Photo provided MADISON YARON of Paden City stands in front of the Ohio River kiosk she built to earn her Eagle Scout status.

Ohio River Valley Council, BSA welcomes their first female Eagle Scout from the Moundsville Scouts BSA Troop 79 – Madison Yaron, 13, daughter of Thomas and Lizbeth Yaron of Paden City. She completed her Eagle Board of Review on Nov. 10.

Madison follows in the footsteps of her older siblings. Her oldest sister, Beth, earned her Venturing Silver award in 2014, Thomas who earned his Eagle in 2018 and John who earned his in 2020.

She started her journey on the path to Eagle as a Webelos in 2018 in Pack 128, chartered by St. Vincent De Paul, New Martinsville. “Maddy” earned her Arrow of Light and bridged over to Scouts BSA in May 2019. She is a founding member of Troop 79, chartered by Simpson Methodist Church, Moundsville. She served as a Den Chief for the Webelos and Arrow of Light Den in Pack 128. She served as Senior Patrol Leader for her Troop. She was the first female youth to be inducted into Onondaga Lodge 36, completing her Ordeal in October 2020. Maddy earned her Brotherhood in April of 2021. She serves on the ceremony team for the lodge and was elected to Vice Chief of Ceremonies for the 2022 year. Since joining Scouts BSA she has earned 49 merit badges.

Maddy’s Eagle Scout Project, Project Ohio River Educational Kiosk, is an 18-foot long and about 12-foot-high kiosk that holds information and maps about the local waterways, national wildlife preserves along this section of the river, local flora and fauna, invasive species and how to stop their spread.

It sits on the bank of the Ohio River at the Paden City Marina, which is used almost all year round by boaters and fishermen. Maddy chose to create this Kiosk due to her appreciation for the wildlife surrounding the Ohio River.

She hopes that this project will provide important educational tools to the local community so that others can appreciate and assist in maintaining local habitats that are important to the ecosystem.

To gain approval to build the kiosk she needed to obtain permission from National and State Fish and Wildlife plus the City of Paden City. To build the project she led members of the city maintenance crew, wildlife officers, troopmates and family.