When girls were allowed to join the Boys Scouts in 2019, signing up was a no-brainer for Ingrid Moore. Her father Adam Moore is an Eagle Scout and would run meetings at their home for her brother Huck’s troop. Ingrid would join in — learning how to build fires, use knives and tag along on camping trips.

“Once girls joined, it would be ridiculous if I didn’t join because I was already doing the work,” Ingrid said. “Why not get credit for it and actually show something for what I was already doing and what I was interested in.”

Two years later and Ingrid Moore, a senior at the regional high school, is now the Island’s first female Eagle Scout, an arduous process that involves earning 21 merit badges for things like personal fitness, first aid and cooking, as well as a service project. Prospective Eagle Scouts have until they are 18 years old to finish the requirements, and most start at about 12 years old.

Working with Hunter Bolduc.

Courtesy Adam Moore

Working with Hunter Bolduc.

Courtesy Adam Moore

Ingrid started when she was 16, she said.

“I’m a bit shocked, but also excited that I finished it,” she said. “With all the other stuff that was going on it was getting a little difficult to finish all the other requirements...but I did it.”

Similar international scouting organizations have been allowing girls “for a long time,” according to scoutmaster Sarah Carr. Subgroups of Boy Scouts, such as the Sea Scouts and the Venturing Crew, have also previously allowed girls. But young women were not allowed to join the Boy Scouts and begin preparing to become an Eagle Scout until Feb. 1, 2019.

“The United States was kind of slow [in] allowing that to happen,” Ms. Carr said.

Troop 193 is the Island’s first female troop. Ingrid and Gabby Carr, Ms. Carr’s daughter, were the first and only members. Gabby, who is a year older than Ingrid, was unable to complete the requirements for Eagle Scout before she turned 18.

The process puts an emphasis on leadership development, which is something Ingrid thrived at, according to Ms. Carr.

“She has grown into a great leader. That is one of the main goals of scouting, to teach kids to be leaders,” Ms. Carr said.

Ingrid, center, with fellow Boy Scouts.

Courtesy Adam Moore

Ingrid, center, with fellow Boy Scouts.

Courtesy Adam Moore

The merit badge process allowed Ingrid to explore her interests in environmental science and zoology. She made plaster casts for animal tracks and categorized local plant and fish species.

“I had an excuse to sit at the pond and watch wildlife and do research and be immersed in that,” Ingrid said.

For her final project she created a storyboard box at Misty Meadows in West Tisbury. Similar to the one at Sheriff’s Meadow, the box has eight boards with about four pages from a children’s book on each. Currently the book on display is Fritz and the Beautiful Horses by Jan Brett.

“As you walk along the property you can read a book. It’s mainly for younger kids to be immersed in nature and develop reading skills and actually enjoy reading,” Ingrid said.

She plans to swap out books every month and is working with the West Tisbury Library for future book ideas. “I was going to start doing horse books just to encourage people to get involved in Misty Meadows,” she said.

At the moment there are no girls in the Boy Scout troop. “Right now I’m just hoping I’m not the last female Eagle Scout, at least for a while,” Ingrid said.

But there are a few female Cub Scouts, Ms. Carr added, and she hopes Ingrid’s accomplishment will inspire other young women.

“I’m hoping that more girls will feel confident that they can do it or be comfortable in joining,” Ms. Carr said.