01/12/2009 | KC1TAC SCOUTING - Jamboree On The Air

PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL GOOD WILL


The Taunton Area Communication Group (TACGroup) teamed up with the Whitman Amateur Radio Club members to participate the world wide Scouting Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) which recently celebrated its 51st year. The Annawon Council BSA was holding a Covered Wagon Derby at Camp Norse in Kingston, MA on Saturday October 18, 2008 involving several scouting activities, which included amateur radio and JOTA. JOTA is an annual on-the-air operating event in which about one half million Scouts and Guides from all over the world make contact with each other by means of amateur radio.

The amateur radio operators at Camp Norse put 148 cub scouts on-the-air relaying their name, age, hometown and scout rank to other scouts and interested HAMs in the United States and England. The cub scouts were also taught how to send their name in Morse code.

Special arrangements were made by Don Burke KB1LXH an Assistant Cub Master with Pack 49 of Taunton, MA; and the President of the TACGroup with Mike Tunney M0TOA of Taunton, England to link up scouts from Taunton, Mass with Scouts from Taunton, England. Mike M0TOA was operating a JOTA station under the call sign GB2TWH from the Huish Wood Scout Camp just outside Taunton, England with 24 scouts. The signals came across the Atlantic through the Internet via a amateur radio software program called EchoLink to an amateur radio Repeater in Whitman and then relayed over the air to the scouts at Camp Norse in Kingston, MA This was truly an international event promoting international good will.

The 10 amateur radio operators participating were: John Murphy KB1PHN of Hanson; Bruce Hayden NI1X of Raynham; Neal Harrington KB1LXL and Jim Tynan KC1JET of Rehobeth; Don Burke KB1LXH, John Miller N1UMJ, Rudy Burer KB1LXI and Greg Glynn W1VFB of Taunton; Bill Hayden N1FRE and Paul Moss KB1MTW of Whitman

Don Burke KB1LXH, coordinated this event and personally greeted all the cub scouts that took part in this special activity, Don explained to these 6 to 11 year old cub scouts that HAMS are licensed radio stations just like their favorite radio station. Don then explained the many activities of the amateur radio operators comparing radio directional finding to a game of hide and seek and collecting post cards (QSL Cards) confirming contacts with HAM operators from all over the world as collecting patches. Don explained that HAMs are volunteers that help the public especially the National Weather Service by calling in severe weather reports. Don explained that when telephone lines are down and when all else fails, HAM operators can get the message through.

http://www.freewebs.com/kc1tac/Newsletters/Nov%2008_NL.pdf

http://www.wa1npo.org/newsletters/2008-11-jota.pdf
-- KB1LXH