Female Eagle Scout serves the community with service project
Kyla is in Scout Troop 1215. To become an Eagle Scout, she had to complete a service project.
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Those in Scouts BSA know the honor it is to become an Eagle Scout. How about a female becoming one at only the age of 15?
Kyla Burke worked extremely hard to become an Eagle Scout. She recalls using her motivation to earn this badge and the desire to do something good for the community to, in the end, earn her wings.
The highest rank attainable for scouts is the rank of an Eagle Scout. Burke just passed her board of review to earn this honor.
Kyla is a founding member of her female Scouts BSA Troop 1215. To become an Eagle Scout, she had to complete a service project.
“I’ve been a scout since about half-way through sixth grade when my friend’s dad started a troop,” said Kyla. “They were recruiting people and I’m one of the founding members of the troop. We’ve been in operation for, I think, four years now, and I’m the first one in the troop to Eagle out.”
Kyla said she knew exactly what she wanted to do for her service project in order to eagle out.
She created an American Flag retirement box and it is located at the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department. She said she wanted to give back to scouting and honor the American Flag.
Kyla said, “I just kind of wanted to learn more about the process of raising, lowering, respecting — all that — for the American Flag. I found the Eagle opportunity to create this box so that the flag’s get all the respect they deserve so that’s what I did for my Eagle Project.”
Members of the community have already put Kyla’s good deed to use. She said she feels most happy knowing that others are properly retiring their American Flags, as scouts emphasize the importance of the American Flag as a sacred piece of of U.S. history.
Kyla plans to stay active in her troop despite eagling out. She hopes she can help other girls accomplish their goal of earning their wings.
According to Scouts BSA, only about 6% of scouts on average attain scouting’s highest rank, which requires individuals to take on leadership roles within their troop and their community; earn a minimum of 21 merit badges that cover a broad range of topics including first aid and safety, civics, business and the environment; and research, organize and complete a large community service project.
Out of those who attain that rank, 97.5% are male and only 2.5% are female.
