Assistant Scoutmaster and Merit Badge Counselor Brian W. Bennett congratulating Antonio Hodges Johnson at the pinning ceremony.
It took several years and a lot of planning and preparation, but Antonio “Tony” Hodges Johnson said he doesn’t regret one minute of it. Earlier this year, Tony made history when he became the first African-American Eagle Scout in Troop 334.
Becoming an Eagle Scout is the highest honor a boy scout can achieve, and no doubt it took perseverance and a winning attitude.
Tony’s grandmother, Annie M. Hodges-Robinson, said she couldn’t be prouder of what her grandson has accomplished.
“He has come a long way to make it to this point,” she said, adding that she was overjoyed to see her grandson flanked with two friends as he walked down the aisle to receive his badge.
Hodges-Robinson also stressed that while there are no words to describe how much she appreciates the organization and its impact on Tony’s life, she is saddened that there aren’t more African-American scouts with the Eagle Scout rank or participating in the organization as a whole.
“The number is low and that needs to change,” she asserted. “There is so much opportunity there.”
She said she hopes more children of color will look at what the Boy Scouts has to offer.
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Assistant Scoutmaster and Merit Badge Counselor Brian W. Bennett congratulating Antonio Hodges Johnson at the pinning ceremony.
