Lilica Decoteau, a fifth-grader at Harvey C. Fenner Elementary School, is the first member of Scouts BSA Troop 129. The Boy Scouts of America began allowing girls to join troops in separate yet interlinked units. Decoteau said she’s excited to join because she enjoys the outdoors and learning how to swim, fish and camp monthly. P-J photo by Eric Zavinski

Two local troops in the Boy Scouts of America will be allowing girls to join following the Feb. 1 change that officially permitted girls to join the BSA in separate yet interlinked units.

Lilica Decoteau, a fifth-grader at Harvey C. Fenner Elementary School, is the first female member of Troop 129 in the Allegheny Highlands Council. In accordance with the launch of Scouts BSA, Decoteau will be able to earn rank and merit badges, just like any male member of the Boy Scouts of America.

There won’t be many differences in Decoteau’s scouting journey, and other girls interested in joining Scouts BSA will be able to join all-female patrols. Boys and girls in the Boy Scouts will be able to interact with each other during ceremonies, summer camps and other events, but the majority of social interaction and learning will take place within separate units.

Both Troop 129 units, one male and one female, are chartered by the American Legion Post 132 in Falconer. The units host their meetings separately at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

Scouts BSA troops for girls don’t have to be linked to pre-existing units either. Jenny Burroughs, Scouts BSA Troop 129 scoutmaster and full family scouting chair, said that parents or other scouters can start independent units with their own charter organizations.

Burroughs’ daughter is a member of a lion den in Pack 135 in Cub Scouts, which began allowing girls into the program in 2018 with the “Scout Me In” campaign.

“There hasn’t really been any issue with it,” Burroughs said. “I didn’t see too many people saying, ‘I want to start a girl troop.’ I’m doing this to see how it’s going to go.”

That desire made Burroughs want to start her own troop, and she’s interested to find several more girls in the area who would like to join the Falconer troop. Another female Scouts BSA unit, Troop 163, is preparing to start in Jamestown, and Allegheny Highlands scout executive Nate Thornton is intending to sign his daughter up there as well.

“I’m excited, especially for my daughter to go through the same program that I went through as a youth,” Thornton said. “I’m a third generation Eagle (Scout), so being able to have a fourth generation Eagle will mean a lot to me.”

Thornton said he expects girls who are interested in embracing the outdoors to want to join Scouts BSA. In terms of the Allegheny Highlands Council, troops allowing female members in Olean and Eldred, Pa., have also been formed. Thornton said another will be formed in Dunkirk as well.

“We want to maintain our male membership while adding some females into the mix as well,” he said.

The first Chautauqua County girl in Scouts BSA, Decoteau first began her scouting journey in Pack 173 as a member of the Webelos den. She earned her Arrow of Light, Cub Scout’s highest honor, in just one school year and crossed over into Scouts BSA.

“She’s all about camping,” Burroughs said.

As the mom became this 10-year-old girl’s scoutmaster, she quickly discovered that Decoteau hails from a family that has often gone camping in the state of Georgia. Swimming, fishing and hiking have increasingly interested Decoteau.

“I pretty much like being outdoors,” she said. “I would go out then (and) explore.”

Fascinated with turtles and fastest in the water using her backstroke, Decoteau wants to meet girls her age who share the same interests she has. During her first Boy Scout camping trip, she learned how to fold the American flag, find animal tracks, identify plants, use map and compass, work with wood tools and cook meals in temperatures just barely above freezing at Camp Merz in March.

“I thought (Boy Scouts) would give me a good advance in making new friends,” Decoteau said.

She has kept a journal of her nature walks and wants people to know her favorite animal is the wolf and that her favorite mythological creature is the dragon. She already has multiple scouting aspirations, and she talked about how she is interested in taking archery and geocaching merit badges soon.

“That’s pretty much any scout’s goal,” Decoteau said when asked if she wants to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.

For parents interested in potentially signing up their girls for Troop 129, a recruitment event will be hosted Monday, April 15, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church at 20 N. Phetteplace St. in Falconer. Troop 163 in Jamestown will also host an open house Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Kidder Memorial United Methodist Church.

“We’re going to be a troop where we do a lot of (camping),” Burroughs said.

Follow Eric Zavinski at twitter.com/EZavinski