Kenny Recor was nearing the end of his volunteer shift when suddenly he heard someone shout that a man had collapsed, possibly from a heart attack.
In one way, this wasn’t what Kenny had volunteered for. Last summer, he signed up to be in one of the several Scout contingents that serve on Michigan’s Mackinac Island. It’s a summertime tradition dating back to 1929. For a week, each Scout contingent works as tour guides, performs flag ceremonies and does service projects, like cleaning and landscaping.
But in many ways, this is exactly what the 14-year-old Life Scout had volunteered for. As a Scout, he promises to be prepared for anything, including helping save someone’s life.
Despite having exercise-induced asthma, Kenny raced to alert others to call for help as he focused on finding an automated external defibrillator (AED).
“I didn’t think anything like it would ever happen to me, let alone on Mackinac Island,” Kenny says. “It really was a scary situation for me, but I was prepared and ready for it.”
He snagged an AED and ran back to the man. Onlookers moved out of the way because they recognized Kenny was there to help. Fortunately, an off-duty nurse was already there performing CPR. The AED wasn’t needed, but it was there just in case. Medics soon arrived, and the man was flown to a nearby hospital.
“I felt both proud and grateful that someone from my troop was courageous enough to act in such a high-stress situation,” says Eagle Scout Alec Tackitt, 17.
Serving on the island
The Scouts’ service on Mackinac Island isn’t normally as intense as what happened last summer. The island, a popular tourist destination in Lake Huron, draws as many as 10,000 people every weekend during the summer months. They come to enjoy the quaint town setting, scenic views and historic landmarks.
Troops in the Michigan Crossroads Council apply to the Mackinac Historic State Parks to form regional contingents that each serve for a week from May to August. The goal is to give as many Scouts as possible from all over Michigan an opportunity to participate. The contingents stay on site at the Scout barracks and move around to the more than a dozen tourist stops on the island: downtown, the fort, the museums — the Scouts help all over.
“Guests really enjoy having the Scouts there,” says Jack Swartzinski, interpretation coordinator for Mackinac State Historic Parks. “They’re a very familiar face when you go into one of our sites.”
The Scouts, nicknamed the “Governor’s Honor Guard,” also oversee raising and lowering the 26 flags around the island, including a 30-foot garrison flag that requires at least two dozen Scouts to fold.
“When the flags are being lowered, people take a big interest in it,” Swartzinski says.
The Scouts’ service, which equates to about 30,000 volunteer hours each summer, helps free up the state park staff to complete other needed projects.
“Almost all of our duties benefit both the visitors of Mackinac Island and the park staff equally,” Alec says. “We constantly receive compliments and thanks from staff about how helpful and beneficial our Scouts are to the visitor experience on the island.”
A history of helping
The honor guard began nearly a century ago when Michigan’s governor commissioned eight Eagle Scouts to volunteer on the island, which served as the governor’s summer residence. One of those original Eagle Scouts was Gerald Ford.
The program continued to grow, swelling into contingents of about 60 Scouts. Today, the contingents have about 50 Scouts, who train for weeks before their time of service. No more than half of a contingent is from a single troop, so the training serves as a time for Scouts to get to know each other.
“We need to learn to work as a team on raising and lowering the flags and marching in unison” says Lucas Ebmeyer, 16, an Eagle Scout. “New Scouts must also learn information about the various guideposts so they are prepared to answer questions from tourists when on guide duty.”
The Scouts wear their field uniforms, and many contingents opt for wearing matching neckerchiefs and hats. While every contingent’s service day begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 6:30 p.m., the Scouts have some free time throughout the day and after the flags have been lowered in the evening.
“There’s a lot of freedom, and we spend a lot of time having fun exploring the island on our free time and enjoying time with each other,” Kenny says.
Continued service
Some Scouts choose to come back to the island every summer to volunteer. Not only is the opportunity fun and part of a service legacy, but it also challenges the Scouts.
“I was 13 years old when I first served and really had to step it up and show I was mature enough to be a part of the honor guard troop,” Lucas says. “I have continued to go back every summer since.”
Scouts get the chance to lead and plan while also developing confidence as they interact and help the public.
“That is what makes the program so special,” Alec says. “It gives us a unique opportunity to learn teamwork and communication skills in a fun way.”