This year, the Ellijay Amateur Radio Society (EARS) will be participating in the 2019 ARRL Field Day competition on Saturday afternoon, June 22nd at the Mountain Town Community Center.
ARRL Field Day is a national competition that provides amateur (but licensed) radio operators an opportunity to perfect their professional skills and test equipment for reliable emergency communication should additional communications be required.
This would be a great opportunity for Boy Scouts with a strong interest in technology, math and science to come and not only observe, but also be able to make a contact on the radio and perhaps fulfill several of the radio Merit Badge requirements.
Please forward this email to all of your Scout Leaders. EARS is inviting you to come and bring your troop on Saturday afternoon, June 22nd. We ask that for every 4 boys that they be accompanied by 1 adult and that the boys be instructed to stay with an adult at all times while in the Community Center. Instruct students that they are not to touch any equipment without permission from one of the licensed operators.
Scout leaders bringing a troop are asked to reply to Annie Hayes (K4NNE) EARS Secretary and 2019 Field Day Project manager. I will need to know how many young people you are bringing and their age range. We will also need to discuss and have a plan for what we wish to present to the boys.
Ham Radio may be a topic in which only a few of the boys will have a strong interest. In that case, we are asking that you inform the older boys and the parents of the younger boys that this opportunity is available to them. If the parents or a young man with a real interest contacts me, then I will arrange for the young man to sit beside one of the operators and he will be able to make multiple contacts.
Annie Hayes, K4NNE, EARS Secretary and 2019 Field Day Manager for Gilmer County