The current Advancement Chair for Troop 11 in Spartanburg SC, Cara Thompson has made a big impact since becoming involved in Scouting. Cara has two sons with her husband Wade, both who have been a part of Scouting from an early age, one has already achieved his Eagle Scout, and the other is well on his way to earning the rank of Eagle in the very near future. If you ask Cara, she will credit Ron Kirby with Troop 28 as being the force behind her decision to become an active volunteer and leader with the Palmetto Council. As the Senior Director of Performance Systems at Milliken and Chemical Engineer by trade, Cara understands how to navigate a male dominated space. The role of Advancement Chair is to lead and mentor Scouts in the requirements of how to increase his or her rank to ultimately become an Eagle.
“Being a female leader in Scouting has allowed me to help the boys in Troop 11 see the world from a different perspective, it is important for them to become familiar with communicating with women and other individuals who are not the same as them. It adds a layer of diversity.” - Cara Thompson
Since females were allowed to become a part of BSA, Cara says she feels she has been able to make an even greater impact in the lives of young people. One of the of the first females to sit on the Palmetto Council board, Cara is a voice for female Scouts throughout the organization and continually looks for ways to encourage girls and young women to reach their fullest potential. As the Course Director for NYLT this year, Cara has had the opportunity of working with one of the Council’s first female Eagle Scouts, Emily Pilarczyk. Cara says it is the women like Emily who have been able to set precedent for females in the Palmetto Council and show that they have just as much of a right to be a part as the males.
Cara has become a role model to many of females in Scouting. With a successful career, a family, and a highly respected Scout leader, Cara serves as an inspiration to what so many of our young Scouts want for their own lives. For anyone who may be interested in registering their child to be a part of Scouts, Cara says “Scouting provides good, clean, fun, something not readily available for children in today’s society. It also is a way for families to spend time together and build stronger bonds, while learning new skills and making new friends.”
