As the sun crept higher and higher into the central Montana sky, so did a Tri-bander beam aided by the 7:00am morning set-up crew from the Great Falls Area Amateur Radio Club. With overnight temps at the freezing mark, metal tower and beam parts were... well...FREEZING !  By 10:00 AM, however, when our guests started arriving, the outdoor temperatures were cool but comfortable, and thanks to a very efficient furnace, the interior of the communications van was toasty warm. With that, the 2010 JOTA operatons were underway. Our club played host to the area Girl Scouts, while the Boy Scouts attended a separate JOTA encampment elsewhere in the city, hosted by another club.  Westgate Mall was kind enough not only to let us set up outside in their parking lot but also provided a large meeting room where several equipment and publications displays, as well as an ECHOLINK computer, had been set up. Brief explanations about Amateur Radio as a hobby and as an emergency service were the first order of business for the girls.  Following their introduction to what Amateur Radio is all about, some went to the ECHOLINK station, and others visited the Communications Van, where HF propagation conditions cooperated to allow each young lady the opportunity to visit with other scout groups across the nation. 

Some of the girls went "off script" and asked some very intriguing questions, some of which were directed to the adult hosts of the distant stations. Although the attendence was thin and sporadic, the day's experience was rewarding for the Girl Scouts and the adults involved in providing it.