A Girl’s Eye View of BSA Camping, Philmont Scout Ranch

By: Megan Dean Egan Miller

Watching my dad, I’ve seen countless examples of what he gained from advancing to Eagle Scout. 

From assisting in first aid to helping get cars unstuck, he uses skills learned in Scouting to help others and solve problems. 

Like my father, I am now an Eagle Scout, a path I share with fewer than 5,000 women. 

My journey to Eagle took 20 months, during which I found my voice, better understood the voices of others, and sensed what it meant to be a female in a predominantly male organization. 

The newness of women integrating into the BSA organization brought extra challenges.

I sometimes felt disheartened at summer camps and the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico by leaders who did not believe women fit their ideals of the organization. 

At a Philmont leadership meeting, where I sat surrounded by 63 male crew leaders my same age, the assistant camp director began by asking us 20 questions. 

I raised my hand.

The director looked directly at my raised hand and picked a different Scout. That was fine. The director asked another question, and the same thing happened. After the 10th question, I began to realize I was being ignored. 

My irritation grew, and some of the boys sitting at the table next to me also noticed. They started pointing at my raised hand so the director would see, but he still didn’t pick me. 

After being ignored for every question, I knew it would take more to convince those around me that I deserved to be heard just as much as the boys.  

However, I looked up to Anabelle Sartain, the first female in the West Park district to become an Eagle Scout, and many strong female Scout leaders.

Women like my Scoutmaster, Dorothy Krouse, helped me see how women added to Scouting and helped me feel I was in the right place. 

In the past year, I also enjoyed meeting two European exchange students with a decade of Scouting experience.

They joined our Troop 1899 and emphasized that in Scouting, equality was paramount. 

Their organizations in France and Spain have been co-ed for years, and their positive experiences have given me hope that Scouts BSA will be just as successful.

Many of my U.S. male peers have also shown me women belong and can thrive.  

Throughout my journey to Eagle, my family, leaders, and fellow scouts helped me find my voice as a leader, a voice fueled by empathy and backed by my love of knowledge. 

Some people achieve the Eagle rank and leave it in the past. Others, like my father, apply Scouting’s lessons every day. 

I believe my actions will always convey that I am an Eagle Scout. I intend to stay involved and encourage young girls they have a place in BSA and that Scouting will continue to grow and support all its members. 

Megan Dean Egan Miller is a senior at Highland Park High School.