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 Previous: California Ham to Face Administrative Law Judge |  Next: Surfin': Real Low Banding on 600 Meters |
By Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF
ARRL Hudson Division Vice Director
ka2anf@arrl.org
February 14, 2008
ARRL Kids Day is an on-air event to encourage young people, licensed or not, to have fun with Amateur Radio. It is designed to give on-the-air experience to youngsters, hopefully fostering their interest in getting a license of their own. Older hams also get a chance to share their station and love for Amateur Radio with children.
Kids Day happens twice this year, January 6 and June 21, giving kids a great opportunity to get on the air. ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, N1NN, said in his Kids Day article featured in the December 2007 issue of QST that clubs could benefit by hosting an "open house" and fire up the club station, award certificates to those making contacts, make a display board of kids' activities at prior years' events and even serve pizza during these dates.
On Sunday afternoon, January 6, I visited Berkeley Heights, New Jersey to view the Kids Day set up by the New Providence Amateur Radio Club (NPARC). The club followed Dave Patton's suggestions and the results were amazing! There were more than 40 kids in attendance that Sunday afternoon. NPARC President, Jim Kern, KB2FCV was on hand with Barry Cohen, K2JV, Mentor extraordinaire; Hudson Division Youth Representative Nick Esposito, KC2ONP, was also there to coach the kids through their on-the-air exchanges.
The Club set up four stations -- operating club call sign N2XJ -- for the kids to make contact with others on the air. The 20 meter station drew quite a bit of activity, as the kids were able to reach out across the country and the world to make contact with other kids, exchanging their names, their locations and their favorite colors. They were all very enthusiastic, stepping up to the microphone to give out their information, almost like they were born with microphones in hand. It was amazing. No Mic-Fright here!
I found it fascinating that there were a large number of girls at the event. And as usual, our young leader Nick had quite a crowd of young ladies around him. With all of the young ladies I saw that day, it's evident that we need to do some mentoring to reach out to these girls and get them involved in Amateur Radio; it's a great time for us women to step up and show them that Amateur Radio has a lot to offer them.
Thanks to David Klippel, N2MHI; Shirley Klippel, N2PHP, and Paul Klippel, KC2SAS, for their tremendous support, as well as all of the members of NPARC and all of the kids and their Moms and Dads, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles who helped make this Kids Day really special. We even had a visit by Assistant Director (ex-Northern New Jersey Section Manager) Bill Hudzik, W2UDT.
Check out the ARRL Hudson Division Web page for photos of Kids Day and more information on the event.
Each Thursdays at 8 PM on the W2LI repeater (147.255 -- PL tone: 141.3), you can find the "Talk to the Kids -- on Kids Club" hosted by Net Control Nick Esposito, KC2ONP; Club Mentor Barry Cohen, K2JV, will be standing by. As far as I know, this might be the first-ever Kids Net, so make it a point to check in and show support. The W2LI repeater has great coverage throughout the Hudson Division, so let's encourage our kids to get on the air.
| Previous: California Ham to Face Administrative Law Judge | Next: Surfin': Real Low Banding on 600 Meters |
