by Cheryl Johnson and Debra Wallace
For over 100 years the Boy Scouts of America developed a reputation for service, outdoor adventure and teaching strong moral values. They were also, per their name, focused on serving young men. Girls who wanted to be involved could join Venture Crews, but weren’t eligible for Eagle. That policy was upended in 2019 when the doors were opened wide for girls to not only join Scouts BSA Troops, but the rank of Eagle also became open to them.
Melody Wallace’s path to Eagle began the day this policy changed. The North Chili resident and a group of friends and committed adults were given the opportunity to jump into Scouts BSA with a new girl troop immediately.
She quickly latched on to the new vision. From the moment she began trying on uniforms, her face told a story that this was where she belonged – and she never looked back.
Her fiery determination could sometimes be a frustration to those around her but it was that same determination that developed into her ability to do anything she set her mind to – and that’s exactly what she did.
She immediately resonated with the advancement structure, clear path forward, and the way that skills were taught. Rather than avoiding difficult tasks, she had to learn to work through them. Even after mastering a task, she not only had to be able to demonstrate it, but had to know it well enough to teach it to other scouts.
Skill development also took shape through challenges. There were hikes that were a little longer than expected, packs that were heavy, shoes that hurt, trees that scratched, and bugs and spiders that somehow made their way inside tents where they most certainly did not belong.
Eventually she found her groove in each of the areas she needed to and found some that she loved, others not so much. She survived both adventures that were too hot or too cold, too wet or too windy, too physical or not physical enough, and grew from the challenges where she pushed herself outside of her comfort zone.
Knots that were once an impossibility were now taught to other scouts with ease. What started as camping in a friend’s backyard evolved to backpacking into primitive areas carrying everything that was needed for the trip. Hikes that were once incredibly difficult became simply another day in the woods.
She worked her way through each rank with resolve and determination – mastering cooking, knots, safety, camping, knife skills, ax safety, building campfires, first aid and more. As her skills grew, so did her confidence.
As she checked the boxes on each rank requirement and completed each merit badge, she found herself planning her Eagle project. She picked an organization she loved and that had also made an impact on her life – Spencerport Wesleyan Church Youth Group, and she picked a project she loved – one involving design and art.
First she designed and printed shirts as a fundraiser. Then she led a group of youth in painting a mural she designed for the youth room at Spencerport Wesleyan Church. She also led a group to build a 9 square game and paint sidewalk games on the church parking lot.
After completing all of that and passing her Eagle Board of Review, Melody learned that not only was she the first female Eagle Scout in Spencerport, where Troop 218 is based, but also in all of the west side of Monroe County.
She was recognized for this achievement on January 20, 2023. Carol Nellis-Ewell, Deputy Mayor of the Village of Spencerport, and Robert Colby, Monroe County Legislator from District 20 were in attendance.
Melody says Scouts BSA has been an incredible platform for her to learn and demonstrate new skills and she’s thrilled to be a part of the organization – after all, once an Eagle, always an Eagle. She hopes every girl on the west side will consider joining Scouts – either Troop 218 in Spencerport or one of the many others across the county.
