Scouts BSA are preparing to recognize the first female Eagle Scout in Bartholomew County.
Laura Duro, 17, will become the first female Eagle Scout in the Columbus area next month, Hoosier Trail Council executive Glen Steenberger said.
The Columbus North senior is one of only three female Eagle Scouts in the 18-county Hoosier Trail Council of Scouts BSA that will be inducted into the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts next month, Steenberger said.
“Laura is exceptional,” said Steenberger in regard to the daughter of Elton and Karin Duro of Columbus.
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On Feb. 1, 2019, the Boy Scouts program changed its name to Scouts BSA, and now allows girls to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. This change provides young females 11-17 a path to earn the organization’s highest rank.
Duro admits that becoming an Eagle Scout wasn’t something she had daydreamed about as a little girl.
“I didn’t know if I really wanted to join (Scouts BSA) because it was a new thing for girls, and it was a big decision I had to make,” Duro said. “But since both of my brothers are in scouting, and my Dad is fond of the program, they sort of pushed me into it.”
Her 20-year-old brother, Eduardo, became an Eagle Scout, while her younger broker, Alberto, is enjoying being a scout at age 14.
Duro’s family has long been a part of the summer camp program at the Maumee Scout Reservation, located near Norman, Indiana, Steenberger said. The teen said she became part of Scouts BSA in order to work there with other family members.
When she joined Scouts BSA in April, 2019 Duro was 15, which is older than most children are when they begin the programs. That made it feel natural to her to overcome the challenges and make the achievements required to become a top scout, she said.
“I had already had a few leadership roles outside of scouting, so it was pretty natural for me to lead other scouts and take on that role,” Duro said.
The journey was more important than reaching the destination, Duro said of becoming an Eagle Scout.
Earning merit badges ranging from communications to First Aid have all taught her valuable life skills and made her more knowledgeable, she said.
“In the future, I’m going to use the things we’ve learned, such as the scout oath and the scout law,” Duro said. “I want to become that admirable adult that people want to see in the future.”
Working toward the Eagle Scout designation wasn’t about female stereotypes or traditional male roles, Duro said.
“Lots of girls are now doing things that have traditionally been looked at as boys activities,” Duro said.
About 15% of the participants served by the Hoosier Trail Council last year were female, Steenberger said. There has been an impact on recruiting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, he said.
Duro’s Eagle Scout Service project was to set up blocks of wood inside boxes with holes for bees to nest inside. Instead of hives, many bees prefer to find holes, crevices, cracks and tree hollows to stay in. The “bee hotels” that Duro constructed have been used successfully to create extra pollination for fruits and vegetables.
After graduating from Columbus North, Duro plans to study psychology at Indiana University, as well as minor in Chinese.
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Since its inception in 1911, only 4 percent of members have earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America.
Requirements include
- Earning at least 21 merit badges.
- Demonstrate Scout Spirit, an ideal attitude based upon the Scout Oath and Law, service, and leadership.
- Completing an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages.
Eagle Scouts are presented with a medal and a badge that visibly recognizes the accomplishments of the Scout. Additional recognition can be earned through Eagle Palms, awarded for completing additional tenure, leadership, and merit badge requirements.
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