Faralyn Stroop was always a scout — sort of.

Because her brothers were Cub Scouts, a program in the Boy Scouts of America that was only for boys, Faralyn was able to follow along.

“For all their meetings, I’d go with them and I’d tag along and I’d get to see all the cool stuff they’d do,” Faralyn said Friday over a Zoom call. “From carving their own wood derby cars and racing them, going on campouts at the school.”

Though she wasn’t in the program itself, Faralyn was basically following along as if she were. With her love for learning, Faralyn happily sat in the meetings and classes with her parents, where she learned skills such as first aid and setting up tents, to name a few.

Now, Faralyn has come a long way, going as far as making history as she and nearly 1,000 girls were selected for the BSA’s inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts, a prestigious achievement only 6% of members achieve on average.

Previously, the only co-ed programs offered by the BSA were Sea Scouts, Venturing, Exploring and STEM Scouts. Originally, two programs were limited to boys: the Cub Scouts and the Boy Scouts. However, that changed in June 2018, when girls were welcomed to join the Cub Scouts.

Then, after rebranding the Boy Scouts to Scouts BSA in February 2019, all the programs at the BSA were officially co-ed, which also allowed girls to work toward earning the Eagle Scout rank.

It was a no-brainer for Faralyn, a 17-year-old Edinburg High School senior.

Because she had followed along, it was easy for her and her sister to fit in after they joined the Scouts BSA, she said. In fact, Faralyn is a Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), the highest youth leadership position in a troop. More importantly, SPL is the middle ground between a troop’s scouts and its adult leaders. 

The Rio Grande Valley’s Faralyn F. Stroop made local history last month aftrer becoming one of the nation’s first female Eagle Scouts, a prestigious achievement in the Boy Scouts of America organization. She is one of hundreds who make up the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts. (Courtesy photo)

“It feels extraordinary, that’s the simplest way to put it,” Faralyn answered when asked how it felt to be recognized. “When I was able to join and I was on my way going through my journey as a scout, I wasn’t expecting to receive such an honor.”

In order to be an Eagle Scout, requirements must be fulfilled in the areas of leadership, service and outdoor skills, in addition to a large service project and earning a minimum of 21 out of the 136 merit badges available. Some notable Eagle Scouts are Neil Armstrong, Bill Gates and Steven Spielberg.

In Faralyn’s case, she earned a total of 41 merit badges and her service project was a prayer labyrinth that took a little over 400 hours to complete at Oblate Park across the street from St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Mission.

Knowing that religion is an important part of the community, and to herself, Faralyn ultimately decided on a place where people can relieve stress and find solace, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. 

Brad Bentsen, the director for the city of Mission’s Parks and Recreation, said in his 16 years as parks manager and 18 years as a Boy Scouts leader, no service project for Eagle Scout candidates were as well presented and thoughtful as Faralyn’s. 

“No matter what possible problem I posed, she had a solution,” Bentsen said in a news release. “Faralyn’s project was well-thought out, well prepared and well-orchestrated with all those that participated in the installation.”

Through the AutoCAD engineering program, Faralyn was able to build her project from scratch and develop it as she needed along the way. Once she had everything, Faralyn said they hit the ground running on Thanksgiving break. During that week, she said they were working from 8 a.m. to 5 or 7 p.m.

“I would like for my eagle project to be a stepping stone for other girls to build off of. It’s exciting to be one of the first female Scouts trailblazing for future girls,” Faralyn said. “Any scouters, whether you’re a boy or a girl or an adult leader, I hope that this inspires you on your journey in scouting.”