"Northern Lights Scouts Have Accents!"

The Scouts in Hartlee Poole, England, could barely
understand the American Scouts because the "American
Scouts have such an accent!" Language differences aside,
about forty Northern Lights Cub and Boy Scouts gathered
to talk to other Scouts at the Jamboree On The Air, an
annual youth oriented amateur radio event, held this
year locally at the Northern Lights District Camporee.
After the initial mike-fright, most of the kids enjoyed
telling their contacts about their Scouting units,
activities and other hobbies. "Radio conditions were
fairly good." local organizers Van N2BNE and John W3OAB
commented while other ham radio operators and Scouts
chatted with the Middle East, South America and Europe.

Northern Lights Scouts talked to other scouts in twenty
states and thirteen foreign countries, via voice,
digital radio links and Morse code about the Camporee's
theme: the Dutch Oven Gathering. Local ham radio
operators bring a lot of Scouting experience to the
JOTA effort, as they have served many years as Scouting
leaders themselves. Most of the operators on duty were
members of the Rochester Amateur Radio Association
which is organizing a Ham Radio Explorer Post.

Thanks to all the people who helped light up the kids'
faces for their communications experiences: Bill WB2SXY,
John KC2DVX, Bob KC2EMP, Mark KC2GMG, Jack W2JAT,
Warren AA2LQ, Joe AB2ER and the coordinators Van N2BNE
and John W3OAB.

By Bill Kasperkoski