Icom America invited me to speak on Radio Scouting in their booth during the Dayton Hamvention. It was streamed live and I wasn’t sure I’d see a recording. But Icom recorded it and has now posted it on YouTube. They also used a nifty technique with two screens, one for the slides and one for the presenter.
It’s a great overview of all the things happening in Radio Scouting. Check it out.
The June 2013 issue of QST Magazine carried my article titled “Jammin’ and Hammin’ with the Scouts”. The article covers the two primary activities coming up in 2013 — the National Scout Jamboree in July and Jamboree on the Air in October. It goes on to provide updates on all our Radio Scouting initiatives from the astounding growth in the number of Radio Merit Badges earned each year (nearly 7,000) along with the introduction of the Morse Code Interpreter Strip and the Amateur Radio Operator Rating Strip.I’ve scanned the article so you can see it here QST June 2013.
I’ll also note that Icom America, the official transceiver and repeater sponsor for the Jamboree, ran an ad on page 150 highlighting their contribution to the Jamboree while SteppIR, our antenna supplier, ran and ad on page 28 showing the Jamboree logo. Icom will also be running K2BSA Jamboree ads during June on Ham Nation and Amateur Logic TV.
I hope that this will help get more amateur radio operators engaged with the K2BSA operation at the Jamboree as well as getting on the air during Jamboree on the Air. It’s all about mentoring the next generation of ham radio operators!
I spent May 13 through May 19 in Dayton, Ohio, at the Miami Valley Scout Council’s Cricket Holler Training Center. We had rented their facility to host 20 staff members for the K2BSA Jamboree set up event. We called it the Dayton Drill @ Cricket Holler.
The facility provided lots of space, a complete training center with large and small classroom, plus four cabins where we could bunk for the evening. We had a local caterer provide breakfast and lunch as well as an opening and closing dinner. On arrival on Monday, everyone set immediately to work unpacking and setting up all the equipment sent by our sponsors Icom America, SteppIR, and Array Solutions. Later in the week, Ed Dudley WA4ISI arrived with a trailer load of gear from previous Jamborees.
The full week was spent in intensive efforts at getting everything sorted out and prepared for the Jamboree. We also got to know each other and build a core team that will be heading to the Jamboree to join with another 30 staff members there to make things happen for the Scouts at K2BSA. At the end of the week, we were all able to spend time at the Dayton Hamvention, purchasing stuff for our own ham shacks and the items we still needed for the K2BSA operation.
You can see a full run down of the event along with a slide show at K2BSA Dayton Drill. A highlight for me, among so many highlights, was receiving the Sledge Hammer Award from the team at the closing dinner. The placque says “K2BSA — why use a tack driver when a sledge hammer will do?” I had used this phrase to exhort the team to going full out in setting up the K2BSA Jamboree Operation.
This was a real adventure in ham radio!
Last Saturday I hauled all my Jamboree gear down to a local embroidery shop. I’d heard about this trick from a fellow Radio Scouter. You can see the results on the Jamboree Duffel shown in the photo. Not sure this is going to help me find my duffel amongst the 40,000 that will be at the Jamboree, but it can’t hurt.
I also had my call sign embroidered on several of the shirts I’ll be wearing as well as my day pack. The day pack is branded by PING golf equipment. Not sure I’ll see many of those at the Jamboree. Even so, I’ll be able to distinguish mine from the stack.
Tomorrow I’m headed to the Dayton Drill at Cricket Holler. This event is at the Cricket Holler Training Center of the Miami Valley Scout Council in Dayton, Ohio. Over the last several weeks we’ve been shipping stuff to the event and our K2BSA sponsors have literally been shipping pallet loads of radios and antennas. Will be setting everything up beginning on Tuesday. By the time the Dayton Hamvention Flea Market opens up, we’ll know precisely what we need to add to our equipment to get it in tip top shape. On Saturday, we’ll be running a Merit Badge Workshop to test our training methods. We’ll also pack everything for shipment to the Jamboree.
It should be an incredible ham radio adventure.
Over the last couple of years we’ve done a considerable amount of promotion around Jamboree on the Air for amateur radio operators. What we’ve found is that when they approach local Boy Scout Councils, the Scouters are not really aware of JOTA or how to best cooperator with the operators to get the event on the air. So, our National Radio Scouting Committee has decided to spend some time this year providing information for uninitiated Scouters on amateur radio, Jamboree on the Air, and how best to get on the air for the event, thereby exposing Scouts to the technology, fun, and magic of amateur radio.
One of our first steps was to conduct a JOTA webinar this week for Scout Council International Representatives and other Scouting volunteers. It’s a basic overview of amateur radio and Jamboree on the Air for those new to the subject. You can see it at http://www.scouting.org/jota/Webinars.aspx We’ve provided the slide deck in both Power Point and PDF as well as a video recording of the slides and audio.
The turnout was good with a bonus of Larry Wolfgang, WR1B, from ARRL getting on to discuss the ARRL JOTA resources as well as Field Day. The webinar also covers Jamboree on the Internet.
Check it out.
