City Council Honors First Girl to Receive Eagle Scout Rank

Amanda Bales, 14, is the first girl in the Central Valley to obtain the rank of Eagle Scout by the Boy Scouts of America. (Jorge Rodridguez/Clovis Roundup)

At the City Council meeting on January 19, 14-year-old Amanda Bales was honored for achieving rank of Eagle Scout.

Bales, who is a member of Troop 60 in Clovis, is the first girl in the Central Valley to obtain the rank of Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America Sequoia Chapter.

To earn her rank, she spent years working on a project that consisted of building owl and bat boxes for wild animals displaced by wildfires.

Mayor Drew Bessinger told Bales, the citizens of Clovis and the members of the council are very proud of Bales’ accomplishment.

She recited the pledge of allegiance at the meeting. Afterwards, she introduced her family and thanked the council for their support.

Councilmember Vong Mouanoutoua commented that he had the privilege of knowing the Bales family for some time. He mentioned he had seen how her parents helped her achieve her goals and how they have also helped his own children. Mouanoutoua also said her achievement is an inspiration to children throughout the community.

“To Amanda, congratulations, you are a pioneer. You are leading the way for many young women after you,” Mouanoutoua said.

Bessinger gave Bales a City of Clovis Challenge Coin and thanked her and her family for her accomplishments.

Jorge Rodriguez has a passion for journalism and wants to bring the community information and great stories. After high school Jorge joined the U.S. Army and while in active duty he was deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While in college he worked for the Fresno City College Rampage and the Fresno State Collegian newspapers. He graduated from Fresno State in 2019 with a degree in print journalism.