He also works as an intern for Chuck Schumer.

BTW, he's an Eagle, not a Life Scout (as suggested in the anonymous graphic).

Achievement unlocked: Obsessive-Compulsive

How much you wanna bet this dude has never had a date in his LIFE...?

Does it matter if he has ever had a date? Really....at least he isn't some hoodlum. I say good for him!!

do not know much about boy scouts but sounds like quite an accomplishment, and like chrissy said atleast he isnt a hoodlum i say great job kiddo

Attaining the Eagle rank takes personal motivation, commitment and lots of effort. He first attains all five lower ranks, the 21 merit badges required and a large personally designed project. Then satisifying a board of review. A significant percentage of our population realizes the accomplishment, also that of Gold Award Girl Scouts.

I have an office wall full of degrees, diplomas, licenses, board certificates, etc. Still that Eagle Award impresses folks the most. This fellow's accomplishment is really astounding! I have never heard of a scout completing all the available badges... very impressive. The knowledge, self confidence, and abilities gained will be with him and serve him the rest of his life.

It would be even better if his story encourages more boys to set and achieve higher goals!

BRAVO! Isn't it great to read good news now and again?

Just wanted to say congrats, well done. More than most people can say they have done.

Well done!A bright future is in store for this one.

First, there was MacGuyver. Then, there was Jack Bauer. The next generation has this guy. When society crumbles and we've gone nomadic, this kid will rule over us all.

Good for him! Congratulations & Keep up the great work!

Absolutely fantastic achievement Congratualations! Keep up with your motivational mindset of grand achievements and become a politician, you will make a fine senator and president someday!!

I earned 2 merit badges and then got kicked out of scouts for eating Brownies..

I think it is a wonderful accomplishment and he should get all the kudos in the world for this. He has done what FEW people have done. My brothers were both Boy Scouts and it is very hard to get a lot of the badges available.....WAY TO GO and Good Luck with whatever you do in life. I would feel better about the "State of the Union" if more people (in power) showed the dedication you have shown for something you believe in.

The article doesn't say he's an Eagle Scout which would explain the Life Scout rank depicted in the illustration. All it says is that he earned all 121 and compares it to the maximum required for the Eagle Scout rank.

i am a eagle scout good job

I'll bet he's got the badge for being a virgin, too

duke, your an idiot

About time we got some good news from Strong Island .

Congratulations to this young man. I would certainly want him on my team. He must be well rounded and prepared for anything. That is the type of dedicated person women will flock to and men will admire all his life. He is most likely well in to working for his next goal and is a person everyone wants to hear an opinion from.

Well, I don't know this kid so I can't say anything about his character, but I make some general observation. I've served as an advancement chairman for a large troop and I've seen a number of kids come in and get their Eagle and then never show up again. As far as 121 Merit Badges, that is like reading 121 books. Much of it is a solitary activity. The Boy Scouts have become too focused on individual achievement over group achievement. Some guys just want the Eagle for their resume. I'd much rather hire a kid who didn't get his Eagle or 121 Merit Badges but instead spent his time in a leadership role making things happen within his patrol and troop.

my grandma earned 143 merit badges

she would have earned 144, but she can't bugle worth a crap.

Congratulations to this fine young man.
If his grandmother didn't see him complete his quest, she still understood he would finish. After watching him work his way to over a hundred, she could see his capacity for setting and achieving his goals.
She also knew he was a success whether he finished or not.

I'm sure she was so proud of him! And rightfully he can be proud of himself.

I agree with Grumpy13 - this fellow will have lots of followers and admiration - he is the type of person we all admire!

(And - the girls will be after him by the dozens! Duke and JJ obviously are not achievers or they would know that the top girls are always looking for the top guys!)

Sounds like Terry (11:15 PM) hasn't had a date either. Nice job tooting your own horn!

I'm sure plenty of research shows that the kind of character and commitment it takes to accomplish something like this, is much better indicator of long-term life satisfaction AND long-term success / happiness in the realm of personal relationships than early "date-getting". (Although I know plenty of handsome badge-getting scouts who do fine in the date-getting area, as well, so don't go making any assumptions.) Well done!

RE: Post 21 (Kevin) - In order to achieve the higher ranks, a Scout must serve in various leadership roles in the troop. Unlike Cub Scouts, where parents/adults run the show, the troop meetings, outings, service projects, volunteer outings, etc., are planned/executed by the Scouts themselves. Three boys run the meetings, and each patrol has two boys in charge. Of course, parents are there as 'behind the scenes' participants to keep things organized. So any Scout you'd hire - Eagle or not - would have excellent leadership skills.

Dennis,

That's what it says in the books. I've been involved in numerous troops over the past 35 years, I've lead groups to Philmont and worked on staff in summer camps and NOAC staffs, all sorts of things. Sorry, that isn't what actually happens. And besides, it says they have to serve in them, not that they have to do a good job. I'm not saying that there are not some great Eagle Scouts, I know quite a few. But it is far from a perfect indicator of success or leadership skills. I've seen to many merit badge factory summer camp programs as well as merit badge factory troops. I'm sorry, but I've seen way to many bad apples (read self serving) get through.

Kevin

I agree with Kevin (post 28). My boys were in a troop where a kid stopped coming to meetings. Less than 2 months before his 18th birthday, leaders went to him with a project all paperwork filled out for him to go in front of the Eagle Board. His project was approved, a few people showed up to help him plant trees, and he was awarded his Eagle Scout award. We refer to him as the Paper Eagle.

By the way, my oldest is an Eagle Scout. He actually EARNED his award. My middle son is on his way to earning his.

(Last post, I promise) My Eagle Scout, at age 21, still attends the meetings, when he comes home from college, to help the younger boys learn how to be a Boy Scouts and to help them earn their merit badges. He also works at Ransburg Scout Reservation during the summer.

Having earned my Eagle Scout at the age of 16, I certainly know how much work it takes. The skills learned and leadership training gained in those early years of life opened doors which gave me the opportunity for much more in the following years. Earning all 121 merit badges may be obsessive compulsive, but what a remarkable achievement!

Lets encourage more young men to learn and grow in the Boy Scouts of America. In spite of the over zealousness of some parents and leaders to assist (sometimes selfishly) the advancement to the Eagle rank, it is still an accomplishment worthy of respect and admiration.

The values and work ethic developed through the Boy Scouts will influence a young man for life.

Why is it that when a kid does something awesome we try to find ways to cut him down? I suggest the people that are doing this need to take a good look in the mirror. Good Job Kid!!

Congratulations! This young person is a LEADER who deserves respect. See how quickly the morons who have done nothing seek to degrade his accomplishment. To them I say, just continue as your going, do what's cool according to the tv and magazines(that's what followers do), maybe this guy will be generous enough to give you a job someday-if your not in jail.

Good for him. I know he appreciates the Don't Ask Don't tell, policy.

I agree with Crissy. At least he's trying to do some good in the world. Sad about his grandma though.

This story demonstrates how scouting is little more than an exercise in busy work.

Scouting can be fun, but it's usefulness is overrated.

This kid's accomplishment is an amazing feat of determination, but it should not be confused with a sign of leadership or that of teamwork.

How many of the things this kid had to do to earn those badges were mere items to be checked off as thought they were on a shopping list and will never be incorporated into his everyday life?

The ugly truth about this kind of achievement is that very little of it is truly valuable and even less of it has any lasting effects on the child.

• He earned a badge for taking a pottery class with his mom. What a proud mother-son moment that must have been. At least when he gets married, the happy couple won't need to register for place settings. The kid can make the plates, cups, bowls, and the gravy boat out of clay.
• Good provider: He will never go hungry in the lean times since he has a merit badge in bee keeping, fishing, gardening, and raising bunnies (the usefulness of the latter skill he could have learned watching Michael Moore's documentary "Roger and Me" when Rhonda Britton of Flint, Michigan was shown raising rabbits for pets or meat).
• A call to arms: He earned a badge for bugling. Ooooh... I'm impressed. If I ever feel the need for a cavalry charge, I'll know just who to call.
• Future Employment: He will be the only one in the office to have woven his own wicker inbox. Either that or he can put his basketry merit badge to good use as an artisan at the Longaberger factory in Dresden, Ohio.
• Lead our countries economic recovery: He can put his two merit badges in Consumer Buying to use by shopping at Walmart

This kid did not learn the value of teamwork. Where was his partner?

From the official scouting website on the merit badge program:

When a Scout has an interest in earning a particular merit badge, he obtains his Scoutmaster's/Varsity Scout Coach's approval and...

identifies another Scout with similar interests to become his partner.

They are then directed to the appropriate merit badge counselor. The counselor reviews the badge requirements with the young men and decides with them what projects should be undertaken and when they should be completed. After the counselor has certified that the Scouts have qualified for the merit badge, it is presented to them at a troop/team meeting and can be applied toward rank advancement.

The article tries to demonstrate that the kid isn't a nerd with a single-minded devotion to his pursuits, but it had already recounted the tale of when a few friends couldn't accompany him on a ride to earn his bicycling merit badge, his mother stepped in. Why not try to do it with other troop members?
I guess his mother was his troop partner.

Why our leaders are idiots:
It is unlikely the kid was prepared to run a department when he achieved Eagle Scout status at age 13. Who would have hired him? Nobody. Why? Because if running a meeting of adolescents is your idea of exhibiting leadership, then you have set the bar far too low. I suppose that the person that runs the local day care center ought to be qualified to be the next President of the United States.

The kid got a merit badge for bicycling and he attended classes at Harvard. Okay... He likes bicycling and attended Harvard. Hmm... Throw in a stint at Yale and he just might have what it takes to be the next George W. Bush.

Let's stop finding useless reasons to praise people and start focusing on what really makes a difference in the world.

This kid's achievement ought to be commended, but it should also be put into perspective. I would be proudest of the child that selflessly dedicated himself to helping the sick, poor, and the elderly in his community for the sake of it being the right thing to do, rather than going through the motions to earn a merit badge.

The scout that walks an elderly person across the street and then uses the act to earn a badge is not to be commended. The child that does it again and again without seeking a pat on the back in the real hero.

How many of these badges are truly useful?

Agribusiness (2)
American Business
American Cultures
American Heritage
American Labor
Animal Science
Archaeology
Archery
Architecture
Art
Astronomy
Athletics
Auto Mechanics
Aviation
Backpacking
Basketry
Beekeeping (2)
Bird Study
Botany (2)
Bugling
Camping*
Canoeing
Chemistry
Cinematography
Citizenship in the Community*
Citizenship in the Nation*
Citizenship in the World*
Climbing
Coin Collecting
Collections
Communications*
Computers
Consumer Buying (2)
Cooking
Crime Prevention
Cycling**
Dentistry
Disabilities Awareness
Dog Care
Drafting
Electricity
Electronics
Emergency Preparedness***
Energy
Engineering
Entrepreneurship
Environmental Science*
Family Life*
Farm Mechanics
Fingerprinting
Fire Safety
First Aid*
Fish and Wildlife Management
Fishing
Fly Fishing
Forestry
Gardening
Genealogy
General Science (2)
Geology
Golf
Graphic Arts
Hiking**
Home Repairs
Horsemanship
Indian Lore
Insect Study
Journalism
Landscape Architecture
Law
Leatherwork
Lifesaving***
Machinery (2)
Mammal Study
Masonry (2)
Medicine
Metals Engineering (2)
Metalwork
Model Design and Building
Motorboating
Music
Nature
Nuclear Science
Oceanography
Orienteering
Painting
Personal Fitness*
Personal Management*
Pets
Photography
Pioneering
Plant Science
Plumbing
Pottery
Public Health
Public Speaking
Pulp and Paper
Rabbit Raising (1)
Radio
Railroading
Reading
Reptile and Amphibian Study
Rifle Shooting
Rowing
Safety*
Salesmanship
Scholarship
Sculpture
Shotgun Shooting
Skating
Skiing
Small Boat Sailing
Snow Sports
Soil and Water Conservation
Space Exploration
Sports
Stamp Collecting
Surveying
Swimming**
Textile
Theater
Traffic Safety
Truck Transportation
Veterinary Medicine
Water Skiing
Weather
Whitewater
Wilderness Survival
Wood Carving
Woodwork

* On required list for Eagle Scout rank
** Required for Eagle (must complete Cycling, Hiking, or Swimming)
*** Required for Eagle (must complete Emergency Preparedness or Lifesaving)
(1) Discontinued in 1993
(2) Discontinued in 1995

Wow. I take it 'Mike' was never a Boy Scout, or was beat up by one as a child. I'm sorry for you, Mike. You clearly missed the whole point of Scouting. It's not all about the merit badges, although EARNING so many is a fantastic feat for many reasons, most of which you fail to mention. Scouting is about leadership, socialization, citizenship, personal growth and self confidence. It's a wonderful opportunity (though not the ONLY opportunity) to transition from boy to man in a positive environment in the company of positive role models, both adults and fellow Scouts. And yes, it's also a good opportunity to bond with your parents, whichever ones you have at home, or your two homes, as is too often the case today.
Earning these merit badges is a learning experience that benefits the Scout, the troop, the parents, the leaders and ultimately, society as a whole. I'm certain the young Mr. Goldsmith realizes that, as do his peers and the younger Scouts he mentored along the way. Congrats to you, Shawn, and to all those who've earned or even strived to reach the noble goal of attaining the Eagle Scout rank.

I find it ironic that "usefulness" becomes a threshold defintion in this case. As a double CEO I see people smart as hell but unable to focus sufficiently to achieve thier potential. How useful is TV or the NFL or the myriad other ways we spend time?

When a resume comes to me with Eagle on it, that person goest to the top of the list for interview. Personal preference born of proven performance.

Lifesaving might be useful Mike if he happens by while you are croaking.

MB

You know, Mike is right. The merit badges themselves prove very little. However, having the dedication to achieve this goal means a lot. He has drive and ambition. If he faces every challenge that life throws at him with this same intensity, he will achieve what ever he wants.

Congratz!

This kid would dominate on survivor, and would totally kick ass if zombies ever attacked.

Mike (Jan 01 3:50pm): L on your forehead for a comment 5x longer than the original post.

As for the value of the achievement, Heinlein said it best: "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

This Boy Scout will go far in life. He has shown that he has broad interests beyond mere dabbling. He is educated, smart, and has extraordinary dedication and patience! He is the very definition of a 'well rounded' individual

I have three college degrees, so many qualifications and certifications I don't even bother remember them. The ONE AWARD I have on my office wall is my Eagle Scout Plaque.

CONGRATULATIONS

Quantity isn't quality. Kids - and the parents who raise them - nowadays seem like more is better. It's not. I don't feel this was "dedication" either; it was a check list.

There are more ways that parents can be examples for how kids can be exceptional.

Congratulations! My boys are Cub Scouts in Asia and my cousin Aaron is almost an Eagle Scout in Dallas.

Mike, would you like to share which one of the badges is NOT important?

I think this guy has done a great job and should be commended. Anyone who does not think so is just stupid, an idiot or jealous.

An Eagle Scout would not have said that but is is true, la!

Congrats. I know that this feat took a lot of work and sacrifice.

This is an accomplishment to be praised folks. To my knowledge, less than 1% of scouts "run the board" and earn all 121 merit badges. There's a level of effort here that the naysayers fail to comprehend and nothing posted here will reach through their lack of understanding.

I'm not an Eagle Scout, but my son is. Is he ready to command a rifle company, or be a store manager somewhere, not yet. But he's got a solid foundation to build upon in his journey to get there.

The Eagle Scout in this story has that same foundation and then some. The merit badge program isn't intended to give young men the capability or know how to be an expert in the topic they earn the badge for, but rather a sense of what the topic is about and a broad understanding of the subject.

Merit badges don't measure leadership ability or capability. They measure drive and curiosity about the world around you. That he earned every single one, that just tells me he's a driven man who can focus on goals and outcomes and knows what it takes to get there and succed.

WELL DONE!

Job Well Done!!

P.S. ...for that hater Mike..get me a cup of coffee, two sugars and one cream...

How utterly normal for childish Americans... anyone who makes a truly outstanding accomplishment just HAS to be torn down (to your level), right?

Who CARES what you think? I highly suspect the party of those who praised the young man's work and those who bagged on it fall into two relatively different groups; the first being Republicans, the second being liberal, marxist, socialist Demobots.

Democrat: "He does not DESERVE all the medals. He should SHARE them with the 'less fortunate' (code for 'we decide who that is'). How do you think this makes other young teenagers FEEL? In fact, this so-called 'Boy Scout' could very well face a LAW SUIT for damaging the SELF-ESTEEM of some VERY impressionable children (code for 'do what we tell you or we will use the law to ruin your life').

Demobot studies have shown that HEROIN addicts have a better chance living a healthy life than Boy Scouts. Yes, Boy Scouts work hard, are honest, respect themselves and other people, get careers, pay lots of taxes (code for 'Hell ya, we love that part!), BUT they also suffer from heart disease, stress and other illnesses from facing life's problems head on.

NOW... HEROIN ADDICTS are more relaxed, EASY going people. They don't DESTROY nature, they SHARE whatever they have with others (needles, etc.), and are highly social by nature (just go to any FREE clinic).

The case is clear, the Boy Scouts must be banned as a non-democratic, unproductive danger to socialist, marxist society. ANYONE who is allowed to EXCEL independently of the 'party' is simply making us ALL look bad.

HEROIN anyone?? Treatment is FREE!

I'm sure one of the badges involved him having to date a girl. And if he gets a kiss, that's another badge. If he goes the whole nine yard with a girl, he'll be appointed the chief of the Boyscout organization. Obviously he didn't make it that far...

Its an old saying, character counts. From Washington to Lincoln to Teddy Roosevelt and all the others, its the one thing you cannot buy. When Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, he came for all mankind, but as an American he said. "The Eagle has landed", the Eagle out national symbol and for him personally an "Eagle Scout" it meant something. Both my sons are Eagle Scouts, Matt and Aden. I am proud of them both. With encouragement from their family and friends they both earned Scoutings highest rank and both had over 50 Merit Badges. In doing so they learned more than the basics of taking care of themselves and others. Lifesaving,Scuba,Climbing with the Mountaineers. Red Cross certified as Lifeguards and CPR, and Mountain Oriented First Aid, then can take care of themselves and others in need.
Learning to lead and having a good character can never be discounted.
My sons learned things that have great value that cannot be bought or sold.

When you are in trouble, when the weak need help,boys like this young man, may if you are lucky to be their to save them.

Once an Eagle, always an Eagle. It's a lifetime
journey and for this boy to finish all the badges marks him as a credit to his community, to his parents and to himself. He will fare well.

On My Honor.

Wes Prichard

What this boy has done was achieve very important things that can be very useful in life and every parent should put thier children thru the Scouts,, I was once in the Boy Scouts as a child & if children today was in programs like this then the problems of being hoodlums would not be there,, Children would have more respect for life & the people they encounter thru life but many kids today only got thier minds on sex, stealing,gangs, bullying,smoking, drugs and many other crimes cause thier own parents either dont care or dont have the time, I am 45 years old now & did not achieve all those merits but the Boy scouts taught me to respect myself & others & how to get by & survive in tough situations,, I am proud of any child that puts his mind toward better things instead of the evil things alot of kids do today,, For any person out there in this world that puts this kid down in anyway by saying he's a nerd or cant make it with a girl are only fools and are totally ignorant narrow minded jealous punks that couldnt have the strength & mind & the courage to do what this boy has done,, Schools teach kids things but the Scouts teach so much more than education,, Our economy might fail & what this boy has learned will get him thru it to where others will suffer from not knowing how to survive & make do with what they got,,You dont have to be a Navy Seal or a Marine but what this boy has learned puts him right at the top right beside them and Im proud of him,,,,,,Doug of Timberlake, NC

I agree with Wolf, those of you running down this young man obviously don't understand the value of some of what these exercises teach a young man. I was a cub scout for about 2 months, and then there was no money for it, but I remember it being a lot of fun. My nephew is a boy scout, and my brother helps organize/run the troop, and no, he's not a molester you jackasses. The varied skills he's picked up may not seem useful to you, but it's the doing of all these things, the committment, the ambition, the drive to accomplish, that is what makes him special. He might be a virgin, so what, is that a bad thing somehow? I know plenty of teenagers that are awkward around the opposite sex, that has nothing to do with any of the above. Besides, maybe he's a real Don Juan. He can take the chickies out camping and impress them with his skills at setting up an efficient and comfortable campsite. Nothing says romance like a roaring campfire, some freshly caught fish, an air mattress, crisp night air, and beautiful stars without streetlights. It's better that he's done this than sit around smoking dope and playing grand theft auto/rape/murder/larceny, or guitar hero(without learning to actually play an instrument) indoors all day. I tell you what, when the fecal matter impacts the rotary impeller, I'll take this kid over 98% of the others out there.

I find it amazing how many people run down a young man who has accomplished what this one has, most boys eather do not leave their video games long enough to get sun light or are terrorizing the community. As far as not an achement I know in my troop (I am a scoutmster) that the boys do lead the troop and with the 18 boys I have we completed more than 150 hrs of community service last year lead by the boys. From cleaning along a local road to collecting food for food banks. Boys who are in boy scouts learn many inportant things including how our govemnent works which should be taught in schools but is not in most places. The boys in scouts do things, and see things things that most kids will never do or see.
Those who run this young man down are upset they could not do it.
As far as the girl thing the boys in my troop have their share of dates but unlike those who want to run this young man down they can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Hey, Patriot, while I don't usually encourage crazies by responding to them, Scouts were the first "liberals." They promote helping others, care for the environment and cooperation. And for your information, not all Democrats are liberals, just like all Republicans aren't crazy conservatives. Your choice of party doesn't mean you're in lockstep with the people also in that party. (OK, the exception might be the Nazi party.)

Congratulations and thank heavens there is at least one organization still open to just boys!

Yea this guy spen over 5 years of his life getting these badges. Sure its admirable that some one actualy acomplished this task,but i bet that the kid has never had a girlfriend ether. Hahhh...yeah...they should add a 122 badge in his honor, they can call it the "Virgin for life badge" and give it to him in give him in front of a live and television viewing odience.

I too think that this young man's achievement is noteable, but having been a Boy Scout Leader for over 23 years, I would rather see a boy earn the minimum number of merit badges for Eagle during his Scouting experience, than try to earn them all. You get the most out of the experience and you are not just trying to achieve numbers. The article noted that the Scout earned 59 merit badges in just a few months. As any Scout leader will tell you, it may be possible, but "merit badge factories" do the Scout no good by not really experiencing the enjoyment of earning the badge. He is just blasting through without any sense of what he is doing. I doubt the young man could answer many questions about the majority of the merit badges he earned. Again, I applaud his determination and work ethic in doing what he did, but I would not encourage my boys to do their merit badges in this way.

He set a goal.
He achieved that goal.
Why is setting and achievement of a goal a bad thing? Think Michael Phelps as well.
Is this being Obsessive? It maybe , but a hell of a lot better than obsessing for an MP3 or a Wii and wanting to obtain the highest score of anyone on the planet in "Grand Theft Auto."
Mike, I would ask you to "Super Size Me" but I doubt you could hold a job there either. Even McDonalds works to develop, NEEDS, AND REWARDS the employees for TEAM WORK. (However, you DID "Supersize" your post, which leads me to believe there may be some "sour grapes" on your part about Scouts and Scouting.)
I did go down your list to see if any of the badges did not have relevance. NOT ONE (including the raising of rabbits) was irrelevant with regards things a person can apply various situations in their life.
I was a Cub Scout and achieved so many arrowheads under my three badges that caused many to disappear when I tucked in my shirt.
I did not advance into the Boy Scouts because where I lived, the predominate religion (of which I was not a member) dominated and controlled Scouting in my hometown. The overwhelming peer pressure (you had to be a member of that religion to join Scout Troop meetings, which were offered within their church buildings) was something, which I decided, was intolerable. (This issue was addressed by the National Scout Council years later, but too late for me.) However, even my Cub Scout training came into use in my careers as a Police Officer in a major West Coast city; Computer programmer, analyst, and manager in Assembler Language; Consultant in computer systems for Banks, Transportation and Manufacturing (Internationally); Now as a CEO of an International business. (There is a wonderful Scouting museum in Hong Kong Kowloon, next to Victoria Park and is part of the BP International Hotel.
Congratulations to Shawn Goldsmith for his achievement. What Shawn achieved and has learned will serve him well for the rest of his life. You have fulfilled your Scout oath, "On my honor I will do my best"

On

I think this young man should be very proud of himself! How many people can say they make a goal for themselves and then truely achieve it? As a Scout leader, Unit Commisioner, Den leader, and mother of 3 scouts I applaud this young man for all his hard work. Those that have negative comments about scouting and about this young man, need to take a good hard look at themselves. Are you jealous? Have you ever achieved anything in your lives? Hard work and dedication reap its own rewards. Congratulations Shawn! The rest of us Scouters are proud of you! Ignore the negative comments, and enjoy your achievements!

When does he turn into the Mighty Bee?

Very very impressive. The time and effort to achieve such an accomplishment speaks volumes for this young man. He won't have a hard time finding a job, that's for sure. Way to go!!!!

"Mike",
You are a weenie and a loser. I have never been a scout nor have my sons. This program shapes character; the kind that you pathetically lack as a person. Go back to your angry little life in the trailor park. ...God save us from the idiots!!!

I am also an Eagle Scout from the Philippines.. I salute you kid!

Why in the world would anyone want to criticize this young man, or find fault in him? My grandson just recently joined the Boy Scouts and I have seen a tremendous improvement in his attitude, demeanor, the way the treats people. I say congratulations to this young man and to hell with all the rest of you that want to make fun of his achievements!

Okay, I'm back again. First, Mike is wrong to say that the Boy Scouts usefulness is overrated; however, if other kids hold this example, of 100 and however many merit badges he received, up as something to emulate, then the Boy Scouts will lose its usefulness. I've seen lots of comments from parents of Scouts, and I am sure their kids are fantastic; but earning all of the merit badges out there is just grand standing. I know everyone will assume I am a pathetic loser for saying that, but I can only speak from my thirty-five years affiliated with the program. Scouting is about service to others first and foremost. In the Scout Oath the Duty to the individual Scout is at the end of the Oath, not the beginning. Boyce, I think that was his name, discovered Baden-Powell's Boy Scouts and brought them to America because of a selfless act of service on the part of one boy, not a kid who walked around with lots of trophies to show off. I've seen great Scouts become great leaders, but it wasn't the ones who were only concerned with their own advancement, it was the ones who saw an opportunity to bring a kid along into the troop or his patrol that was a bit of an outsider, or that stayed after to help a younger Scout on clean up duty. I'm sorry that all of those people who have not personally been involved in the program find what I have to say objectionable, but they will and so be it.

From my perspective, one of the most important roles a young man can be in Scouting is a Patrol Leader. He shouldn't be out getting four times more personal merit badges then he needs to obtain the rank of Eagle, instead he should be giving back to his troop by helping to create meaningful program at the patrol and troop level. Those of us who have been in the program since Green Bar Bill have seen what paper eagles and merit badge factories are.

Kevin
Wolf Patrol, Brownsee 22

Re: Post 37
Way too much time on your hands to reply in so much depth; and, seems as if you may have had a negative experience with Scouting in general. The information from the BSA Merit Badge website is a guideline, not a requirement. Look at the statistics for the number of scouts who receive the Eagle award. Look at the Eagle Scout alumni. The scout has earned a distinction beyond Eagle and deserves to be recognized for his achievement. Shame on those who accentuate the negative, read betwen the lines, and engage in scatalogical discourse on the subject.

The Boy Scouts is an outdated organization which needs to move to the 21st Century. I wonder how they would treat him if he were gay. The Boy Scouts is a homophobic organization who hides behind the veil of "values" to promote intolerance and discrimination.

James Dale was an exemplary scout master until he came out of the closet. I guess being true to yourself is not "value" they want to promote.

That being said, I think everyone should commend this young man for his attitude and his commitment to earning these badges. It takes a lot of sacrifice and tenacity to accomplish something like this and I commend him for this.

I only hope that as an adult who may lead this organization or others like it in the very near future that he understands tolerance, equality and respect are values to be applied broadly to all people and not as ideals to exclude people who may be different.

It's rather sad that his grandmother passed away just days before he met his goal. Rather like what happened when Barack Obama's grandmother passed two days before the election. I don't doubt that this young man will feel considerable affinity for Obama because of this fact alone.

to #37

Re: How many of these badges are truly useful?

I tell you what... i will agree with the reality that most young men that have the free time to accomplish those projects,dont have much of a typical teenage social life. Hell as a kid that age i would of never been caught dead with this kid..... But I would gotta admit this guy is well rounded... with knowledge of things like Veterinary Medicine,nuclear science and Politics, he can definetly pick up any girl semi drunk at 2:00am at the local bar....With things like Art,botany,and poetry he can definetly nail the smart,artsy chick (who lets all face it are the most open to... "try new things") and his skills in Medicine,fire safety and Dentistry will help him if he gets caught playing the field...AND then there is Consumer Buying,Family Life,and Home Repairs if he is unfortunate enough to get snared by a female and get married...

I dont know about you,but to me he is definetly skilled in way more things than I am.. therefore chances are if he plays it right will get more ass than me also.

e i second what u said to duke . duke ur a butthead. way to go kid ur a good example for other kids out there.

Ok as a young person of his age I wanted to just say something about this.So congrats to the guy for achieving his goal I mean thats great and Im sure he did something few other people could or would do but jeese what is the big deal here people. Half of you spout off about how you would hire him in a minute because he is an Eagle Scout over others who were not as if people who arent in the boy scouts cant turn out to be responsible intelligent and qualified applicants. And what was this kid doing with his life I mean to be a freshman in college he had an awful lot of time on his hands. I believe my freshman year (and im going into my senior year at quite a nice well respected school if i do say so my self) was spent working at being at the top of my class excelling in my chosen program taking the harder classes so that i could one day be the best in my field this kid earned merit badges, Where the hell did he find the time? Between friends, making friends, class, homework, clubs or working where did this guy find the time? or did he do none of those things except maybe class ...........Im not putting him down but was there a reason this was in the news outside of the scouts im mean conflict in the middle east, the doller being worth almost nothing (i live in england so believe me i know), the soon to be inaguration of Obama, and i mean other relavent things that coulda been in the news this is equivalent to reading that brittany spears finnally quite drinking i mean good for her but who really cares.....

Re: Comment #37

Mike, You're a moron!

As for the man that made such a terrible comment. This is a great acheivement. i commend this boy, even if someone did help him I wished my son would have kept going to make eagle scouts. I don't why we quit going. He is 23 years old now. And he did learn a lot by getting the badges. The other day we were doing something and he said , this other way was the right way to do it. We did it that way and i said , wow that was right, and how did you know that. He told me , from scouts. He said he uses alot of the things he learned from scouts. So I guess scouts came in handy for him after all. He learned the proper way to use bows and arrow, gun, knives. We live in the country and my child hardly ever watch tv and he really did not want nothing to do with the video games, because from the the time he was little i was outside with him. He had a 4-wheeler at 7 years old, a dirt bike and a bigger 4-wheeleer at 10 years old.. We always had a pool. We went on vacations in summer. So his life was pretty full with sports, scouts.

And anyway (why) are you so worried about his sex life. First off it wouldn't be none of you're business whether he had a sex life or not. But believe me he found the time and he was no geek.But he did learn a lot of things that he will use in life and he will be well rounded. When you go to college you have to take all these courses that does pertain to what you're going to college for, that is so you will be well well rounded.

Congrats

Im a first class scout and its going to be extremely hard for me to get eagle, let alone 121 merit badges!

I had 26 merit badges in 1973 and was nearly finished with my God and country merit badge when my they changed the organization from the Boy Scouts of America to Scouts of America because of a US Supreme Court ruling and had to start admitting girls into the troops. At the same time,my parents decided to move from central Florida to SE Ga. to a small hole in the wall town. the troop there was extremely fractured and was also admitting a half dozen girls into the troop at the same time I was trying to blend in. Needless to say, it was a fiasco for a young man in puberty, so I left the scouts and never looked back.
His acheivement is grand,but I would like to see some of the old merit badges and requirements come back.

Way to go! As a scout mom and a merit badge counselor, I am proud of your accomplishment. I know what goes into learning of these different badges. As far as your dreams and goals, I say go for it. You have the foundation to build on. Congratulations.

I'm sure his parents are broke from having to pay all that money for those badges. Whay a dumb thing to acheive. My sons were both scouts til I realized that the money it was costing me was a waste of time. My sons aren't hoodlums from not being a scouts. Let's see in 20 years what he has accomplished and thenmaybe we can be impressed. Otherwise he needs meds for OCD.

Not many regrets in my 53 years. Been lots of places, done lots of things, met lots of people. One regret: Not becoming an Eagle Scout. Congrats, Shawn!

Someone accomplishes something like this and the detractors just come out of the woodwork, eh?

Mike, no offense, but you're as bad about claiming this guy's Eagle Scout is useless as your typing all the jive in your post. Seriously, dude, you really need to find a hobby if you can find to type that junk out.

He def isent getting laid anytime soon after everyone sees this story!

As an Eagle scout from the 60's things that I have learned, and stood for are still with me today. Thank you BSA for keeping me out of trouble and putting my life on the right track.
anyone who thinks this was an easy task, try it.
This kid was outdoors not behind some vidio game and watching TV all day and night like most children.
Those of you knocking this kid, maybe you should have joined the scouts.

PS,,, His mother and father are very proud of him, are yours ? After all what did all you you knocking him do for your parents to be proud of you lately ???????

Good for him! Focusing on a goal / achieving that goal - would make anyone a better person and give him life skills. Congratulations and best wishes for a wonderful future.

The article does NOT say he's an Eagle Scout. It just says that he got all of the merit badges.

It's a shame that most of the post listed here have taken on a jealous over tone, why can't they see here is a young man who has display a lot of self discipline and self motivation along with encouragement from his grandmother, obviously he is in good standing or else he would not make it in the news with a positive note, he's a university student, this young man has a goal he intends to achieve, don't be surprise if he become our commander-in-chief later on in life, not having a girl friend or dating makes him more of a man, he is using the right head to think, the right girl will come along who will be a strong support to him, I give this young man a BIG BRAVO, I'm proud of him.

NO offense dude, but he looks like a dork. But, it was a really good accomplishment,but i find it funny that he looks exactly like the stereotype for someone who accomplished something like this. But dang, look at all his badges on that sash!

heres his pic.

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//081230/480/4b1c7ab560194328948c861ecdf59d33/

I just looked up the info of these 121 feats that this young man has accomplished and all I can say is good thing he accomplished them because with people as jealous as some of you haters, he will know how to deal with you and still be a man about it. It seems like the many feats that he accomplished might seem petty to you, however, it was not to him. It must have been a rough childhood for you not having someone in your corners rooting for you and encouraging you and I'm sorry to hear about that. Tho, I have not accomplished that feat of even being a boy scout, I did take a moment to see what this young man has accomplished and how he did it. He seems like he is going to be a very accomplished individual who will be able to take control of any situation he comes across whether it be business or politics, leadership or any other path that he chooses. He had his grandmother's support and you know he was doing this is her memory and we should be proud of his accomplishments instead of tearing it down. Is this how you treat your kids? instead of saying great job son/daughter you say - can't you do something else with your life, your a geek for doing this. I hope not, because, this is why we have so many dr phil shows and jerry springer, tyra and all those others is because nobody has given any of these individuals encouragement for a job well done. This is why our society is the way it is today is because some of you were never given that encouragement and for those of you I'm sorry to hear that, but it is not too late and you can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it, including just simply saying great job kid, keep up the good work!!! by the way the site I looked up was:

http://www.scouting.org/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges.aspx

I also just looked up famous eagle scouts and you want to tell me that they are gay or geeks, seems like a pretty well rounded group to me:

this was taken from since i do want to quote and not plagiarize:

http://www.scoutorama.com/eagle/eag_famous.cfm

Famous Eagle Scouts
and Other Well Known Scouting Alumni
Famous Eagles
# Bill Alexander, U.S. Representative from Arkansas
# Gary Anderson, U.S. Representative from New York
# Charles Bennett, U.S. Representative from Florida
# William Bennett, Former Secretary of Education
# Bill Bradley, Pro basketball star and U.S. Sneator from New Jersey
# Milton Caniff, Comic Strip Artist "Steve Canyon"
# Willaim Dannemeyer, U.S. Representative from California
# Arthur Eldred, (First Eagle Scout)
# Gerald Ford, 38th President of the U.S.
# Murphy J. "Mike" Foster, Governor of Louisiana
# James Lovell - Astronaut
# Richard Lugar, U.S. Senator from Indiana
# Sam Nunn, U.S. Senator from Georgia
# Ellison Onizuka, Challenger Astronaut
# J.J. Pickle, U.S. Representative from Texas
# Samuel Pierce, Former Secreatry of HUD
# Harrison Salisbury, Pulitzer Prize winning Author
# Willaim Sessions, Former FBI Director
# Steven Spielberg, Film Director/Producer
# Wallace Stegner, Pulitzer Prize winning Author
# Percy Sutton, Chairman of CBS John Tesh, TV Celebrity
# James Stewart - Actor
# James Brady, Former Press Secretary to President Reagan
# William C. DeVries, M.D., Transplanted first artificial heart
# Walter Cronkite - Journalist, T.V. commentator
# J. Willard Marriott, Jr., President, Marriott Corporation
# H. Ross Perot, Chairman, EDS Corp.
# Daniel J. Evans, Former US Senator and Governor of Washington state
Famous Scouts
# David Hartman, Actor (Life Scout)
# Henry "Hank" Aaron, Baseball Superstar (Boy Scout)
# Richard Gere - Actor
# Bruce Jenner - Olympic Gold Medal Decathlon (Cub Scout)
# Jim Morrison - Rock Legend (Boy Scout)
# Merlin Olsen, Actor, Sportscaster (Boy Scout)
# Eddie Rabbitt, Country/Western singer (Boy Scout)
# Richard Roundtree, Actor (Boy Scout)
# Alberto Salazar, 3-time winner, NYC Marathon (Life Scout)
# John Schneider, Actor/Singer (Cub Scout)
# Howard K. Smith, Former ABC-TV commentator (Boy Scout)
# Mark Spitz - Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer (Cub Scout)
# George Strait - Country/Western Singer (Cub Scout)
# Joe Theisman, Sportscaster, former NFL player (Life Scout)
# Peter Ueberroth, Former Commissioner of Baseball (Cub Scout)
# Paul Winfield, Actor (Cub Scout)
# Steve Young, NFL Quarterback

Look, Boyscouts is important. Shortly after being ubducted by a small band of rebel Chiliean cut-throats, I used my Metalworking badge to build a zip-gun with a silencer and escaped.

Then while on the run in the rainforest I was kidnapped by a tribe of cannibals, but thanks to my trusty Woodworking badge, I whittled a small icon for them to worship and I was released.

They took me to the ocean where I built a raft and sailed to freedom...but it capsized... Thanks to my swimming and fishing badges, I didn't drown and I caught 2 dolphins, connected them to the remains of my raft and used my new aquatic chariot to get back to shore.

I then used my Firestarting badge and made a signal fire and then radioed the incoming aircraft with a radio that I made from a hanger, some thread, a bit of duct tape and the filing from a tooth...I was saved.......

Until the pilot had a small heart attack and I hade to fly the plane to safety...

So give this kid some slack.... A boyscout with a tooth radio and some dolphins may save you someday...

By the way...does anyone want to buy some popcorn?

Hooray for Shawn Goldsmith.

And hooray for Carter Coleman:
http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/amarillo-scout-121-merit-badges-and-more/

I assume he also has the AIPAC badge.

look on his uniform under his name tag there is a patch with hebrew writing...

http://themoderatevoice.com/wordpress-engine/files/1_21_goldsmith_shawn.jpg
http://themoderatevoice.com/25329/shawn-goldsmith-a-scouting-legend/

what an arrogant smile.

Being a merit badge counselor, I can tell you, that is a colossal undertaking. Congrats to that young man.

Hey Mike why can't you go back to playing Grand Theft Auto and let this guy get his credit? He deserves the credit he receives. Plus my 17 year old son who is a shift manager at Mc Donald's says you need to go to bed so you can be ready for work in the morning and that you really need to move out of your parents' basement now that you've turned 40...
P.S. good post mp!

As a scout I often dreamed of accomplishing the same feat. Although back then there were far less than 121 merit badges. Although I am what would be considered a sucess as an adult, I often wonder how much further I would have gotten had I had the same dedication at a young age to achieve the same as this young man.

All should be impressed

How sad reading bad comments, this kids or i dont know what they are , they are the loosers!!!!!!
we aplaud boyscouting it changes complete families for the better, ourselves we have 3 adults and 3 young men , one of them an eagle scout @ 15, and he is not a looser.

A) He is an Eagle Scout; pictures show him wearing the Eagle award; other articles refer to his Eagle award.
B) The last of the badges he earned were awarded in December of his Freshman year at college.
C) All merit badges must be earned prior to a youth's 18th birthday, so he wasn't working on merit badges while he was at college.
D) He earned them, no one else did, no one else has done the same recently.
E) The positive posts here outweigh the negative posts, the humorous posts, and the ignorant posts.

This is a good job by someone who set a goal and reached it. Why not enjoy the moment with this young man?