Official Kids Mag

Kathryn Singleton soars as first female eagle Scout in northwest arkansas By Randy Rice Official Kids Mag What do Neil Armstong, first man to walk on the moon, Academy Award- winning director Steven Speilberg and former president Gerald Ford have in common? They were all Eagle Scouts, the highest rank a scout can obtain! And on Sunday, February 21, Bella Vista teen Kathryn Singleton made history when she joined the ranks of those esteemed men by becoming Westark Area Council's first female Eagle Scout. Kathryn is our Kid Hero this month! Becoming an Eagle Scout is a rare honor. They don't just give it out - a scout has to earn it. Each year, only about 6% of eligible scouts become Eagle Scouts. When you think about the entire population of scout-age kids in the United States, that percentage drops to about 0.3%. What is really exciting about Kathryn is the fact that up until two years ago, girls were not even allowed into the program. It was in May of 2018 that the Boy Scout organization announced it was changing the program's name and would open first their Cub Scouts program, for kids ages 7-10, to girls. And starting on February 1, 2019, all girls in the U.S. were officially invited to join the boys ages 11-17 into the older scouting program. As a grade schooler, Kathryn participated in all the family Cub Scout activities alongside her younger brother, Cameron, helping her family earn the "BSA Family Award" in 2012. She watched for years as he gained leadership and outdoor skills, and advanced towards Eagle. In 2019, Kathryn seized upon the opportunity to officially join the program Cameron was in. Kathryn then went on, in two short years, to attain Eagle ahead of her younger brother. One of the final steps in reaching the Eagle rank is a project. Kathryn's project was actually inspired by the pandemic. "My project idea came to life just after the pandemic hit, when I found a unique pattern for a crocheted mask holder," she explained. "This item allows the wearer to bypass hooking the mask loop around their ears, and instead hook them onto buttons attached to either side of the holder. I knew there was a need for this kind of mask." Kathryn gathered youth and adults in both boys and girls troops in her district to help make the masks, and also secure the materials she needed for the project. In a few short weeks she was able to distribute the holders to three non-profits in the Northwest Arkansas area. One of those non-profits was The Pack Shack, in Cave Springs, AR. "We were so delighted to receive Kathryn's mask holders! They arrived at a much needed time and made our days so much more comfortable when wearing a mask for hours. Who knew that such a kind action would be so meaningful?" said Bret Raymond, Chief Executive Officer of the Pack Shack. Since the BSA expanded their program to girls, more than 140,000 girls have joined. And two years after girls were first allowed into the Boy Scouts, almost 1,000 of them rose to the top rank of Eagle Scout. To obtain the Eagle Scout honor, you have to move through the seven ranks of scouting. When you join you are a Scout. Then you have six ranks above that: Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and the highest rank, Eagle. To become an Eagle Scout you must also earn merit badges. Merit badges are awards earned based on activities within the area of study by completing a list of requirements. The purpose of the merit badge program is to allow scouts to explore different subjects to see if they would be interested in them as a career. 46 • June 2021 • www.officialkidsMag.com

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