Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America offered 57 merit badges. Today, Scouting offers 138 merit badges. Merit badges are awards required to attain higher ranks in Scouting as well as educate Boy Scouts in specific areas of study. To attain Scouting’s highest rank, Eagle, a scout must complete a total of 21 merit badges, 14 of which are specified and the other seven are a Scout’s personal choice.

Since Scouting’s founding over 113 years ago, there have been fewer than 550 Scouts who’ve achieved every merit badge. Tre Peterson, a 17-year-old Ponte Vedra High School Senior from BSA Troop 277, is joining a rarified group of Scouts who have attained all 138 merit badges. Peterson is among 543 of more than 130 million scouts in history (0.00000423 percent) to accomplish this impressive feat. Peterson joined Cub Scouts in first grade and transitioned into Boy Scouts when he entered middle school. Peterson attained Eagle Scout in seventh grade and then started the trail to earn every merit badge.

The journey to attaining every merit badge is an arduous and time-consuming process. Peterson had some advice for those attempting the accomplishment, “Don’t give up, there was a period at about 110-120 [merit badges] that I was just mentally drained from constantly doing badges and ready to stop.” Tre expressed that he found some merit badges uninteresting and hard to finish, for example, fly fishing. “I just don’t find it interesting, even though it’s very Scout-like and outdoorsy, I don’t have the patience to sit and wait for a fish to bite.” Tre stated he heavily relied on a support team to help him through, “Whether it be parents, other scouts, mentors, teachers, etc.; that’s what they’re for, they want to help you to succeed and obtain your goals.” As Peterson reflects on his Scouting career, he emphasized how “Scouting is about having fun and taking away life skills in the process,” he recalled his favorite scouting memories and merit badges. Tre’s favorite merit badge was Personal Management. He enjoyed this merit badge so deeply “Not because it was the most fun or exciting,” but because he, “came out with valuable lessons needed for adulthood, stuff like financial budgeting and retirement saving.” Tre’s favorite scouting memory was “Sea Base by a long shot.” Sea Base is a program offered that sent Tre and his friends “Down to the Keys and spending a week living on a sail boat.” Sea Base excursions consist of snorkeling, scuba diving, rustic camping, and fishing while sailing around the barrier islands of the Florida Keys.

“Don’t give up, there was a period at about 110-120 [merit badges] that I was just mentally drained from constantly doing badges and ready to stop.” 

– Tre peterson (12)

Tre was celebrated this month by his friends, family, and fellow scouts at a special court of honor event to commemorate his accomplishments in Scouting. He plans to attend Stetson University in DeLand, Florida hoping to study in finance.

All BSA Merit Badges:

American Business American Cultures American Heritage American Labor  Animal Science   Animation        Archeology     Archery     Architecture    Art             Astronomy      Athletics Automotive Maintenance Aviation        Backpacking    Basketry        Bird Study      Bugling        Camping     Canoeing        Chemistry        Chess            Cinematography   Citizenship in the Community Citizenship in the NationCitizenship in the WorldClimbing        Coin Collecting  Collections      Communication Composite Materials Computer-Aided Design Computers/Digital Technology 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 & Wildlife MgmtFishing Fly Fishing     Forestry Game Design       Gardening        Genealogy        Geocaching        Geology        Golf          Graphic Arts   Hiking Home Repairs    Horsemanship Indian Lore       Insect Study      Inventing        

Journalism      

Kayaking         

Landscape Architecture 

Law             

Leatherwork     

Lifesaving 

Mammal Study    

Medicine       

Metalwork        

Model Design & Building 

Motorboating 

Multi-Media       

Music             

Nature           

Nuclear Science   

Oceanography      

Orienteering      

Painting         

Personal Fitness 

Personal Health   

Personal Management 

Pets              

Photography       

Pioneering        

Plant Science    

Plumbing         

Pottery          

Programming       

Public Health 

Public Speaking   

Pulp & Paper      

Radio             

Railroading       

Reading           

Reptile & Amphibian Study 

Rifle Shooting    

Robotics          

Rowing            

Safety          

Salesmanship      

Scholarship       

Scouting Heritage 

Scuba Diving      

Sculpture         

Search and Rescue 

Shotgun Shooting  

Signs, Signals, & Codes 

Skating          

Small Boat Sailing 

Snow Sports       

Soil & Water Conservation 

Space Exploration 

Sports        

Stamp Collecting  

Surveying         

Sustainability    

Swimming   

Textile           

Theater           

Traffic Safety    

Truck Transportation 

Veterinary Medicine 

Water Sports     

Weather        

Welding           

Whitewater

Wilderness Survival 

Wood Carving

Woodwork