CHARLOTTE — Jackson Griffin, a Scout in Troop 9 chartered by St. Patrick Cathedral Parish, has received the Pillars of the Faith distinction – the highest Catholic Scouting honor in the Diocese of Charlotte.
Earlier this year, Griffin, 16, received the Pope Pius XII Catholic Boy Scout award. He has previously received the Ad Altare Dei award as a Boy Scout, and the Light of Christ and Parvuli Dei awards as a Cub Scout. In earning all four Catholic awards, Griffin became eligible for the special award.
Mike Nielsen, chairman of the Diocese of Charlotte’s Catholic Committee on Scouting, was on hand to give Griffin the pin at a recent troop meeting. Nielsen said he has read a statistic that only 4 percent of youths who enter Scouting go on to earn Eagle Scout.
“From what I have seen with the committee the past six years, this is even more rare,” Nielsen said.
Griffin was the only Scout in the diocese this year to receive the award. The son of Mike and Brice Griffin, he attends Regina Coeli Academy.
— Photo provided by Stephen Guilfoyle