09/02/2026
Hi everyone! I’m Ava M., a Life Scout with Scouts BSA Troop 2119 in Sharpsburg, Maryland, and I’m currently working toward one of the biggest goals of my Scouting journey: Eagle Scout.
I joined Scouting in 2021, only a couple of years after girls were first welcomed into Scouts BSA on February 1, 2019. Fun fact: that date, 2/1/19, is actually where Troop 2119 gets its number.
When I joined, I don’t think I could have imagined how much Scouting would become part of my life.
It has taken me rock climbing, caving, kayaking, horseback riding, camping, and on more adventures than I could reasonably fit into one Facebook post. Scouting also helped me earn my lifeguard certification, which led to spending the last three summers working at Scout camp and specializing in aquatics like swimming, kayaking, and paddleboarding. Along the way, I’ve learned skills through merit badges ranging from First Aid and Emergency Preparedness to plenty of others that have challenged me to try things I might never have tried otherwise.
But the most important things Scouting has given me aren’t things I can put on a badge sash.
As a neurodivergent kid, I found a place where I could figure things out at my own pace. I could try something new, get it wrong, learn from it, and try again. I learned how to work with people, how to speak up, how to lead, and sometimes how to get very comfortable being uncomfortable.
Somewhere along the way, the kid who was learning how to find her place became someone trusted to help other Scouts find theirs.
I’ve had the opportunity to participate in and staff National Youth Leadership Training, serve on the youth staff of an adult Wood Badge course, and take on leadership roles within the Order of the Arrow. I served as Vice Chief of Program for Onerahtokha Lodge, helping serve Scouts across four states, and I’ll return for a second term in 2027. I will be serving as a Conclave Vice Chief, helping plan the 2027 event for more than 1,000 Scouts.
This year, I was also incredibly honored to receive the Vigil Honor, the highest honor the Order of the Arrow can bestow upon its members.
And now, all of those years of learning, leading, failing, trying again, and serving have brought me here:
My Eagle Scout service project.
For my project, I’ll be improving Camp Melrose in Sharpsburg by restoring and constructing fire pits and building portable firewood storage carts.
Camp Melrose has been a home for local outdoor adventures since 1948. Generations of local youth have camped there, learned there, and left a little piece of themselves behind. I’m excited to have the chance to leave it a little better for the youth who come after me.
This Sunday, you can help me make it happen!
We’ll be running parking at the Boonsboro Food Truck Festival as a fundraiser for my project. The money raised will go toward purchasing the materials needed to complete the work. If we raise more than the project requires, the remaining funds will be donated directly to Camp Melrose for future improvements.
If you’re heading to the festival, come park with us and say hi!
And if you can’t make it Sunday but would still like to support my project, donations can be made here:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/support-an-eagle-scout-service-project
Whether you donate, stop by the fundraiser, or simply share this post, thank you. Scouting has given me an incredible amount over the last five years, and I’m excited for the opportunity to give something back.
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