Allison Sproles stands on the shoulders of a family that deeply treasures the Eagle Scout program and BSA. She is 4th generation Eagle with all of the males in her family tree being Eagles since 1930. Her father, all her uncles and both Grandfathers were honored to hold the rank as well as her Great-Grandfather around 1930 when the program was still young. These generations know how impactful BSA is in young people’s lives and are grateful. Their legacy inspired her to engage in Scouting and achieving great things during her journey.Allison shared:
I first joined Scouting, alongside my two sisters, when the organization first opened up to females. One in approximately 1,000 girls in the U.S. to join Scouts BSA, I was motivated to pave the way in a historically all-male organization. I wanted to be proof that girls are just as capable as boys- empowering girls everywhere. To me, Scouting is about being a leader in your community and with that, being an upstander, doing your best to abide by the Scouting ethics, and using your leadership and communication skills to bravely stand up against injustice. Although you may not notice it at the moment, as I reflect back on my Scouting journey, I realize how much I gained through Scouting. More than just wilderness survival and first aid, Scouting teaches you skills that you will utilize every day and your whole life. Through the ups and downs of Scouting, the difficult roles of leadership, and navigating how to properly communicate and write emails, you are learning the valuable skills of leadership, communication, mentorship, and ultimately, how to implement these skills in alignment with your values and Scouting ethics. Scouting made me into the person I am today, and although cliché, it is the honest truth. I like to say Scouting is what made me into the “girl boss” I am today- confident, a leader, an upstander, and a trailblazer.
For my Eagle Scout Project, I decided to build a pathway and erosion control ditch around my local park’s “Birds of Prey” enclosure. Essentially, the terrain surrounding the enclosure was extremely muddy, and uneven, which made it difficult for workers to care for and feed the birds. Furthermore, the back side of the enclosure was dealing with extreme erosion due to runoff water from the roof of the enclosure. The aim of my project was to address these concerns and make the workers’ commute to the enclosure safer and easier.
Ultimately, I think this project was a great demonstration of all of the skills I have learned throughout my Scouting career. I would like to highlight a couple of skills, one of which is leadership. I think leadership is one of the most valuable skills you learn from Scouting and, furthermore, Scouting teaches you what it means to be a GOOD leader. Leadership is difficult. What’s more, being a GOOD leader is even harder. It is easy to boss everyone around and keep a frustrated attitude and let your angst control your behavior and outbursts toward others. To be honest, there were multiple times throughout my project I wanted to lash out as well. Tired, stressed, and overwhelmed, it is easy to become frustrated. Nonetheless, being a good leader, especially in times like this is imperative to the success of your project and the efficient ness of the work. Showing patience, care, and keeping a positive attitude reflects on your volunteers. Motivating and thanking your volunteers will make your volunteers more likely to follow and listen to you. Furthermore, being a good leader doesn’t mean you have to have all the answers. Part of being a good leader is admitting when you made a mistake and need help. Collaboration most of the time is the best way to problem solve. Putting on a façade of superiority is not a characteristic of good leadership- it is a characteristic of insecurity. Furthermore, I believe my Eagle Scout Project reiterated the importance of the Scout motto- “Be Prepared.”
I think my favorite part of this project was the reward for the support I received from the volunteers. Seeing volunteers come early on a Sunday morning and stay hours, working hard in support of my project made me feel the utmost appreciation for everyone and impacted my attitude towards the volunteers- reiterating my thankfulness and appreciation. Furthermore, the teamwork we demonstrated throughout the project was also very rewarding and also empowering. Even though I was the leader, working alongside and collaborating with others for their input, insight, and feedback was very beneficial. It can be hard to listen or ask for help when you are the leader, but I learned that allowing yourself to be honest and ask for insight allows for the best ideas and great problem-solving!
Being an Eagle Scout is more than just a title, it is a recognition of what you have accomplished and the type of person you are- a leader, an upstander, a mentor, and a helper. With this title, comes a responsibility- to go forth and live your life abiding by the Scouting values you represent Scouting and therefore you should try your best to be your best self and continue to strive to be an upstander for good. Furthermore, being a female Eagle Scout brings with it the opportunity of empowerment- using your leadership and strength to pave a strong path for the girls who follow you. The moment I joined Scouting, from the start I was ambitious and motivated to become an Eagle Scout. I wanted to prove to others and myself that I was just as capable as boys. I was willing to get dirty and learn to survive in the outdoors because ultimately my aim wasn’t necessarily the title but the ability to empower myself and other girls. I wanted to be an Eagle Scout and also to follow my family’s legacy of Eagle Scouts. However, ultimately, it’s not about the rank you earn, it’s about the skills you learn and your ability to live up to the Scout Law and Oath.
When asked what’s next in her journey Alison told NCAC ” I plan on pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering and ultimately plan to pursue aerospace engineering or use engineering to help fight climate change! Similarly to Scouts, engineering is a predominately male field, however, Scouting has given me the power to keep my head high and be a leader despite the possible disadvantages or prejudices I might face.”
NCAC celebrates Allison and the Sproles family legacy!!
Registration is open on the National website at https://jamboree.scouting.org.
Fourteen Cub Scouts in Pack 1280, based in Potomac, Maryland, (http://cubscoutpack1280.org/) discovered the wonders of space exploration, enjoyed a special behind-the-scenes tour of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and earned their “Out of This World” Nova Award.
