Troop 219 is one of the first all-female Scouts BSA troops in the area and includes members from Milford, Hopedale, Bellingham, and surrounding areas

Established in 2019, this troop is not led by the supervising adults, but by the scouts themselves. The scouts are given the responsibility and privilege to plan and execute all of their troop activities and projects. In 2019, leaders who had sons previously in Scouts BSA, wanted the same experience for their daughters and decided to start this troop. Scoutmaster Michele Duffy loves seeing her girls in Scouts BSA gain useful skills while earning their badges, and having fun with their fellow scouts. 

For some of the Scouts in Troop 219, they were encouraged to join after watching and hearing about their older brothers going through the same program growing up. Many of the scouts said that “learning about campouts, fun activities, day trips, hiking and regular meetings in both scouts and cub scouts made all of it sound interesting”. 

One scout, having been in both Girl Scouts and Scouts BSA, said that while both provided essential skills, she enjoyed how the Scouts BSA focused more on the outdoors and survival skills like building a fire, first aid, and camping. 

One priority of Troop 219 is for the scouts to do the planning and executing of their trips and projects rather than the advisors doing the work. In the past few years, the troop has attended the West Point Camporee in New York, gone camping and biking along the Cape Cod Canal, kayaking at Buck Hill Reservation, and attended their annual Week of Summer Camp at Camp Squanto in Plymouth. In addition to these trips, they also go camping every month. At these trips and during their regular troop meetings, the scouts gain many skills that are useful in all areas of life. 

Many of the scouts agreed that being in this troop has taught them leadership, teamwork, safety, responsibility, and navigation. One thing shared by the scouts in Troop 219 is their dedication and love for the troop and the experiences gained, as stated by one of the scouts, “Scouts BSA is all that it lived up to be and even more.”