A 14-year-old in suburban Virginia has taken to heart the Boy Scout motto of “be prepared” as he achieved a rare feat -- hauling in every merit badge a scout can earn.
According to The Washington Post, Josh McCoy of Alexandria spent more than three years of hard work and practice to earn all 135 Boy Scout merit badges, from American business to woodwork.
“I’m a competitive person,” Josh told the paper recently. “My dad had gotten 83. I wanted to get more than him.”
Josh, a member of Troop 1145 in the Virginia city of Springfield, snagged merit badge No. 83 with athletics. His 84th was Law. The Post listed some of the others: archery, architecture, dentistry, disabilities awareness, dog care, fingerprinting, leatherwork, public speaking, soil and water conservation, wilderness survival.
He grabbed his 135th merit badge, bugling, just three weeks ago.
Josh told ABC News that he really had to work to get the bugling merit badge. He said it took him two years to learn 15 songs to do it.
But even after all that effort, his amazing feat may only be fleeting.
His younger brother Zach has 102 Boy Scout merit badges -- and counting.
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