First female to reach Eagle Scout in Martin County paves way, joins growing national list
JUPITER — The first female Eagle Scout from Martin County officially achieved the prestigious rank at a ceremony Sunday at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area, where she also performed her service project.
Mia Stahl, 14, was one of three to start the all-female Troop 4832 shortly after the Boy Scouts of America, now known as BSA Scouts, announced it would be admitting female scouts in 2019.
Mia Stahl's brother, Grady Stahl, is a member of Troop 822, but her former Scoutmaster Mike Kelly said none of the troops in the area had any female scouts at the time so they started their own, first with Cub Scouts and later with BSA.
At the time, Kelly said, his wife asked him how long it would take for the troop, still in its infancy, to produce an Eagle Scout.
"My answer was, 'Do you mean a normal scout, or do you mean Mia Stahl?" Kelly recalled.
The troop now has 27 active members, all of whom are female.
Despite being based in Martin County, Troop 4832 often used the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse nature area for camping and other scout activities, making it an important location for Mia Stahl to pick for her project, where she built three benches and a new fire pit, and also for the ceremony.
"I picked this project because I knew that, at the time, they were doing a big archeological project and I knew they had to take away their fire pit that they had, so I knew that they were going to eventually need one," Mia Stahl said. "About two or three years ago I had an idea just to build them a new better fire pit. It's a beautiful site and I love the property and it was amazing camping here."
Mia Stahl said it was meaningful to have so many people who had supported her attend her Court of Honor ceremony.
"It's amazing to me because not only am I an Eagle Scout, but I am one of the first female Eagle Scouts in Florida," Mia Stahl said. "I know this is just so powerful to not only me, but my family and my friends. I love the people around me, and they helped me accomplish this."
Since BSA began admitting female scouts in 2019, more than 100,000 girls have joined the organization. In February 2021, BSA Scouts recognized its inaugural class of about 1,000 female Eagle Scouts.
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Mia Stahl not only became the first female Eagle Scout in Martin County, but also first in the Sailfish District, which includes parts of Okeechobee County.
On Nov. 27, the Treasure Coast District celebrated its first female Eagle Scout at a ceremony in St. Lucie County. Abigail Frey also was 14, meaning both new Eagle Scouts made the rank well before the typical cutoff, when a scout turns 18.
Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com and 504-331-0516.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Growing trend of female Eagle Scouts continues in Treasure Coast troop
