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16-year-old Kinley Higgins does not allow autism keep him from earning Eagle Scout rank

The St. Clair Times - 6/15/2017

ODENVILLE ? When Kinley Higgins was 2½ years old, he was diagnosed with autism. Kinley did not allow the disability to slow him down at all. Today, he's a 16-year-old sophomore at St. Clair County High, and working on a project that will help him earn his Eagle Scout rank.

Kinley is the son of Trace and Ann Higgins. His dad said Kinley is highly functional and able to do a lot of things.

"He is very physically-abled, and very intelligent," he said. "He makes all As and Bs in school. It just goes to show that anyone, even if they have a disability, is capable of doing many things, even things for the community in which they live."

Higgins said they tried football and some other sports, but they all have a lot of rules.

"Being a scout has been a lot better because it allows you to do things at your own pace," he said. "There is a lot of adult leadership to help with that pace. This has worked out very well for Kinley."

Trace said Kinley should be finished up with all the requirements to earn Eagle Scout by next year.

Kinley started out several years ago as a Cub Scout, Odenville Pack 121. He then became a Tiger Cub, crossed over to the Boy Scouts, becoming a Tender Foot by working his way up through the ranks. Currently, Kinley is a Life Scout and has a total of 30 merit badges.

"He really enjoys scouting," Trace said. "Just this year we've gone on a back-packing hike on the Appalachian Trail. Last month, we did an 18-mile canoe trip down the Cahaba River. He is very active in scouts. He goes to the meetings every Tuesday night and works well with the other boys."

Kinley belongs to a Scout Troop in Trussville that has about 30 boys in it, and they stay active. It is convenient to where Higgins works.

Last week, Kinley and a group of fellow scouts in his troop were out at the pavilion in Odenville behind the United Methodist Church and the Fortson Museum. These guys were helping Kinley with his project, because he has helped them as they have earned their Scout rank.

"We had a meeting with Mayor Buck Christian and he recommended that we do this project," Trace said. "We accepted the challenge and are calling this project Refurbishing and Beautifying the Odenville Park Pavilion."

It includes pressure-washing the concrete and all of the cedar siding, re-staining all of the woodwork, painting all of the picnic tables and beautifying some of the landscape.

"We have been working on this project for about three months," he said. "It had to be approved by Mayor Christian, the Scout Master, the Troop Advancement Chair and the District Eagle Chair. There was also a lot of paperwork that had to be completed."

Christian said the city appreciates Kinley taking the initiative to give back to the community.

"The rest of the guys in the scout troop deserve equal recognition," Christian said. "This was a much overdue project, and they didn't hesitate to take on the task."

Reach Gary Hanner at ghanner@thestclairtimes.com.