Local Girls Achieve Eagle Scout Status | Local News

Kalynn Sjolander stands proud in her scout uniform in front of new 4-H showing tables.

Nicole Beckman enjoys Houston Hoedown and proudly represents her scout troop at their annual Chicken Q.

In her scout uniform, Kayleen Kulas stands in front of new Houston County Fair sign she helped build.

Houston County Girl Scout Troop 531 recently welcomed three new Eagle Scouts to its ranks.

History was made in 2019, as girls became allowed to join what was formally called the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). In response to this national change in programming, Minnesota’s Gateway Council created Houston’s Troop 531, its first female Scout troop. The troop required at least five girls to start, in order to be created, and currently has 13 active members.

Audrey Alfson is the group's scout master, and the troop welcomed its first Eagle Scout, Hailey Alfson, in February 2021. The troop is sponsored by the American Legion, the same organization that sponsors the Houston Boy Scouts Troop 53. According to Scout Master Alfson, many resources are shared between the two troops.

Following in Hailey Alfson's footsteps, three local girls — Nicole Beckman, Kayleen Kulas and Kalynn Sjolander — recently made their way up the ladder all the way to Eagle Scout.

Receiving 21 merit badges is necessary to become an Eagle Scout. Some of these badges are specifically selected by the individual trooper, whereas others are required. In addition to receiving these badges, all three girls also completed a public service project in their local community and participated in a Board of Review.

“What we’re trying to do in Scouts is create leaders,” said Scout Master Alfson.

Beckman, of Houston, chose to take down and replace an old fence at Bethany Evangelical Free Church cemetery. Beckman presented this project idea to the church council, and it was approved soon thereafter.

Nicole Beckman enjoys Houston Hoedown and proudly represents her scout troop at their annual Chicken Q.

Brush was cleared as the old fence was taken down, and a new white, vinyl fence was installed as the replacement. The project involved about 12 people and took 133 total hours to complete.

Kulas, of Houston, chose to replace the entry sign of the Livestock Building at the Houston County Fairgrounds. The project consisted of designing and building the new sign, as well as loading it onto a flatbed truck for placement.

In her scout uniform, Kayleen Kulas stands in front of new Houston County Fair sign she helped build.

It involved an estimated 18 to 24 people, with eight being scouts and 10 to 15 being adult volunteers who helped operate heavy machinery. The Houston County Highway Department and Van Gundy Excavation were also essential to the project, as both helped place the new sign on the fairgrounds.

Sjolander, of La Crosse, chose to build “newer and safer showing tables” for the West Salem 4-H Club to display plants, artwork, etc.

Kalynn Sjolander stands proud in her scout uniform in front of new 4-H showing tables.

The project’s completion involved around eight scouts and four adult volunteers. The fairgrounds initially requested 10 tables to be made. However, as a result of lumber costs being too high, Sjolander was only able to make five tables in total.

When asked what inspired these girls to join BSA and become Eagle Scouts, all three provided similar responses; they did it because of their brothers. All three girls watched as their brothers worked their way through the BSA program.

“My girls watched my son go through Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. They were always sad they couldn’t participate,” said Tina Beckman.

Many attended scout meetings and heard stories of various trips and opportunities their brothers received when they were scouts. All three wished they could participate alongside their siblings and naturally felt left out.

Therefore, once females were allowed to join BSA, these girls jumped at the chance to experience the rise to Eagle Scout, just as their brothers did. Some even used the years of sitting on the sidelines to spark a healthy dose of sibling competition.

“I was interested in becoming an Eagle Scout, because I wanted a higher rank than my brother,” said Sjolander.

When asked if they had any notable memories or fun scout trips that stick out in their minds, the girls unanimously recounted a hiking trip at Philmont Scout Ranch near the village of Cimarron in New Mexico. Individuals who join the trip hike for two weeks with their troop and campground hop from one site to the next. The troop has little to no access to technology and uses maps to navigate their trails. An estimated 60 to 70 miles is hiked in total.

“We hiked every single day,” said Kulas.

Though the hikes were long and often tiring, the girls look back on the experience with joy and pride. Many can still recall the beautiful sunsets and warm feelings of togetherness they shared alongside their fellow troopers.

The trip was additionally memorable, because the girls were able to share the opportunity with various family members. It is common for parents and other relatives to come with the troop to Philmont Scout Ranch and function as chaperones. The girls, therefore, got to live through the trip with moms, dads, siblings, and friends all by their side daily.

“This troop really is a family event,” said Scout Master Alfson.

Reach associate editor Rachel Stock at 507-724-3475.

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