The 2014 February School Club Round-up offers a chance for the young members of KF5CRF, the Viking Radio Club, Eisenhower Middle School, Lawton Ok to get on the air and talk with other students around the country and world. But sometimes you get to talk to non-traditional stations.  

Early in the week KF5CRF snagged a sub outside of Pennsylvania. A few minutes later a student caught an aeronautical mobile at 41,000 feet above New Mexico. You wouldn't believe the silence that erupted as students jetted in close to hear the action.  

At this school, amateur radio is taught in an art classroom, lucky students in 6th grade get to participate in the SCR activity as the club re-builds and develops the student’s skills and presence on the radio.   For some 6th graders the task of talking on the radio is overwhelming, but occasionally a spark of interest develops and you can’t pull them back from the edge. Such was the case for Sonora, Brittney and Saydee. 

When Sonora introduced herself to a teacher at another school, the teacher asked if they would talk to a couple of students.  Without any prompting, she said “Line ‘em up and I will talk to each and every one of your students!” and she was not kidding.   Each of the three young ladies stayed after school every day to help make contacts, log and/or look up stations on QRZ. 

They caught on quickly to the idea of fishing and not getting sunburnt or wet. The trio called CQ and pulled in stations from all over North America. Next year, in the 7th grade, they’ll have the option to take the World Communications Class, an elective here that uses amateur radio as a vehicle to help facilitate the learning process.  

On Friday, long after school was over, a parent come in and observed his 7th grade daughter calling CQ. The extremely soft spoken little Shemaiah age 12 pulled in stations, one after the other.   Dad commented that he never heard that voice (her radio voice) coming from his daughter before. We explained how the amateur radio program builds confidence as the student becomes more and more experienced. Dad was impressed to learn about scholarships and all the universities that have amateur radio.  

It was of course disappointing that the poor winter weather and other conflicts kept so many schools either out of the fun or really reduced operating times. The good news is that we heard some new school stations for the first time.    Look for KF5CRF maybe during the Oklahoma QSO party and again in the fall for the SCR.

73 all   KC5CYY / Voice sometimes heard in the background of school station KF5CRF or club station W5KS. -- KC5CYY