the Girl Scouts, are “trailblazers.”
“They just want an opportunity, and it’s available, so they’re grabbing it,” she told the paper.
{mosads}The parent organization, Boy Scouts of America, began officially allowing girls to join the Boy Scouts at the start of February, and are rebranding it as “Scouts BSA.” Girls joining the organization are required to be part of all-female troops, according to the Inquirer.
The Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts of America’s kids’ program, has accepted girls since last year. The organization will also begin accepting female Eagle Scouts this year.
“The values of Scouting — trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example — are important for both young men and women,” the Boy Scouts’ chief scout executive, Michael Surbaugh, said at the time.
At Chester County Troop 19’s first meeting, the girls were practicing knot-tying. They have also spent time hiking and chopping firewood, Pendill told the Enquirer.
“Their enthusiasm about everything is amazing,” she said. “It’s so contagious. They realize that this is a moment in time, and they’re a part of it.”
– This story was updated at 4:14 p.m. with additional information from Boy Scouts of America