LEWISTON —  Joshua Morin, son of Mike and Cindy Morin of Sabattus, received his Gold Medal of Achievement (GMA) in a special Court of Honor ceremony at First Assembly of God Church on Aug. 24.

The Gold Medal is the most honored and respected award a Royal Ranger can earn and is similar to the Eagle rank of the Boy Scouts of America.

Morin joined Royal Rangers in 2008 at Outpost 16 in Lewiston at the age of 8.

In addition to earning the GMA award, Morin has been selected as the Outpost Ranger of the Year in his age group for the last two years. The Gold Medalist has attended several district camps, including Discovery Training Camp, Security Color Guard Camp and Junior Leadership Training Camp.

Last summer he attended the National Camporama in Eagle Rock, Mo., along with more than 5,000 Royal Rangers from around the world as they celebrated their 50th anniversary.

Morin has excelled in the Royal Ranger Pinewood Derby. In the six years he made and raced derby cars, he has amassed 14 first-place trophies, four second-place trophies, a third-place trophy, a national third-place medal and two fastest car trophies.

 In 2012 Morin he won first in a handgun event and this year, he tied for first in trap shooting. He has gained experience in shooting BB gun, air rifle, small bore rifle, high power rifle, black powder rifle, handgun and shotgun.

Morin is a member of Frontiersman Camping Fellowship (FCF), a program of the Royal Rangers, and serves in their service/honor organization, similar to the Boy Scouts of America’s Order of the Arrow.

In his spare time, Morin enjoys camping, boating, baseball, fishing, shooting, snow skiing, water skiing and playing the keyboard. In addition, he has been active in the AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed) program at a local Baptist church longer than he has been in Rangers. Last year, he earned one of AWANA’s highest awards, the Meritorious Award.

Future plans include possibly joining the U. S. Air Force and  becoming a commercial airline pilot.

Royal Rangers is a worldwide ministry of the Assemblies of God. Since 1964, when the first GMA was awarded, less than 1 percent of Royal Rangers have earned the award. This is only the second GMA to be awarded by the Lewiston church since it started Royal Rangers in 1962.