The Taunton Area Communications Group (TACGroup) held the first of several special events and activities, demonstrating Amateur Radio to scouts in Plymouth on November 4.
The Tulpe Lodge 245 of the Order of the Arrow invited the TACGroup to its fellowship weekend at Camp Norse BSA. The club members “showed their wares” to approximately 40 scouts who visited the TACGroup’s station.
John Miller, N1UMJ operated HF on 20 and 40 meters, while Greg Glynn, KB1NLX manned a 2-meter station. Despite a “finicky” HF radio, several contacts were made nationally, complementing local QSOs via the Bridgewater W1MV repeater. An amateur from Taunton, England checked in via Echolink, much to the delight of the scouts.
Other operators at the event were: Neal Harrington, KB1LXL, Rudy Burer, KB1LXI, Dave Souza (Assistant Scout Master, Troop 61, Norton, MA), W1DFS, and TACGroup President Don Burke, KB1LXH.
Several scouts who stopped by expressed an interest in becoming Amateur Radio operators. The TACGroup hopes that their efforts may have “lit the spark” that will begin a new Technician class in the spring!
The Order of the Arrow is an Honor Camper Society within scouting whose members must prove themselves in “brotherhood, cheerfulness and service.” Membership in the Order of the Arrow is considered a high honor.