This is Ambur Patel: Rutherford's First Female Eagle Scout

By Jennifer Ersalesi

Photo credits: Hament Patel

Since 2019, Scouting BSA has welcomed girls to its troops. Troop 166G in Rutherford has been very active and thriving since then, and this fall, they announced their first female Eagle Scout at their Court of Honor. Eagle Scout is the highest rank that can be achieved in scouting and requires many hours of hard work, including earning twenty-one merit badges. This is Rutherford interviewed Ambur to learn more about being a Scout and becoming an Eagle Scout.

TIR: How long have you been a Scout?

Ambur Patel: I have been a Scout for roughly 7 years! In 2018, I joined Cub Scouts when Scouting opened up to everyone. In 2019, I bridged from Cub Scouts to the newly formed Troop 166G.

TIR: Tell us about your Eagle Scout project and why you chose this particular project.

AP: My Eagle Project was cataloguing the public trees in a section of Rutherford. I used my coding skills to create an app that logged all the information and organized volunteers to help capture the data. The data consisted of the tree’s GPS coordinates, a picture of the leaf and bark, whether it was above or below the power line, the diameter of the trunk, the type of tree, and damage to the tree or sidewalk.

I wanted to merge my interest in technology and coding with a project that benefited my community. This could be used by the Green Team to assess the town’s tree inventory by identifying tree species and the damage they cause. After all, our town is known as the Borough of Trees!

Ginny Coleman, Troop Leader, told us more about the significance of Ambur's Eagle Scout rank, "This is a big deal, groundbreaking, glass-ceiling shattering, and true to our troop's slogan, 'leading the way'."

TIR: You are an active member of Troop 166G and have been mentoring new Scouts.  Tell us more about what it is like to be a mentor.

AP: As one of the oldest members in my troop, stepping into a mentorship role feels natural. I’m always open to helping others, and I’m glad to use the experiences that have shaped me to guide other scouts towards the path of success. It is humbling to see scouts increase their skills and build confidence to become self-sufficient leaders.

TIR: You’ve recently taken a leadership role in your Troop.  What is the role?  What are your responsibilities?

AP: The role I have recently taken on in my troop is Junior Assistant Scoutmaster. I offer advice and feedback to the more experienced scouts to help them further develop their leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. For example, when the new Senior Patrol Leader, the scout in charge of the troop, had to run her first planning meeting, I guided her on what topics to focus on and how to keep everyone engaged.

TIR: You and your Troop just returned from Sea Base.  How long were you there?  What did you do and learn while you were there?

AP: Sea Base was a week-long high adventure Scout camp in the Florida Keys. We participated in many water activities, like sailing, snorkeling, ocean fishing, and even camped on an island overnight. At Sea Base, I encountered amazing new experiences, like reeling in my first fish, sleeping under the stars, and growing out my sea legs!

TIR: What do you enjoy most about being a Scout?

AP: I enjoy being part of the Scouting community! Whether it be playing the game SPLAT! at a Scout meeting, performing skits around a campfire, or making s’mores on a camping trip, I always have fun working together with my Scouting friends. I have met Scouts from all over New Jersey, from the week-long summer camps at Camp NoBeBoSco, to staffing the National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) program. With all the people I’ve met, I’ve built amazing friendships and memories I’ll keep forever.

TIR: Why would you encourage others to join the Scouts?

AP: I encourage others to join Scouts because it’s fun! While making new friends and working together, you also learn important life skills and grow your confidence.

Every month, we plan an outing that ranges from rock-climbing, hiking, water sports, and camping. On those trips, you can learn first aid, how to build a structure to camp in, and cook outdoors (which is harder than it looks).

There are over a hundred merit badges you can earn, ranging in different categories. From Architecture to Photography and even Sailing, you can find any badge that suits your interests.

Scouting is a youth-led program, which means the Scouts are the ones who plan and lead meetings. That’s one of the best things about Scouting - you learn how to become a leader through experience.

Scouting is also a great place to go beyond your comfort zone and try new things. I never thought I would like camping, but ever since my first camping trip, I can’t wait to go back to the woods.