Local People

Twitter

In the history of the Boy Scouts, Charles Boone has done what only a handful of Boy Scouts have done. Charles has earned every merit badge – he has earned 137 of them, plus one.

Charles Boone

The ‘plus one’ means that Charles earned the Computer badge before it was discontinued. He then earned its replacement, the Digital Technology badge, which is the ‘plus one.’

Each merit badge earned has provided a story for Charles. Robotics was his first; it was first released months after he crossed over to Boy Scouts. It is fitting that the last badge released, Exploration, was also Charles’ last badge earned.

There are a few ways a scout can earn merit badges. The first is by individually working with a merit badge counselor; then you can work in a group setting on a badge (but everyone has to earn the badge on his own). Lastly, you can attend an organized ‘merit badge day’ usually put on by a troop. Charles used all of these avenues to earn his badges.

One thing which Charles liked was meeting all the different people while earning the badges, plus getting a lot of different opinions. Charles learned a little bit of everything and tried things which he never would have done if it weren’t for the merit badge.

The hardest thing in working on badges was finding a merit badge counselor. People are busy these days and trying to connect with someone can be difficult, so Charles took matters into his own hands. When he couldn’t hook up with a counselor for the Dog Care and the Pets badges, he talked to the education director at Animal Friends to see if she would become a counselor. Then he took it one step further by working with her to start a Dog Care merit badge class at Animal Friends, which is now offered so that any scout can earn this badge.

While working on the badges, Charles found his career. After working on the Aviation merit badge at the Erie International Airport, Charles knew he wants to be a pilot. Charles is enrolled in a dual high school/college program where he is a college freshman working towards his aviation degree.

Although the Boy Scouts do not keep separate records on how many scouts earn how many badges, one private website says under 400 scouts, out of the millions of boys who have been in Scouts since it began in 1910, earned all of the merit badges. Congratulations, Charles, on such a historic achievement!

Charles is an Eagle Scout in Troop 236 and is the son of Ron and Monica Boone. He is the nephew of Marianne Rodacy of Charleroi and Herb Boone of McMurray.

• < Prev
• Next >