Almost 1,000 girls become the first female Eagle Scouts

Becoming an Eagle Scout is a rare honor. But they don’t just give it, a Scout has to earn it. Two years later girls were allowed to join the Boy Scouts for the first time, nearly 1,000 of them rose to the top rank of Eagle Scout.

CBS News spoke with some of the first young women who can call themselves Eagle Scouts.

“I don’t think any of us really thought this day would come,” Kendall Jackson said. “For me to be part of that first class and say I did it, I’m very proud of myself.”

Only 6% of Scouts make it to the top. It takes at least 21 merit badges, a great service project, and a commitment to leadership. Some of the girls were determined to show that they were so capable of everything that boys could do.

“When I was a child, when I was promoted to leadership positions, I was often called bossy, which is a terrible thing to tell any young woman who is stepping up and trying to help a group. Scouting taught me how to be a great leader, “Isabella Tunney said.

For many of these young women, exploration is part of their history.

“My brother Eagle, my grandfather and his brother are Eagle, my great grandfather, if they hadn’t called him to go to WWII, he would have gotten his Eagle,” said Gabby Mayrend.

On Sunday, the Scouts organized an online ceremony to welcome the new group of female role models.

“Eagle Scout is much more than a medal or an award. It is an expectation and a lifestyle. It means that you are a role model for your community every day of your life. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle”, said Lyndsey Nedrow, who won the rank with her sister, Lauren.

“Everyone in Scouts has a little bit of ‘I want to change the world’ in them,” said Lauren Nedrow.