Contact: Joe Mueller, Director of Public Relations (josephf.mueller@scouting.org)
Work: (314) 256-3030;
Cell: (314) 603-9983
ST. CHARLES, Mo.--As Michael Carter watched his brother set and achieve a goal
of becoming an Eagle Scout, he set a goal that few Boy Scouts accomplish—earn
every available merit badge.
However, Michael went beyond every currently available merit
badge and earned four additional badges—Carpentry, Pathfinding, Signaling and
Tracking—that could be earned only during 2010 as part of the Boy Scouts of
America’s 100th anniversary celebration.
When Michael earned 
Entrepreneurship Merit Badge last month,
he completed his six-year goal and became only the fourth Boy Scout to earn 134
merit badges, according to the website, 
meritbadgeknot.com. He becomes the eighth Scout from Missouri and
the first in the Greater St. Louis Area Council since 1994 to earn all merit
badges, according to the website.
“The hardest merit badge for me to earn was Basketry,” said
Carter, who became an Eagle Scout in 2010.
“I learned so much from so many counselors throughout this experience.”
One of Carter’s greatest challenges was to find counselors
for some of the more obscure merit badges, as well as new merit badges. The BSA added Search and Rescue, Kayaking and
Welding this year. He often traveled
throughout Missouri and Illinois to attend special merit badge classes held
outside the Greater St. Louis Area Council.
Carter is a member of Boy Scout Troop 533, chartered to the
Harvester Lion’s Club in St. Charles, Mo.
In addition to earning merit badges, he served in eight leadership
positions in his troop, including Senior Patrol Leader. He attended the BSA’s three high adventure
bases. He backpacked at the Philmont
Scout Ranch in New Mexico, canoed through the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, and
went SCUBA diving at the Florida Sea Base.
He is a senior at Francis Howell High School and is planning
to major in nuclear science in college.
He is a member of Saints Joachim and Ann Roman Catholic Church and
earned the Ad Altare Dei award, the religious emblem of the faith.
