John Rosher can treat a jellyfish sting and ice skate backwards. He is good at playing chess and can confidently talk about nuclear science. The 17-year-old from Kansas, US has gained knowledge about many subjects, all because of the Boy Scouts(童子军).
The Boy Scouts is a kind of club that teenagers can join to learn skills. Every time members master a new skill, they earn a merit badge(勋章). Rosher has earned all 137 available badges. In the 105-year history of the Boy Scouts of America, fewer than 300 scouts have achieved that.
When Rosher joined the Boy Scouts at 10, his only goal was to earn more merit badges than his dad, who had earned 54 during his time in the Scouts. After beating his dad's record, Rosher realized he wanted to keep going. He enjoyed the challenge.
The badges are earned for subjects from safety to career skills. Rosher earned some of the badges during his family vacations. He went water rafting in Colorado. He practiced fishing in the Amazon jungle with alligators(鳄鱼) all around him. Not all the badges needed a vacation. For example, for his model design badge, he spent hours building a 3-D model of a spaceship at home.
Earning so many badges wasn't easy, especially since he's also dealing with band, soccer, and volunteer work. But Rosher is thankful for all his experiences. "They have shaped me and taught me to be more adventurous, "he said. "Everything I learned in Boy Scouts will stay with me forever."
