Danielle Ray
Correspondent
Seventeen-year-old Emily Hayner is making a big impact this holiday season through her Eagle Scout project, which involves purchasing and giving holiday gifts to youth who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emily is a charter member of Scouts BSA Troop 7012 for girls in Leominster, which was formed in 2018 after the Boy Scouts of America voting earlier that year to allow girls into the organization. Troop 7012 has eight members on its roster, with Emily being a charter member and the oldest.
The Heart of New England Council, BSA, approved Emily's project before it got underway. Once her project and other prerequisites, such as merit badges, are completed, Emily will become the first female Eagle Scout in the troop.