After more than three decades, New York boy scout Shawn “Skippy” Goldsmith, 46, has finally earned his 121st and final merit badge, the first scout in history to do so. The last badge, recognizing his proficiency in rope tricks, was awarded to him last week by the local scout council in Long Island.

We called Shawn at home, where he lives with his parents. This is the brief interview we had with him:

AITS: What was the first merit badge you earned?

Shawn Goldsmith: It was the wood-chipper operator badge that I got in 1974. But they later eliminated the badge after the movie Fargo, due to the bad image associated with those machines. So technically there are only 120 merit badges available today, but I got 121. Guess my record’s safe.

AITS: What was the easiest one?

SG: Hatchet-throwing, in 1983. All that was required was to plant the hatchet in the center of a tree trunk, three times in a row from 20 feet. Did ‘em all on my first three tries. Not a single miss and nobody got hurt!

AITS: What was your most challenging merit badge?

SG: That would have to be the bear hunting badge. It involved a trip to Montana in 1990.  I had to bag a grizzly AND skin it on the spot.

AITS: How did you kill the Grizzly?

SG: By throwing a hatchet at it. Did it on the first try and nobody got hurt! Uh, except for the bear.

AITS: Which badge was the most fun to earn?

SG: Inner-tubing. We floated down a river in Texas. Since it was just after my 21st birthday, the scoutmaster let me bring a cooler of beer along. Got really drunk too, but they don’t have a merit badge for that.

AITS: And the worst experience?

SG: Getting the canoeing badge by paddling down the Cuyahoga River in Ohio. Very scenic, but we should have pulled out before we got to Cleveland. We ended up portaging in a bad neighborhood and got mugged as soon as we set foot on shore.

AITS: Besides scouting, what other interests do you have?

SG: I’m the treasurer for the Long Island chapter of the Star Trek Club. That keeps me busy on Saturday nights.

AITS: What are your plans now that you have accomplished everything in Boy Scouts?

SG: Uh, I dunno. I wanted to join the Army, but they said I’m too old. I’ve thought about the French Foreign Legion, since I got a badge in French last year.

AITS: O.K., thanks, Shawn, for taking the time to speak with us today. This is quite an accomplishment, something for which you should be truly proud, and…uh oh, sounds like your mom is calling you to dinner, so we’ll let you go now. Bye.