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 Previous: Tips For Preserving Your Club's History |  Next: Ham Radio License Manual, Tech Q&A are ARRL's Next-Generation Study Guides |
By Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM
Contributing Editor
May 4, 2006
Find out about the exciting new youth events taking place at Dayton Hamvention 2006! Also, learn what several radio clubs around the country are doing to involve young people.
Abundance of Youth Activities in Store for Dayton 2006
 |
 Designs by Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM |
 Seventeen-year-old Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award winner Rebecca Rich, KB0VVT, operates PJ2T prior to the ARRL International DX Contest (SSB) in March. During a period of casual, pre-contest operating, she managed to make over 1000 contacts, both on CW and SSB. [Geoff Howard, W0CG, Photo] |
If you attended Dayton Hamvention® last year, you might have stopped by the youth booth or youth forum at ARRL EXPO, or attended the youth dinner. And, if you thought that was fun, you're in for a real treat because this year, our goal is to make the youth activities bigger and better! Here's a brief overview of some of what we've got planned for this year:
Have you ever been to a youth forum at a hamfest and felt rushed to leave, as though you didn't have enough time to talk to the other kids who were there because you were being herded out so the next forum could start? I know I have. We tried to remedy that kind of situation a little bit with last year's ARRL youth dinner, which will be back this year (Saturday, May 20, 5:30 PM, Ryan's Grill Buffet & Bakery).
This year we're going to provide even more opportunities for young people to meet each other. New this year is the ARRL Youth Lounge. This will basically be a place for young people--licensed or not--to congregate. Be sure to stop by, whether just to sit down and take a breather, grab a snack (free!) or chat with other young hams. We're planning a plethora of exciting activities, including everything from arts and crafts to foxhunting to operating, so there's sure to be something that you'll enjoy.
The ARRL Youth Lounge, in conjunction with the ARRL Youth Activities booth, will be located in the ARRL EXPO area of the Ballarena in Hara Arena.
The ARRL youth calling frequencies will be the same as last year's: 145.540 MHz (107.2 Hz CTCSS) primary and 146.430 (233.6 Hz CTCSS) secondary. So, if you're looking for other young people during Dayton Hamvention, try those places. Last but certainly not least, the "Youth in Amateur Radio" forum, moderated by Carole Perry, WB2MGP, will be on Saturday.
So, if you're a young person attending Dayton Hamvention, there is no excuse for not getting involved with the youth activities! Whether you choose to visit the ARRL Youth Lounge, attend the ARRL Youth Dinner, take part in ARRL Youth Activities or stop by the "Youth in Amateur Radio" forum--or all of the above--I know you'll enjoy yourself. Whether licensed or not, if you attend Dayton Hamvention 2006, get involved and tell me about your experiences.
In the meantime, if you have any suggestions for other youth activities that you'd like to see at Dayton, let me know. I look forward to seeing you all there!
Alabama Young Ham of the Year Award
Rebekah Dorff, WG4Y, ARRL Alabama Assistant Section Manager for Youth Activities, has announced the creation of the Alabama Young Ham of the Year Award. She says this new honor is "intended to recognize a young ham who has demonstrated his or her dedication to Amateur Radio through his or her activities." Nominees must be 18 or younger, hold an Amateur Radio license and be a current Alabama resident.
The deadline to submit nominations and all supporting material (eg, letters of recommendation, etc) is July 15, 2006. These go to Alabama Section Young Ham of the Year Committee, c/o Rebekah Dorff, WG4Y, PO Box 963, Alabaster, AL 35007. Entries also are welcome via e-mail, which is also the place to direct any questions. Nomination forms and more information are on the ARRL Alabama Section Web site.
To my knowledge, Alabama is the second ARRL Section to establish a Young Ham of the Year award. Georgia awarded its first Young Ham of the Year Award to Connie Cote, N4CAC, last November. Now, we hope, the trend is spreading. Will your Section be next?
Your Section could be the next to offer such a recognition for a young radio amateur. Suggest the idea to your ARRL Section Manager, and let me know if it's adopted so I can highlight it in this column.
Amateur Radio Involvement in Recent Scout Camporee
 A group of Scouts and their leader learn about Holmes Regional Medical Center's "First Flight" rescue helicopter. Alex Fisher, KG4WMM, looks on. [Provided by Dan Fisher, AI4GK] |
On March 18, members of the Platinum Coast Amateur Radio Society (PCARS) assisted at a Boy Scout Emergency Preparedness Camporee, sponsored by the Manatee District of Central Florida Council.
Several hams set up a communications net at an outdoor command post, and several more staffed the activity areas where scouts learned and practiced the requirements for the Emergency Preparation Merit Badge. One young participant, 12-year-old Mark Schreiber, KI4OBE, received his call sign only eight days prior to the camporee. He was earning his merit badge this time around. While he didn't serve on staff, he did carry a handheld transceiver and provided assistance during the event. While this was the second time that PCARS supported the camporee, the club is proud to announce that, this time around, nearly all of the ham volunteers are also involved in scouting. Some of the same volunteers coordinated a Radio Merit Badge course at "Merit Badge University" on April 8. Thanks to Dan Fisher, AI4GK, for providing this information.
The Next Gen Hams Quiz Show
 The kid's team of The Nex Gen Hams Game Show concentrates on getting the correct answer. [Provided by Tobi Davis, KC9DGL] |
Another event involving young hams took place January 29 in Aurora, Illinois. The Next Gen Hams Club, sponsored by the Fox River Radio League (FRRL), hosted the event, which Tobi Davis, KC9DGL, called a "fast-paced, buzzer-filled frenzy." Basically, the event, called "The Next Gen Hams Quiz Show," was designed so young hams could practice questions from the Amateur Radio licensing exams, in a fun, mock game-show environment.
The adults and youth competed against one another, and the youth often beat the adults to the buzzer! (Perhaps all of the thumb exercises from video games paid off.) When later asked what they liked best about Quiz Show, one youngster responded, "the pizza!" Another couldn't believe that he'd beat an Extra class. "I think Quiz Show has given him confidence as he rushes along the road to getting his first license," Davis said.
Radio Club Partnership with Boys and Girls Club
 Rowyn, age 11, is one of the most enthusiastic kids at the DAR Boys' and Girls' Club station. [Ed Engleman, KG8CX, Photo] |
 (Top to bottom) Amanda, 13; Bryan, 10; Jed Buechler, K9JDB, 16, and Samantha, 11 operate the Boys' and Girls' Club station. [Ed Engleman, KG8CX, Photo] |
 Clayton, 9, takes his turn at the mic, while Megan, 11 looks on. [Ed Engleman, KG8CX, Photo] |
Starting in early February, the Marinette & Menominee Amateur Radio Club of Marinette, Wisconsin, began what has become a successful partnership with the DAR Boys' and Girls' Club. "Many kids are finding Amateur Radio to be a fun and exciting addition to the regular programs offered to the area youngsters," said Ed Engleman, KG8CX, a volunteer at the station.
Currently, several club members take a shift as control operator a few times each week. "Some kids are so excited about the opportunity to experience ham radio that I can hear them running down the hall when they arrive just to get into the 'DAR radio room,'" Engleman reports. In fact, he adds, the excitement is so great that there is already talk of having licensing classes.
On a typical day, between six and eight youngsters--ages 9 to 16--visit the station. It's typically on the air Monday through Wednesday from about 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM Central Time on 20 meters. Several young hams, including Jed Buechler, K9JDB; Tyler Lehman, KC9FKE; and PJ Johnson, W9LPJ, volunteer as control operators.
Congratulations Corner
Congratulations to . . .
Remember to . . .
New to Amateur (Ham) Radio?
But most of all, get involved. No excuses!
Final Comments
Thanks to the numerous contributions for this column. Please keep them coming, and I'll see you all in Dayton May 19, 20 and 21!
73!
Editor's Note: Seventeen-year-old Extra-class operator and ARES Member Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, resides in Grayson, Georgia. Her Amateur Radio activities include public service, kit building, hamfesting, and operating SSB, CW and digital modes. Amateurs with youth-related news and photos are invited to contact Andrea via e-mail with the subject line "Youth Column."
| Previous: Tips For Preserving Your Club's History | Next: Ham Radio License Manual, Tech Q&A are ARRL's Next-Generation Study Guides |
