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Upper St. Clair girl earns Eagle Scout rank

By Paul Paterra staff Writer ppaterra@observer-Reporter.Com 4 min read
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Molly Walsh and brother John are Eagle Scouts. 

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Eagle Scout Molly Walsh

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This bench constructed around a tree at Gilfillan Farm in Upper St. Clair was part of Molly Walsh's Eagle Scout service project.

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This seesaw, which was stripped and repainted, was another part of Molly Walsh's Eagle Scout service project.

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Molly Wash's Eagle Scout service project also included stripping and repainting these balance beams and transporting them to Gilfillan Farm. 

When Molly Walsh was a little girl, she would tag along with her older brother John to Cub Scout activities.

“When he was in Cub Scouts, I would go to his campouts and sometimes they would let me do his activities with him,” she said. “Sometimes, they would let me go to his meetings.”

That piqued an interest in being the same kind of Scout was born and Molly Walsh has made the most of it.

Walsh, now 16, of Upper St. Clair, is the first female member of Troop 9006 of Brookline to become an Eagle Scout, only the second female to achieve the status in the Laurel Highlands Council, which serves Scouting in throughout Western Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, and includes Allegheny, Washington, Greene and parts of Fayette county. 

And, Molly and her brother are only the second pair of siblings to earn Eagle Scout in the Laurel Highlands Council.

The Boy Scouts officially transitioned to Scouts BSA in 2019, opening the door to girls between the ages of 11-17. The organization’s first female Eagle Scouts followed soon after, with the first class recognized in 2020.

Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts program. Since its inception in 1911, only 4% of Scouts have earned the rank.

Molly, who is entering her junior year at Upper St. Clair High School, tried Girl Scouts, but found it wasn’t quite right for her.

“We do more outside, and I learn more about survival and the outdoors,” she said of Boy Scouts. “Girl Scouts is more indoors. This is more of an adventure.”

To attain the rank of Eagle Scout, Walsh needed a minimum of 21 merit badges (she earned 32), demonstrate Scout Spirit and leadership within the troop and complete a service project.

Walsh completed her service project by transporting playground equipment, such as balance beams and a seesaw, and building a bench at Gilfillan Farm in Upper St. Clair. The farm is a summer location for Horses with Hope, which provides therapeutic riding for youth and adults with physical and behavioral needs.

“I helped them move some of their playground equipment over, stripped it and repainted it for them and built a bench around a tree for the parents to watch,” she said. 

By earning more than the minimum merit badges, Walsh also was able to earn her Eagle Gold and Silver Palm. Each five extra merit badges results in an Eagle Palm for a Scout.

Scoutmaster Kathy Yates said Molly is a Scout leader’s dream with her leadership qualities and willingness to help others. 

“Molly is an exemplary Scout,” Yates said. “Any Scout leader would say, ‘Who is this person that God sent me?’ Even when she attained the rank of Eagle, she didn’t shirk anything. She still stayed on and kept learning and working. She’s just a great, hard worker.”

It took some time for Molly to find a troop that was a right fit. She belonged to another, but eventually found Troop 9006.

“I just felt at home,” she said. “The girls felt like family.”  

There has been opposition on several fronts, including the Girl Scouts of the USA, since the idea of allowing girls join the Boy Scouts organization was conceived.

Molly said she hasn’t really encountered much resistance from her male counterparts, but some adults have posed challenges.

“I found more adults were less accepting of girls being in it than actual Scouts,” she said. “It was harder to get the adults on board.”

Her father, Dr. James Walsh, superintendent of the Bethel Park School District, has noticed that as well.

“When she’s in uniform the first assumption is that she’s a Girl Scout among the adults,” he said. “That’s irritating for her because there is a distinction, and she’s made a different commitment that doesn’t seem to get recognized because she has a ponytail.” 

Walsh is proud of his daughter’s accomplishments.

“She was very determined when she joined the troop,” he said. “She really dug deeply into the whole experience, taking every opportunity she could for camping and leadership. I’m really proud of her. I think it gave her a whole new perspective on what she wanted to do with her life.” 

As of now, Molly said she either is leaning toward pursuing a career in criminal justice or athletic training.  

Her other activities include being a member of the Upper St. Clair High School rifle team, manager of the football team and operating the scoreboard for the school’s baseball team.

Molly encourages females interested in pursuing a similar Boy Scouting path to do so.

“Have fun with it and do as much as you can,” she said. 

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