A number of Lebanon community leaders came out yesterday morning to a Friends of Scouting breakfast fundraiser in support of the Boy Scouts of America’s Horse-Shoe Trail District, a member of the Pennsylvania Dutch Council.

The big news being celebrated is of course the recent introduction of all-female troops to the Boy Scouts of America. All-female and all-male troops are separately chartered and managed, but otherwise feature the same exact skills and curriculum as each other—and both programs will continue to culminate with the potential achievement of Eagle Scout rank.

While no change this big goes without controversy, Pennsylvania Dutch Council CEO Matt Adams noted that he knew it would be okay when he heard a board member talk about how great it would be to someday participate in an Eagle Scout ceremony for his granddaughter.

This (achieving Eagle Scout) was pretty much the goal expressed by 15 year old Lexie Kovach, who shared her scouting story with the breakfast crowd. Despite a little nervousness leading up to the official February 1 inception of all-girl “Sister” Troop 456, she said it went very well, and that her troop of currently five young women is off to a great start.

Kovach hopes to be part of the inaugural class of Eagle Scouts hailing from the all-girl troops, and says that her experience already with Boy Scouts activities has guided her towards a potential career path as a counselor. After spending last summer at Camp Bashore as a Counselor-in-Training, she will return as a handicraft instructor this year, in addition to taking a week off to attend camp herself with the troop.

Another up-and-coming scout, Beatrice Freer, also addressed the crowd.

Other speakers included Jeb White, Cubmaster of Pack 415 of Lebanon, and David Warner Jr, who served as the Horse-Shoe Trail Community Breakfast Chairman.

Table hosts at the event included Tracie Clemens, Patrick Freer, Greg Lesher, Barry Miller, Bill Smeltzer, and Dave Warner. Breakfast sponsors included the Navy Club of Lebanon Ship 91, Lesher Mack, Meyer Oil Co., Buzgon Davis, and Lebanon Federal Credit Union.

Full disclosure: David Warner is currently an advisor to LebTown and we attended the event as his guest. However, neither he nor BSA had any input on this post.

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