Kansas girl earns every Boy Scout merit badge, a rare feat

SPRING HILL, Kan. (WDAF) — A Kansas woman is taking the Boy Scouts by storm, incomes a report variety of advantage badges. She’s engaged on incomes the very best honor in Woman Scouts, too. 

Fewer than half of 1 % of scouts all through the U.S. have earned all advantage badges. Rebecca McCreight is one in every of them.

“That is my advantage badge sash,” Becca stated. “I’ve 138 of them, which is all of them.”

In 2019, the Boy Scouts of America allowed ladies to affix this system. With Rebecca’s older brother’s report of 88 advantage badges, she had some floor to cowl earlier than turning 18.

“What a standard scout may take as much as eight years to do, took her about 23 months,” Rebecca’s dad and Scout Grasp David McCreight stated.

He’s happy with his daughter for being a part of the primary class of feminine Eagle Scouts.

“Very excited for her, and she or he places her thoughts to it, she will accomplish it,” McCreight stated. “And I hope that will be an encouragement to all of the females on the market.”

The silver circles on Becca’s sash are “Eagle required” advantage badges. These classes are primarily based extra on life expertise, like cooking and private finance.

“It takes a whole lot of work to get all of them completed,” Becca stated.

Her favourite was stamp-collecting. That zeal caught, and was a pastime.

“Animal ones and ones from totally different nations [are] fairly cool,” Becca stated.

These experiences additionally train outside and management expertise. As an Eagle Scout challenge, Becca constructed little desks for teenagers in want. One of many tougher duties was small-boat crusing. Becca obtained hypothermia. 

“The sailboat tipped over, and the water was chilly. So I ended up getting hypothermia due to the wind,” Becca stated. “The water wasn’t too dangerous, however then I went to the ambulance and the ambulance helped me get my physique temperature again to regular.”

Becca didn’t again down. On a calmer day, she obtained again out on the water to earn her badge.

She plans to attend Washburn College within the fall to review forensic chemistry. She picked up a number of expertise and a giant curiosity whereas incomes her crime-prevention and finger-printing badges.

She thanks her mother for the motivation and encourages different ladies to become involved in scouting.

“Exit and do your hardest,” Becca stated. “Nothing is out of attain.”

This weekend, Rebecca is off to West Virginia to show Superior Youth Management. It’s thought-about an amazing honor, as lower than 100 scouts get requested to be instructors.