Named “Scouting’s highest achievement,” the Eagle Scout rank is one of the most challenging and rare awards offered to Scouts before their 18th birthday. The accomplishment is so rare, in fact, only 6 percent of Scouts ascend to the esteemed rank. Yet three brothers from the Water and Woods Field Service Council not only joined the select few, they also all earned every merit badge available.

Brothers John, 18, Parker, 16, and Bradley, 14, Trecha have earned a total of 418 merit badges between them, each going beyond the required 21 merit badges for Eagle Scout. Though the BSA does not keep an official record of Eagles who have attained all the merit badges, these Eagles are undoubtedly among an exceptional subset of men to have earned the award.

The brothers join a rich legacy of Eagle Scouts in their family, including uncles Randal, Greg, Victor, and Steven and several cousins. Among that group of Eagles is their father and Scoutmaster, Jeff.

“I look back on my Scouting career and earning my Eagle, and I see how my values have been shaped through Scouting,” shared Jeff. “I wanted these same values to be available and taught to my three sons, and also to my daughter, Breanna, 14, who is a Venturer in Grand Blanc, MI.”

Deeply rooted in Scouting at a young age, the boys all joined Pack 286 and graduated to Boy Scout Troop 219 in Fenton, MI. Oldest brother, John, was the first to surpass the Eagle requirements in 2012 when he earned 142 merit badges, setting an example for his younger brothers to go above and beyond expectations. For his Eagle Scout project, John constructed a prayer area at his church cemetery.

“I really enjoyed earning all the merit badges,” explained John. “It gave me a chance to explore and learn 1,000s of new skills and experience new ideas that I never would have been able do.”

Just two years later, Parker followed in his brother’s footsteps and became an Eagle Scout after completing 138 merit badges. For his Eagle Scout project, he built a dog path at their local Adopt-A-Dog facility, the location where his family adopted their beloved dog, Ruby.

Parker says being an Eagle Scout is very important to him. “It means to be a leader everyday of your life,” he said. “It also means responsibility and maturity.”

This year, youngest brother, Bradley, joined his ambitious brothers in the Eagle Scout rank after spearheading a meaningful service project at the VFW community pavilion in honor of his grandfather, a United States veteran. He, too, completed 138 merit badges.

“It’s a huge achievement,” Bradley beamed. “It takes a lot of time and effort to accomplish these goals. I will use these Scouting years as a stepping stone to achieve other goals in my life.”

Bradley’s older brothers agreed and say they will continue to set their sights high for future endeavors. In fact, John plans to attend Kettering University to study engineering after graduation, while both Parker and Bradley aspire to careers in the medical field.

“Words really cannot describe how so incredibly proud of John, Parker and Bradley we are,” shared Jeff. “They really have spent so much time working hard on achieving both their Eagle rank and earning all the merit badges. Scouting has definitely prepared them for life lessons.”