Sometimes "thank you" is just not enough! The story of hams donating to boy scouting...

Yes ...sometimes just not adequate...the story follows

The story: I have been doing radio merit badge for several years at our local boy scout camp, Camp Geiger located near Saint Joseph, MO. when I took over the classes I had the ability to introduce scouts to cw...follow me here...

The first two days of the hour 5-day class another staff member does a scripted general overview education how radio works.

On the third day "ham radio" is introduced. We give them some history about "hams" and then we set up our CW sounders. The MFJ 455 units and introduce the scouts to CW... We start off with just ... e i s h 5 and t m o 0. We gave them just enough to 'hook them.' They are amazed what they can do ..."we have them hooked."

The last two days we put the scouts on air for a ten-minute QSO. While not on the air the others have CW to keep them busy...

All the while they are being brainwashed about all the different aspects of ham radio ...they know what it is and what they can do.

We had three sounders donated years ago and I borrowed a couple but those were getting 'squeaky and need upgraded or replaced. I put a post on QRZ and eHam asking that anyone had the sounder lying around that they consider sending to myself for use at camp...

I now have 15, yes fifteen brand new MFJ-455 sounder units! Simply amazing the response, I got from hams around the country. Below is the list of folks that donated...

N9GC
Thomas W McGrath, III
15319 Shamrock Lane
Woodstock, IL 60098
USA

Christine @ main trading company
2707 Lamar Avenue
Paris, TX 75460
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N4PEG
Margaret E Kennedy
6645 Founders St
Zephyrhills, FL 33542-1828
USA

N4ESS
Usarichard E Kennedy
6645 Founders St
Zephyrhills, FL 33542-1828
USA
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W1SO
Bruce R Kerrigan
PO Box 982
Pelham, NH 03076
USA
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N9AGC
Greg L Smith
7670 Mountain Ash
Mentor, OH 44060
USA

MFJ Enterprises
300 Industrial Park Rd,
Starkville, MS 39759
USA

Amazing folks...now a request...if you all reading this would email or nts a thank you to these folks for myself and the Boy Scouts of Camp Geiger it would be really great...hams are some of the greatest...

I am almost sure some of these 'kids' will follow up and most likely be licensed.

Thank you all for reading and letting this old scout have so much fun with ham radio.

73
WD0BC