By NewsLine Staff
mail@floridanewsline.com
Tre Peterson, a 17-year-old from Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 277 in Ponte Vedra Beach, is joining a rarified group that few scouts in the whole country have ever achieved since the BSA started 113 years ago. He will be recognized Oct. 2 at a BSA Court of Honor Ceremony at Christ Episcopal Church for completing all 138 Merit Badges that the BSA offers. Since the BSA was founded in 1910, fewer than 550 scouts of the more than 130 million participants have accomplished this feat (less than 0.00042 percent).
Peterson joined Cub Scout Pack 277 in first grade, moved into Boy Scouts in fifth grade, and earned Eagle rank by the end of seventh grade. To earn the Eagle rank, Scouts must earn 23 merit badges; most scouts typically earn 30 – 40 badges. Peterson had earned 86 merit badges by this point. He built dog houses for Jacksonville’s Animal Care and Protective Services as his Eagle Scout project.
Since then, Peterson continued to challenge himself to pursue every merit badge, which help scouts learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers, among many. His favorites were metalwork, personal management, and welding.
“It’s taken me many years to earn all the merit badges, but it has definitely been worth the journey, and I believe I’ve inspired younger scouts along the way to stretch what they think is possible to do,” Peterson said.
Both his father and grandfather were Boy Scouts. Peterson is a senior at Ponte Vedra High School and would like to major in Finance at Stetson University in Deland next year.
Visit www.scouting.org/skills/merit-badges/all/ to see the full list of merit badges scouts can earn.
Photo courtesy Sheila Kolesaire
Tre Peterson has earned all 138 Merit Badges that the BSA offers.
