Teen Who Helped Girls Get Into Boy Scouts Says Organization Is Now Keeping Highest Honor From Her
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A teenager who led the fight to get girls in the Boy Scouts claims the organization is still snubbing her achievements.
Before a review board, Sydney Ireland made her case for why she deserves to be an Eagle Scout.
"The Eagle Board of Review is the culmination of many years of work for everybody," Ireland said.
The 19-year-old has spent more than half her life advocating for girls who want to join the Boy Scouts of America. Earlier this year, the organization officially allowed girls to join.
"The Girl Scouts is an incredible organization for some girls, but for me I wanted to… join the Boy Scouts… and eventually be able to achieve the eagle award which is a very prestigious award and opens up a lot of doors that previously were not open for young women."
Sydney first started tagging along to her older brother's Boy Scout meetings when she was four years-old. By the time she turned 11, Sydney had met all the requirements to earn the highest Cub Scout award, except one.
"I wasn't allowed to because I'm a girl."
Even now that Sydney is a Boy Scout, she's still fighting to be treated as one.
"The Boys Scouts policy right now is they're not… allowing young women to have boards of review like this until October 2020 even though we've already completed the requirements to officially achieve the eagle award."
Sydney fears by then she'll be too old to be eligible.
"She's done the work, let her have the recognition any Boy Scout would get," Gary Ireland, the scout's father said.
The National Organization of Women formed their own rogue review board.
"The highest I could get in Girl Scouts was in first class because that's all I had and as soon as I left high school nobody cared. Thank you for your leadership and opening the door for generations of women," Judi Polson of Now New York City said.
In a statement, Boy Scouts of America told CBS2 "we fully expect to recognize Sydney as part of the inaugural class of female eagle scouts in 2020."
"I've completed all the requirements officially to achieve the rank of eagle so this board of review should be considered as official as well," Ireland said.
