Isolated by covid and technology, young women go on a quest for friendship at the formerly boys-only Scouts National Jamboree.
The 16-year-old sat on a piece of tarp and stared at Mia Strouder on the other side of the wooden Jenga tower: three feet tall and already trembling under its own weight.
But the trio were Scouts — not Girl Scouts, but girl members of the BSA, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America. And they had traveled together from the D.C. area to the hills of West Virginia, part of the first class of female Scouts to take part in the organization’s pinnacle experience, the National Jamboree.
Life in the D.C. metro area hadn’t been easy for Audrey. In 2019, she and her family moved from El Paso, with its high desert and centuries-old Spanish missions, to the suburban enclave of Rockville, Md. Audrey was confronting one of the most tumultuous periods of a young person’s life: the start of middle school.
Teens everywhere are still trying to gain their footing, said Angelique Minett, the national chair of the Scouts BSA program. They were starting to date, expand their social circles and articulate their interests — then their world suddenly shrank. This year’s Jamboree is a testament to how much the organization has evolved. The third day of the Jamboree featured a Muslim religious service; an LGBTQ+ affinity tent offered Scouts a safe and supportive space; and disabled scoutmasters led activities promoting mental health, diversity and inclusivity. A bronze statue was dedicated to the first class of female Eagle Scouts, and a little more than 1 in 5 Scouts at the Jamboree were girls.
“They’re both really young and sometimes they get on my nerves,” Audrey said. She felt like an older sibling, and being the responsible one wasn’t always very fun.
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