From
The Detroit Free Press. In the picture, Troop 330's new Eagle Scouts celebrate with David Greenspan, 95, who counseled them. The scouts: from left, standing, Gus Ferenczy, David Brown; kneeling, Jeff Maci, Artie DeKeyser and Adam Phillips.
When Gus Ferenczy learned his grandfather was an Eagle Scout decades ago in Hungary, he also wanted to earn the highest honor a Boy Scout can achieve.
"I saw the medals on his uniform ... I was really proud of him," the 38-year-old Chesterfield Township man said.
Now, Ferenczy can be proud of himself. He and four other longtime members of special needs Boy Scout Troop 330 in St. Clair Shores each earned the rank of Eagle Scout earlier this month -- years after starting the process. The other Eagle Scouts are David Brown of Grosse Pointe Woods and Artie DeKeyser, 53; Jeff Maci, 41, and Adam Phillips, all of St. Clair Shores. Brown and Phillips are both over 30, but specific ages weren't available.
"When I received the badge and medal, I was happy, very happy and very joyful," said Ferenczy, who had open-heart surgery and two strokes as a child. "I feel good inside. I'm very proud of my four other guys."
In 2008, only about 5% of all Boy Scouts earned Eagle Scout rank, according to the Boy Scouts of America. David Offerman, a member at-large of the Great Lakes Council, Boy Scouts of America, said five Boy Scouts earning the rank at one time in one troop, particularly an entirely special needs troop, is unusual and inspiring.
"It shows what someone is capable of doing," said the 62-year-old Detroiter, who verified that the men met the Eagle Scout requirements.
Boy Scouts earn the Eagle Scout rank when they have 21 merit badges, usually by their 18th birthday. Offerman said there is an age exception for special needs scouts, such as those in Troop 330. The troop's founder, Sidney Keeler, said he has had a total 10 Eagle Scouts in its nearly 50-year history.
"They worked hard and they looked forward to getting it," the 77-year-old Clinton Township man said of the quintet who just earned the award. "We don't just give it to anybody."
Marion DeKeyser, Artie's mother, knows. She and the other families helped the men with their service projects, which consisted of collecting food, clothing and other items for schools and organizations.
"He walked up there like King Tut, just as proud as could be," DeKeyser, 89, said of her son, who has Down syndrome.
Scoutmaster Al Maci, Jeff's father, said the men worked hard to earn several of the merit badges, repeatedly listening to tapes related to the badges' topics.
"It's been a part of my life that I would never change," Al Maci, 64, said of his son, who has Down syndrome with autism.
From The Detroit Free Press. In the picture, Troop 330's new Eagle Scouts celebrate with David Greenspan, 95, who counseled them. The scouts: from left, standing, Gus Ferenczy, David Brown; kneeling, Jeff Maci, Artie DeKeyser and Adam Phillips.