Dolan O’Neal, 18, has made history by becoming the first female to earn the rank of Eagle Scout in Oglethorpe County. She said the accomplishment taught her the value of leadership and communication.
“Don’t let the name shy you away from doing something that you want to do because it will be fun and you will feel very accomplished,” O’Neal said.
Eagle Scout, the Boy Scouts of America’s highest honor, has traditionally been reserved for boys. However, BSA’s policy change in February of 2019 allowed girls to join the program.
The number of female Eagle Scouts increased from 1,000 in 2021 to more than 5,000 by June 1, 2023.
O’Neal’s journey, however, began long before 2019.
Her brother, who became an Eagle Scout as well, was her first introduction to scouting. O’Neal spent years attending her brother’s troop meetings and campouts, and her interest in scouting grew. She made the decision to join Girl Scouts and didn’t think twice when she found out girls were allowed to join Boy Scouts and become an Eagle Scout.
“I wanted to try it out and get an Eagle, just like my brother did,” O’Neal said.
Scouts must collect and earn merit badges covering a vast range of subjects until ultimately completing the final Eagle Scout service project. In addition to volunteering for events around the county, O’Neal’s Eagle Scout project was one of her largest undertakings.
She grew up one-half mile from Bryan Park and understood its importance to her neighborhood. When she saw that the benches around the basketball court were removed after new tennis courts were built, she decided that creating new benches would be the best way to serve her community.
“I would be walking my dog and see people sitting in their cars or on the ground, and I wanted people to have a comfortable place to sit,” O’Neal said.
According to BSA, the purpose of the Eagle Scout project is to give the scout the opportunity to “plan, develop and give leadership to others.”
For O’Neal, this meant leading the charge on building the benches and handling any challenges. During the building process, O’Neal said a miscommunication led to holes, concrete and posts being planted in the wrong location.
“The original posts were actually taken out, but I called Bryan Park and we were able to move the posts further back,” O’Neal said.
O’Neal said her journey isn’t over.
She is pursuing her Girl Scout Gold Award, which is the highest award available to the seniors and ambassadors of Girl Scouts.
“She is set on being one of the few who can say they are both an Eagle Scout and Gold Award recipient,” said Amy Atao, O’Neal’s mother and troop leader.