Mountain Brook triplets all make Eagle Scout rank

The Jetmundsen triplets of Mountain Brook -- Nelson, Taylor and Jonathan -- share a birthday, a love for the out*doors and matching Eagle Scout badges.Since first joining as Cub Scouts in elementary school, the brothers, 17, worked to*ward their common goal of earning the 21 merit badges, advancing through Boy Scout ranks, completing their Eagle Scout final service project and eventually being named Eagle Scouts.
Nelson said he and his brothers helped each other with their individual service projects, a requirement for those seeking Eagle Scout rank.
"We helped each other out in certain situations . . . We helped each other with the labor. Jonathan built picnic tables, and Taylor built a bridge at Turkey Creek Nature Creek and made a trail," Nelson said.
Jonathan built the tables for PreSchool Partners. Nelson built a boat-shaped playhouse for Mitchell's Place on Overton Road, a center for people with autism.
An Eagle Scout service project is the toughest part of the process of getting the badge, said David Dowd, the brothers' Eagle coach who was Scoutmaster of Troop 63 at Canterbury United Methodist Church when they joined in 2005.
"It may be the hardest thing many of them have ever done," Dowd said.
Between 2 percent and 4 percent of those joining the Boy Scouts achieve the level of Eagle Scout, said Jeff Brasher, director of Support Service for the Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
"They have to have great support from family and Scouts and former leaders," Brasher said.
The brothers' father, Norman Jetmundsen, urged them to join in elementary school. And when they joined, he essentially joined, too, serving as an assistant Scoutmaster throughout the boys' tenure in Scouting.
"As a father I wanted them to do it together so we could do it together as a family," Norman Jetmundsen said. "I wanted them to learn through adversity."
In January 2006, Troop 63 did a fairly challenging backpacking trip up Mount Cheaha, Alabama's highest peak.
"It was cold, and their packs didn't fit them very well. Nelson said he would never go backpacking again. And that didn't hold true," Dowd said.
The brothers received their Eagle Scout badges at different times. Nelson earned his in October 2009, Jonathan in May 2010 and Taylor in October 2010.
They've also completed their Bronze Palms as well, a recognition for completing an additional five merit badges.
Taylor is continuing with Scouting as president of Venture Crew 2010. The coed group does mostly high-adventure trips such as the Northern Tier canoeing trip through the northern lakes of Canada planned for later this month. Nelson will teach tennis lessons and volunteer during the summer. Jonathan will work at King's Home in Birmingham.
All three have one more year at Mountain Brook High School.
"We're quite proud; it's an amazing accomplishment for each of the boys," Norman Jetmundsen said.