Female Scout troop brings home patches, friendships from summer camp

From first aid to kayaking, the members of Scout Troop 86 Green tried nearly everything that Camp Comer had to offer in their first summer at camp.

Troop 86 Green is the first Birmingham-area girls troop since Boy Scouts of America, now Scouts BSA, opened up its program to female Scouts. Based at St. Luke’s Episcopal in Mountain Brook with their counterpart, the boys Troop 86 Blue, the new troop includes girls ages 11-17 from Birmingham, Homewood, Hoover, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills.

This was the first time that Camp Comer, located in Mentone, hosted both male and female troops from around the region. Troop 86 Green Scoutmaster Katy Anderson said it was mostly a smooth transition and they generally felt welcomed.

“They had a good time and they’re just one of the youth. Not one of the boys or one of the girls. They’re just there, functioning as an independent unit,” she said.

The patch given out this year, Anderson said, had the Scouts’ fleur-de-lis in pink to recognize the first year of female campers.

Hoover resident and Altamont School junior Jaye Conn said a few boys at the camp made comments about the female troops being there, but she believes it was partly because some of the girls were beating them in games.

“I think they were just jealous that some of us were better at Gagaball than they were,” she said.

“I guess not all of the male troops are accustomed to having all the girls with them, but most of all everybody was awesome,” Conn added.

The female and male Scouts stayed in different areas of the camp — where, Anderson said, some of Troop 86 made a “hammock village” to sleep in — but they had the chance to participate in the same activities, from the service project clearing trails at DeSoto State Park to the evening campfires.

“Camp was awesome. I was a little bit nervous about sleeping in tents for a week, but it ended up being a great time,” Conn said.

Troop 86 Green doesn’t have a troop flag yet, so they carried a homemade “founders flag” with squares decorated by each member.

The girls got to choose from a variety of activities and classes to earn badges and work toward the pinnacle of Scouting, the Eagle Scout rank.

Some of the girls chose Eagle Scout-oriented badges like emergency preparedness, environmental science and communication, while others chose badges for fun like pottery, movie-making and graphic design.

“They had a great time. They earned all kinds of merit badges,” Anderson said.

She said almost all of her troop has expressed an interest in becoming an Eagle Scout, which requires completing a service project and certain other ranks and badges within Scouting.

Conn is one of two older members of the troop hoping to be part of the first official female class of Eagle Scouts, which Anderson said will be recognized in October 2020.

Along with them, Homewood resident Helen Parris, who will attend Berry College in Georgia this fall, is also working toward Eagle Scout. She participates in Venture Crew, a co-ed program from Boy Scouts of America, and earned Venturing’s highest honor, the Summit award, earlier this year.

Since she joined Troop 86 after age 16, she will have an extension of up to two years to complete her Eagle Scout project. Parris will work with a troop near her college to help complete the project.

“I’d just hate myself if I didn’t try to get it, at least,” she said.

As one of the older girls in Troop 86, Parris said she sees her role as a mentor to the younger members.

Since forming the troop in February, the girls have camped out, participated in a Flag Day ceremony at Vulcan Park and attended a Camporee, bringing home ribbons in stilt racing and a fire-building competition, Anderson said.

She said the girls in the troop have been very achievement-oriented in pursuing their merit badges, more so than the boys she worked with in her sons’ troop.

“I don’t know if it’s just because it’s historic, but they’re so excited to be here,” she said.

However, Camp Comer was as much about becoming better friends as it was about new patches to add to their shirts.

“Summer camp really gave them a chance to bond,” Anderson said.

Troop 86 Green meets at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays at St. Luke’s Scout House, and girls ages 11-17 are welcome to join. Email Troop86 Green@gmail.com for more information about the troop.