Essex County honors 5 all-girl Boy Scout troops for their accomplishments

It’s been one year since the Boy Scouts of America organization changed its name to Scouts BSA and began to welcome girls into its ranks.
And now, five groups of young women from Essex County were recognized Wednesday for their role in the movement. The girls are all from troops located in Bloomfield, West Orange, Short Hills, South Orange and Belleville.
"The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders hereby recognizes the founding of Scouts BSA Troops 19, 2, 6, 99 and 3252 and congratulate these pioneering female scouts for their impactful achieving and commending legacy you are about to establish,” says Essex County Freeholder Carlos Pomares.
The girls say that they have seen the changes in themselves.
“I’m usually bad at knots. Now I know several I’m proud of,” says Bridget Lonax with Troop 19. “I know how to do metal work now. Who knew? It’s very fun and it’s just very inclusive, very outdoors. Usually I’d be sitting in my room and now I’m going camping in the rain."
The girls say that they can do anything that the boys can do.
“Girls are just as capable as boys, have many of the same ambitions and are now part of what makes a scouting program so strong,” says Riya Tyagi of Troop 19.
“They are doing what was thought to be impossible for the last 110 years – that is living the Scout Law and Oath as female scouts,” says Trooper Master Daniel Cannon.
The Cub Scouts began welcoming girls in 2018.
Scouts BSA troops are separated by gender, with either all-boy troops or all-girl troops.