Torben Heinbockel has quite the stash of merit badges on his sash after six and half years of Scouting.
Ask the 17-year-old Cockeysville Eagle Scout about his incredible achievement, however, and he’s more likely to talk about how he’s learned to serve others than talk about himself.
The Baltimore Area Council of Scouting America recently recognized Torben, a senior at St. Paul’s School for Boys in Brooklandville, for earning all 141 merit badges offered by Scouting America. It’s an achievement accomplished by fewer than 1 percent of Scouts (649 in total) nationwide.
A parishioner of Church of the Nativity in Timonium and member of Troop 497B, based at St. Joseph in Cockeysville, Torben doesn’t take his impressive haul of merit badges lightly.
(Courtesy Heinbockel family)
“It’s not just something to show off,” he said. “It really helped me grow as a person so much. Scouting taught me how to be a servant and a leader.
“Earning all of the merit badges was never just about reaching a number,” he added. “For me, it was about making the most of the gifts and opportunities God gave me, growing in discipline and curiosity, and using what I learned to serve other people.”
In a “strange way,” he said, the COVID pandemic inspired him to his rare feat. He said the local council and troops ramped up online merit badge courses in 2020 when most of Scouting’s in-person activities, such as camping and group meetings, were curtailed during the pandemic.
“It started out as a curiosity, but once I jumped in, I didn’t want to stop at just the 21 required for Eagle Scout,” he said. “Each badge created so many experiences and opened new doors.”
The badges ranged from the mundane, such as home repairs and public speaking, to new, more technical pursuits, such as computer coding and artificial intelligence.
Torben soaked up all of it. The most challenging was learning the bugle, for which he had a special affinity since he has been a musician most his life, starting piano lessons at the age of 3 and joining a choir at 6. Along the way he also has dabbled in guitar, drums and violin.
“It was a challenge to become an accomplished bugler, and there was quite a bit of pressure, performing at Scouting ceremonies,” he said.
His favorite badge was for scuba diving, where he dived down to 40 feet in a lake with sunken ships.
Torben, who served as senior patrol leader, also put his service and leadership skills to use at school and in his community. He was editor in chief and president of three student publications, leading teams of more than 45 students. He has served as a warden in his school’s vestry, helping organize religious services.
Outside of school, he founded and directs EinSTEAM Science Society, a nonprofit focused on hands-on STEAM education and outreach.
Scouting enhanced his Catholic faith, he said, since the two are so compatible.
“Scouting is a very faith-based organization,” he said. “My Catholic faith was able to develop more through Scouting. It’s taught me that the gifts and opportunities I’ve been given through Scouting are something I’m supposed to develop – serving other people, discipline, humility and gratitude. It’s not just about achievement. It’s trying to make the most of what God gave me.”
Torben plans a double major in neuroscience and music in college.
The head of the local Scouting council called Torben a “role model.”
“This accomplishment shows what Scouting is all about – developing skills, building character and having the courage to try new things,” said Kenn Miller, Scout executive and CEO of the Baltimore Area Council in a news release. “Torben is a role model not only for his peers but for all young people in our community.”
Torben put his leadership skills into action with his Eagle Scout project, which included leading a restoration project at gravesites at the historic Taylor’s Chapel. Inspired by a performance with the Maryland State Boychoir, he constructed four handcrafted benches, restored approximately 80 gravestones and cleaned more than 300 feet of fencing. He led volunteers from Troop 497B and Troop 92 in the effort, combining service with fellowship through a shared camping weekend.
His work was recognized in October 2024 by Taylor’s Chapel board president Barbara Panowitz during a public concert.
Torben joined an elite group of Scouts, exemplifying Scouting’s mission to instill leadership, service and stewardship.
“Scouting, faith, music, service and learning have all reinforced each other in my life, and I think earning all the merit badges became one expression of that larger commitment to growth and helping others,” he said.
He plans to continue with Scouting through his membership in the Order of the Arrow and would like to serve as a leader in Scouting America.
“This isn’t the end of my Scouting journey,” said Torben, who has been guided by parents Thomas Heinbockel and Vonnie Shields. “It’s really just a foundation for me. I want to keep using the skills and mindset that Scouting has given me in terms of leadership and service. I want to make an impact on the world, using some of Scouting’s core values.”
The Baltimore Area Council of Scouting America serves more than 12,000 youths across Baltimore City and its surrounding counties.
For more than 116 years, the Archdiocese of Baltimore has served as a chartered partner for Scouting. Within the Baltimore Area Council, the archdiocese hosts 83 Scout packs, troops and crews serving more than 2,400 youths. More than 1,200 adult volunteers support Scouting in the greater Baltimore area.
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