Meritorious achievement

Even when Devon Erickson became an Eagle Scout, he saw that there was unfinished business.

Mission accomplished.

The Spirit Lake 17-year-old has earned all 133 merit badges awarded by the Boy Scouts of America, a feat that less than 200 out of the hundreds of thousands of scouts nationwide have ever done.

That's a lot of life and leadership skills learned at a young age.

Erickson is also the first scout in the Inland Northwest Council to ever reach the milestone. The council includes about 11,000 youth in 17 counties in North Idaho and eastern Washington.

"I just didn't want to stop," said Erickson, who will be a senior at Bridge Academy in Coeur d'Alene this fall. "It wasn't that hard. It just took a lot of time."

The Boy Scouts don't track how many boys have received all merit badges, but according to meritbadgeknot.com, a private Website that celebrates scouts who have done it, the number is only 171.

To achieve the rank of Eagle, the highest rank awarded to Boy Scouts, scouts must complete 21 merit badges before they are 18. Only about 5 percent of scouts achieve Eagle, according to BSA. Once Eagle is reached, many scouts only pursue the remaining skills that interest them rather than try to obtain all of the badges.

Erickson was slated to be awarded the last four of 133 merit badges during a campfire ceremony on Friday night at Camp Easton on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

"We're really proud of him," said Erickson's mother Colette. "He set his goal, never gave up and achieved it. We figured out a game plan to make it easier to chew (rather than trying to take on too much at once). He went to two or three summer camps a year and tried to get any he came across.

"This has definitely given him a lot of interests to look into to see what he'd like to do."

Erickson's father Dean is also beaming about the accomplishment.

"He's done everything from making knives out of horseshoes to leather pouches," he said. "I can see in an emergency that he would be calm. He has a strong head on his shoulders."

The number of merit badges has changed over the years from 57 in 1911. The time it takes to earn a badge ranges from a half hour to several months, depending on the time to master a skill or complete the study.

"It all depends on your technique," Erickson said.

He is a member of Troop 225 chartered by Twinlow Camp Assembly in Rathdrum. He earned his Eagle rank when he was 14 in 2009 with 78 merit badges.

Erickson began scouting as a Tiger Cub Scout in 2001 in Portland, Ore.

What merit badge are you most proud of and why?

My favorite is scuba diving. It's so awesome under water to see fish, animals and plants. I did it at Camp Easton last year. It's a weeklong camp.

What merit badge was the most difficult?

Horsemanship. I had to memorize a lot. Everything from tools to clean hooves to how to saddle the horse.

What was the easiest badge?

Fingerprinting. It took a half hour.

What other badges are worth noting?

There's four gold-bordered ones from the 100-year anniversary of Boy Scouts. They include signaling with flags and Morse code, carpentry with hand tools, tracking animals and pathfinding.

What have you enjoyed the most about scouting?

Going to the National Order of the Arrow (for advanced scouts). I went to Bloomington, Indiana, in 2009 and you get to trade patches. It was awesome.

see ERICKSON, C8

ERICKSON

from C1

Was there ever a time you almost quit scouting? Explain.

No. Since the beginning, I wanted to get all of the merit badges. Once I became an Eagle, I thought, 'Why not?"

What would you say to scouts who are thinking about quitting?

Make sure you get your Eagle. Don't wait because once you turn 18, you don't get it. It would be a letdown to get so close and not get your Eagle. If you want to get all of the merit badges, set your mind to it.

Was there ever a real-life experience in which your scouting skills came in handy?

My dad accidentally cut his wrist once and my grandma didn't know to call 911.

What's left for you with scouting since you've achieved all of the badges? Do you plan to continue with scouting in the future?

I don't know if I want to become a leader. I want to continue to be involved in OA (Order of the Arrow). It's like a different branch of the Boy Scouts. I may quit for a couple years until I figure out what I want to do after high school, then I'll probably get back into it. Next year I hope to be an assistant junior scout master at the national jamboree called Summit.

In Person: Devon Erickson

Date of birth: Jan. 6, 1995

Family: Brother Austin, 15; mother Colette; father Dean

Hobbies: Dirt biking, scouting, hanging out with friends, skateboarding, scuba diving

Favorite spectator sport: Dirt biking, skateboarding

Favorite type of music: Rap

Quality you admire most in a person: Friendship

Any one thing you consider your greatest accomplishment: Receiving all merit badges in Boy Scouts

Historical figure you most admire: Abraham Lincoln

Any one person who most influenced your life and why: Mike Holehan, a local Boy Scout leader. He makes everything fun and is a fun person to be around.