Shattering the scouting glass ceiling

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

A barge full of trash cleaned from Lake Pend Oreille beaches. Courtesy photo.

Rachel Peck takes a break while cleaning up litter from beaches. Courtesy photo.

One of the heavier objects found was this engine block. Courtesy photo.

A Sandpoint High School senior put her name in the Boy Scouts of America history books on Oct. 1 when she achieved the highest rank possible — Eagle Scout — and became one of the first women to ever boast the title.

Bayview resident Rachel Peck joined the Inland Northwest Council — which serves 4,000 youth members across North Idaho and eastern Washington — as soon as BSA opened its ranks to girls in early 2019. She immediately set her sights on becoming an Eagle Scout.

“I watched my brother become an Eagle Scout and watched my family fall in love with the program, so it was a no-brainer that I was going into scouting when the BSA allowed girls into the program,” she said. “So I would have to say my brother was a huge inspiration, because I wanted to prove that I could do anything he did.”

As a 16-year-old when she joined, Peck had to meet all of the Eagle Scout requirements before her 18th birthday. She said the process takes a minimum of 19 months to complete, and she did it in 20.

For her Eagle Scout project, Peck performed 140 hours of community service by cleaning up beaches around Lake Pend Oreille. She organized 30 volunteers — some with boats in order to reach more remote locations — and headed to beaches south of Green Bay: Whiskey Rock, Maiden Rock, Evans Landing and more.

“I chose those beaches because I grew up boating to these places and camping or having dinner, but they were always filled with trash, especially this summer,” Peck said. “So I took it upon myself to clean them all up.”

In line with the spirit of her project, Peck hopes to pursue an education and career that addresses sustainability — possibly in environmental science. When she isn’t scouting, Peck said she loves to do anything outdoors: “camping, backpacking or just plain hiking.” She is also in the Sandpoint High School band, and enjoys the trips for competitions and playing in the pep band at football games.

As Peck looks ahead, she knows that holding the Eagle Scout title will tell scholarship committees and college admissions officials that she knows how to tackle a challenge. She said joining BSA helped her come out of her shell.

“I’ve grown a lot of confidence,” she said. “I’m normally a pretty shy person, [but to become an Eagle Scout] I had to talk to a lot of people and sort things out for myself, and I know that helped me a lot.”

In an Oct. 6 statement from the Inland Northwest Council, BSA officials shared that only 6% of Scouts achieve Eagle Scout status, and that the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts — including Peck — will be recognized in February 2021.

“Earning the rank of Eagle Scout takes hard work and perseverance, and we are honored to recognize Rachel for this significant accomplishment,” said Darrin Nicholson, assistant scout executive and COO of the Inland Northwest Council. “Along the journey to Eagle Scout, young people gain new skills, learn to overcome obstacles and demonstrate leadership among their peers and in their communities. These benefits are invaluable for everyone, and we are thrilled that they are now available to even more youth.”