Bossier City teen Haley Henderson made history on March 2 when she became the first female
Eagle Scout in northwest Louisiana, a prestigious achievement attained by some of the
country’s most noteworthy figures. Haley is among hundreds of young women who will make
up the Inaugural Class of female Eagle Scouts.
“Earning the rank of Eagle Scout takes hard work and perseverance, and we are honored to
recognize Haley Henderson for this significant accomplishment,” said Jeff Brasher, Scout
Executive and CEO of the Norwela 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.”
Young women have been part of Scouting for decades in co-ed programs offered by the Boy
Scouts of America (BSA), including Sea Scouts, Venturing, Exploring and STEM Scouts. The BSA
expanded that legacy further in recent years by welcoming girls into Cub Scouts and then into
Scouts BSA last February. Scouts BSA is the program for youth ages 11- 17 previously known as
Boy Scouts. Since then, thousands of young women throughout Louisiana and across the
country have joined the organization’s most iconic program with many, including Haley,
working their way toward the rank of Eagle Scout.
Haley grew up in a Scouting family and been involved since she was a young girl. As a Girl Scout
she earned her Bronze Award and later spent a year as part of American Heritage Girls. When
she completed the 8th grade she joined the BSA’s Venturing Program. She served in this
program as a Crew Vice-President and later President and was selected to serve in the local
Norwela Council Venturing Officers Association (VOA) as Vice-President of Communications. In
2019 Haley was recognized with the Venturing Leadership Award and then served as the local
VOA President from June – December 2020.
Bossier City Female Eagle Scout
Haley was a founding member of Troop 100-G in Bossier City, chartered by Asbury United
Methodist Church. She has served in many leadership roles in Troop 100-G and in 2019 was
elected into Scouting’s National Honor Society, the Order of the Arrow (OA). This past year she
was elected by her peers as the Chief for the local OA Lodge; she is the first female OA Chief in
the OA Southern Region-Section 2 area covering nine Scout Councils across Texas, Oklahoma,
Arkansas & Louisiana. She also had the opportunity to attend the 2019 World Scout Jamboree
as part of a Venturing Crew composed of youth from seven states. In 2020 Haley attended the
week-long BSA National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE) and in 2021 will serve
on staff for the NAYLE Course at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia.
Outside of Scouting Haley is active in both school and church. She served on middle- & highschool Archery Teams for four years, twice competing at the national level and once at the
world competition. She was selected to the National Juniors Honors Society, is a member of
the Airline High Beta Club and was recently selected as a candidate for the National Honors
Society. At Asbury United Methodist Church Haley is an active member of the youth group and
has supported the local Katy Build Project, which builds homes for deserving veterans in the
Shreveport/Bossier City area.
Eagle Scout is the program’s highest rank, which only about 6% of Scouts achieve on average.
To earn it, an individual has to take on leadership roles within their troop and their community;
earn a minimum of 21 merit badges that cover a broad range of topics including first aid and
safety, civics, business and the environment; and they must research, organize and complete a
large community service project. In addition to gaining skills that last a lifetime, individuals
who earn the esteemed Eagle Scout rank can reference it for academic, vocational, and military
recognition, including scholarships and advanced military enlistment grade.
About the Norwela Council
The Norwela Council, Boy Scouts of America serves more than 2,500 families across northwest
Louisiana. Headquartered in Shreveport, the Norwela Council partners with schools, service
clubs, PTAs/PTOs, religious organizations, local agencies, and more to offer programs in nine
parishes for girls and boys ages 6-21 that have been proven to foster and strengthen selfconfidence, ethics, respect for others, academic skills, and leadership abilities that stay with
them their entire lives. For more information on the Norwela Council please visit norwela.org.
About the Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character
development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared.
For Life.®” The Scouting organization is composed of more than 2.1 million youth members
between the ages of 6-21 and approximately 800,000 volunteers in local Councils
throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of
America please visit scouting.org.
