Ben Hayes, at the age of just 14, wasted no time in pursuing his first merit badge, which happened to be in hiking. Following that, his passion for railroading, which he adored, drove him to acquire his second badge.
«I like trains,» declares Hayes, who was introduced to Boy Scouts by his parents in the hopes of helping him develop social skills and cope with the challenges of autism, which had led to bullying during his elementary school years. Hayes’s parents had enrolled him in Boy Scouts, and his enthusiasm for trains became a focal point. «I like trains,» he reiterated.
By the age of 13, Hayes had successfully earned all 21 of the organization’s merit badges, a remarkable feat that qualified him for the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement within the organization. However, his quest didn’t conclude there. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted face-to-face instruction and assessments, Hayes continued to accumulate merit badges. He reached a total of 99 badges before the pandemic, and even after transitioning to online work and Zoom interactions, he persevered.
As reported by WZZM-TV, he ultimately ran out of time this summer after securing all 139 merit badges offered by the Boy Scouts. This is a distinction achieved by only a select one-half of one percent of Scouts.
Doug Ogden, the pastor of Lebanon Lutheran Church and the charter sponsor for Ben’s Troop 1048 in Whitehall, Michigan, acknowledged that Hayes, who is on the autism spectrum, faced the challenge of adapting to the loss of structured activities when COVID-19 disrupted daily life. Ogden shared, «Instead of falling apart, he held onto every single one of them, including Scouting accolades that some of us weren’t even aware existed.» Due to his adeptness with computers, he swiftly grasped the intricacies of participating in events across the county and even around the world, seizing the diverse opportunities presented by the Scouting network.
Ogden noted that because «Scouting is such a beautiful network nationally and globally,» individuals from various corners of the globe were eager to engage in online conversations with him. «Scouting is such a wonderful network nationally and internationally.»
He added that from the outset, they ensured that Hayes was not given preferential treatment due to his challenges. Ogden emphasized, «We made sure that they weren’t going easy on him because of some of his issues.» «But it was very clear that the counselors’ expectations were set at their highest level, and he met all the requirements,» Ogden affirmed.
Rebecca Shannon, Hayes’ mother, expressed that she didn’t believe that the use of Zoom made the process any less enjoyable for her son. Nevertheless, it did lead to occasional scheduling conflicts, such as the time when Hayes was assigned a companion in Japan to complete his merit badge in home repairs, resulting in a significant time zone difference. Shannon shared the intriguing experience of her son conducting home repairs at three in the morning due to a scheduling mishap.
She explained, «Once he realized that there was a way to make new friends in other countries, he wanted to continue down that path.» She elaborated on how the traditional approach to earning a merit badge involves completing required tasks and then meeting with a merit badge counselor to review those tasks or demonstrate them in person. However, the pandemic presented new opportunities for Scouts to collaborate on projects across time zones, making it a more enriching experience for both participants and audiences.
Hiking, which Hayes describes as «involving a lot of walking,» and railroading were initially straightforward choices for the young Scout who held a deep fascination for trains. When asked if her son had any model trains at home, Shannon humorously responded, «Just a few, like 500.»
«While other kids collect baseball cards, mine collect rare trains,» she remarked. «When other teenagers collect rare cars, mine collect unusual trains.» Following the completion of the railroading merit badge, he was essentially qualified to instruct others on the subject. After his service in the Air Force concludes, Hayes intends to pursue a career as a locomotive engineer.
Hayes also effortlessly fulfilled the requirements for his badges in art, first aid, and emergency preparedness, all of which demanded scouts to develop a clear plan for assisting individuals in various scenarios. Hayes excelled in meeting these criteria.
His merit badges for dog care, fire safety, and law adherence were all in order. One of his favorite badges was filmmaking. To earn it, Hayes produced and filmed a video, which he then uploaded to his YouTube channel. He described the film as «primarily being a movie with trains in it.»
