A Birmingham Scouting America Youth has accomplished an extremely rare and challenging feat that few have attained since the Scouting program began in 1910.
Seventeen-year-old Garrett Jones, a member of Troop 4, in Vestavia Hills earned every merit badge in the Scouting America’s premiere national leadership training program. Not only has he completed the twenty-one badges required to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, which he hopes to achieve this May, but he has also earned all the 141 currently available merit badges. Jones is one of only ten (10) Scouts in Alabama known to have accomplished this feat and is among the six hundred Scouts, out of 130 million Scouts across the country, since the program’s inception, to ever earn all the Merit badges offered, during his tenure in Scouting.
Scouting America’s merit badge program allows Scouts to explore a diverse range of subjects, helping them determine if they would like to pursue these interests as potential careers or vocations. Many great leaders, innovators, and historical figures discovered their initial passions through the Scouting merit badge program. Whether it’S Citizenship in Society, Farm Mechanics, Artificial Intelligence, Welding, Hiking, Scuba Diving, Cybersecurity, Woodworking, or Nuclear Science – Scouts can explore a myriad of career interests and hobbies through this valuable program.
Jones began his Scouting journey as a Cub Scout in 2016 and graduated to Boy Scouts earning his Arrow of Light award in March of 2020.
“Initially, the pursuit of each merit badge was a fun objective where I got to spend time with my dad, but then as an older scout at 14, I had already earned over 50. It then evolved into a personal and feasible goal that I wanted to challenge myself with.” A few of the badges were mentally and physically challenging and pushed Garrett out of his comfort zone. “I learned that limitations are often self-imposed, because we base them on a belief we have about what we can and cannot do.” “Scuba diving was a good example of overcoming my fears and what I thought was a limitation of my capabilities.”
Garrett said he and his family would often travel allot to attend a “Merit Badge University” or Merit Badge Day” held at a Regional College, School, or Church. Travelling to new places and spending time learning with other Scouts from other states was a big part of the adventure. Garrett also attended several summer camps at Camp Comer and Sequoyah, hosted by the Greater Alabama Council, where they offer scouts the ideal environments to earn many of the badges while attending camp. Toward the end of reaching his goal, he ran into natural limits where some of the more obscure and unusual Merit Badges were increasingly hard to find. He took some classes via virtual summer camps, online merit badge workshops and through virtual work with independent counselors. “I also took many Merit Badge classes online, with a small class, or even sometimes I had to work completely on my own with a counselor and a parent, remotely.”
In September of 2024, Jones ramped up work on his Eagle project at Hand-In-Paw, a deserving non-profit located in Birmingham whose mission is to improve human health and well-being through Animal-Assisted Therapy, by providing professionally trained volunteer handler and animal Therapy Teams help improve people’s day-to-day lives.
