A Red Bank Regional High School senior has obtained the highest achievement a Boy Scout can receive for helping increase safety in his hometown.
Jack McNally, a Little Silver resident and a member of Troop 67, was inducted as an Eagle Scout at a Court of Honor held this month.
A member of the scouts since he was six, Jack described being a scout as something that grew on him the longer he was part of it.
For his Eagle Scout project, Jack had automated external defibrillators (AEDs) installed at Fire House Field, Sickles Field, Borough Field and Challenger Field, Little Silver’s four parks.
The young man said he was influenced by pending legislation that will require all parks to have AEDs.
“Getting the AEDs already in place puts Little Silver ahead of the curve,” Jack said.
According to a press release from Red Bank High, Jack started a fundraising effort to assist in the purchase of the AEDs, which cost $5,000, and received the devices at a discounted rate from the New Jersey-based company Lifesavers.
The devices were installed at the borough’s four parks in March. At Fire House Field, Sickles Field and Borough Field, the AEDs were placed on buildings recommended by Lifesavers CEO Bob Stickle, according to the press release. As no standing structures existed in Challenger Field, the AED was installed on a pole affixed in cement.
Jack worked to install the AEDs with fellow scouts Eric Olsen, Craig Scharmann and Brandon Bennett, and Craig’s father Chris Scharmann, according to the press release.
In addition to bringing the devices to Little Silver’s parks, Jack said he hosted a seminar in Borough Hall to teach the public how to use AEDs.
“Becoming an Eagle Scout is really exciting,” Jack said. “It was a lot of work, but I’m glad it happened.”
According to the press release, Jack is a member of the Red Bank High Academy of Information Technology. He will attend Northeastern University, Boston, where he will study mathematics and computer science.