Why Not?

Thought for the day:  Bodies in motion remain in motion, and bodies at rest stay in bed until their mothers make them get up. [an unidentified third grader]

[THEME: Amateur radio]

Oooh, boy, we've almost made it to the end of the road, huh? Just two more to go.

Ever notice? The letter Y kinda looks like a fork in the road, doesn't it? Well,  I'm gonna cheat a little, and take both forks. Two words for the same letter.

First word? YOUTH.

Not just Scouts, but ALL youth. You might guess that today's young people are too sophisticated to have any interest in something like amateur radio.

But for many, many young people ... your guess would be wrong.

Students I've worked with are fascinated with Morse code. (Just because we don't get tested on it anymore doesn't mean none of us use it.)

Young people are also particularly enthusiastic about talking to astronauts aboard the space station and satellite communications, about fox hunting and the multitude of modes that work in tandem with a computer, and with contesting and  the simple act of talking one-on-one to another young person on the other side of the world. Licensed young people learn about many subjects which aid them in their schoolwork, provide impetus toward technology-related careers, and instill self-confidence. It also provides them with a host of public service opportunities. What's not to love, right? One young lady we know, who is graduating from GA Tech in May, found her path largely through her involvement with amateur radio. As a teen, she won numerous young ham awards, one of which included a week's stay at Huntsville, Alabama's Space Camp. She loved the experience so much, she went back the following year on her own dime. Her GA Tech degree? It's in aeronautical engineering. Oh, and she got that degree through a FULL scholarship from the ARRL. So amateur radio can have an incredible impact on the lives of young people. And more and more, young people are having an incredible impact on amateur radio.

                                                             The other word? YOU.

                                  Have YOU ever considered getting an amateur radio license?

It doesn't matter where you live in the world, or how old or young you are. You don't have to be a mathematics or physics whiz kid or make your living in the engineering field. All you need is the desire to learn, and an interest in expanding your horizons. Didja know? Amateur radio is the only hobby in the world that is actually protected by international treaty. Interested in joining the fold? Here, I'll move over. See? There's lots of room.

A Natural Go-Together

Thought for the day:  Scoutmaster- The only way you boys can learn a new skill is to start at the bottom. Scout- But I want to learn how to swim!

[THEME: Amateur radio]

You know how to quiet down an otherwise boisterous Cub Scout? Tell him to say something on amateur radio. HA!

Oh, that isn't always the case, but it's happened often enough to make it funny. (With a little encouragement, even the most mike-shy Scout usually warms up to the task, though.)  Anyway, today I'm gonna tell you a little bit about JAMBOREE ON THE AIR, also known as JOTA.


A jamboree is defined as a joyful, noisy gathering, and when you throw a bunch of Scouts together, that's exactly what you get. JOTA combines the jamboree part with ... amateur radio. The idea is to teach Scouts about radio, and to get them ...

ON the air, as opposed to IN it.

JOTA was held for the first time back in 1957, when a British ham, G3BHK, came up with the brilliant idea. Now, it occurs every year on the third weekend in October, and to give you an idea of how popular this event is, in 2010, more than 700,000 Scouts participated from nearly 6000 amateur radio stations around the world. In addition to Scouts speaking via radio to other Scouts and earth-bound adults, astronauts sometimes get on the air with them, too. In 2010, astronaut Mike Fossum, KF5AQG, participated  from aboard the International Space Station.

Even though many Scout leaders are amateur radio operators, they still rely on the support and assistance of many non-Scouting hams from the community to help teach the kids about electronics and amateur radio, and to help them earn related badges, and even to learn what they need to get their amateur radio licenses.

Nate Maas, Scoutmaster of Troop 308 in San Luis Obispo, California, kindly allowed me the use of the following JOTA  pictures:

About to work on circuit boards.

One of their completed oscillators. 

                                                                   

Learning how to send TV signals via amateur radio.

Alex just talked to a Scout in Idaho!

                                                                                   

Mitchell's ready to go fox hunting with his homemade antenna.

One of my favorite JOTA stories is about a Scout from Albany, Georgia. When a reporter covering  JOTA for the local newspaper heard that he'd gotten his amateur radio license a few days earlier, she asked  him what he thought about being a ham. He told her, I don't know yet.  I was only a piece of bacon last week. 

So, bottom line, you could say that hams and Scouts go together like ... bacon and eggs.