It’s not often that one achieves a statistical impossibility – but Dunwoody’s Jay “Houston” Hickey did just that, becoming a fourth-generation Eagle Scout.
Houston, who grew up in Dunwoody through Cub Pack 477 and Scout Troop 477 operating out of Kingswood Church, followed in the footsteps of his father, Jay, his grandfather, Jay Lindy, and great-grandfather, Rolet Vernon.
He was honored on May 3 at the Dunwoody Nature Center, which featured Patriot, an American Bald Eagle, that made the journey from the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, MO.
The Hickey family’s newest Eagle has been scouting for 10 years. A few months ago, he made the personal decision to complete the “Trail to Eagle,” according to his father.
“He put in the work, gained the skills, took leadership opportunities, and on March 29, 2026, he completed the over 350 requirements necessary for Eagle Scout,” his father said. “He has been on all kinds of high adventures with over 100 nights of camping, along with hundreds of hiking and canoeing miles under his belt.”
He led or personally contributed more than 325 hours of service to the local community, including his recent Eagle Scout Project benefiting the Riverwood Marching Band, which involved building rolling band carts.
At the ceremony, Walt Malham, a long-time family friend and Troop 477 Assistant Scoutmaster, said Houston “embodies the Scout motto, ‘be prepared.'”
“He knows how to treat fractures, head injuries, hypothermia, burns, cramps even knocked-out teeth,” Malham said. “In fact, he was part of a life-saving rescue in north Georgia while hiking with his fellow scouts.”
The odds of achieving this over four generations are approximately 0.000072% (72 in a million or 72/1,000,000) using all-time American figures, his father said.
“Whatever the number, it is a testament to his dedication to climb ‘Eagle Mountain’ and continue a legacy of nearly 100 years of Hickey family scouting,” Jay said.
