NEWS

Morgan Bitgood named Cranston’s first female Eagle Scout

Posted 6/21/22

By EMMA BARTLETT

It’s official. Cranston West senior Morgan Bitgood, 18, is the city’s first female Eagle Scout.

“Personally, I’ve known Morgan for a while, and this is …

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NEWS

Morgan Bitgood named Cranston’s first female Eagle Scout

Posted

By EMMA BARTLETT

It’s official. Cranston West senior Morgan Bitgood, 18, is the city’s first female Eagle Scout.

“Personally, I’ve known Morgan for a while, and this is the first time I’m doing an Eagle Court  of Honor for a female – it’s about time,” said Ernie Rheaume, who assisted in celebrating Bitgood’s achievement on June 5.

Rheaume, who was the master of ceremonies, said only six percent of eligible scouts annually will obtain the rank of Eagle, and that it is a high honor a scout receives and takes a lot of work to achieve.

To become an Eagle Scout, a scout must earn 21 merit badges – 13 of which are required. In addition to the badges, a scout pursuing the rank of Eagle must actively serve in a troop leadership position for a period of six months after becoming a Life Scout, plan/develop/carry out a service project, live by scout law and demonstrate scout spirit.

“Morgan, we challenge you to take pride in what you’ve learned so that, through your leadership, principles of the scout oath become a living thing to those who follow,” Rheaume said.

Bitgood said her brother was involved with Cub Scouts and she grew up participating in events with him. At age 14 when girls were allowed to join Boy Scouts, Bitgood became a scout.

For her Eagle Scout project, Bitgood hosted an outdoor cleanup at Edgewood Congregational Church in August of 2021. She and approximately 20 youth and scouts from Troop 13 and Troop 22 helped trim bushes, pull weeds and vines off the metal fence and painted the fence where the paint was peeling. Bitgood said the work saved the church $500 in maintenance costs.

During Bitgood’s Eagle Scout ceremony, she led her troop in the scout oath and reaffirmed her allegiance to the three points of the scout oath – which was initiated by her father and Troop 13 leader Robert Bitgood.

She is an archery director at Camp Champlin where she works with Cub Scouts from kindergarten to grade five. Additionally, Bitgood is off to CCRI this September where she will be a fine arts major. She will be part of the community college’s RI Promise program and will transfer to RIC after two years where she intends to pursue a degree in digital media/graphic design.

In addition to obtaining her new rank, Bitgood received a citation from the City of Cranston for her achievement of becoming the first female eagle scout within Cranston.

Bitgood, Eagle Scout

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