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ARRL 2015 Kids Day - Sunday January 4th 1-7pm EST
#1
Hey guys,

Would anyone be interested in introducing kids to ham radio?

Twice a year, ARRL offers an event designed to promote Amateur Radio to our youth. Share the excitement with your kids or grandkids, a Scout troop, a local school or the general public!

http://www.arrl.org/kids-day

If anyone is interested in setting up a couple stations (HF and VHF/UHF) for the event, let me know!

I'm including an article below concerning Kids Day.

73,
Joe
KC1BAQ

==========================================
By Chuck Crist, W9IH
ARRL Indiana Assistant Section Manager
September 9, 2003

Fun was the apparent result of a successful recipe--a recipe that included lots of preplanning, food, and Ham Radio. At the Indianapolis the Red Cross Chapter house, the Red Cross radio disaster group sponsored its very first Kids Day event.

Amateur Radio operators and club members of the group began setup and testing early the week before January the 6th in order to prepare for the Kids Day on the air event.

Led by Steve Wendt, KB9RDS, hams not only took time to demonstrate Amateur Radio but let the visiting kids spend time on the air talking and working other kids across the USA. The club setup code practice areas for kids and parents to expose them to the Morse Code that Hams use on the air during CW communications.

A log sheet was available for each kid, and Steve had an area for helping the kids fill out their individual sheets in preparation for the contacts they would soon be making.
Steve Wendt, KB9RDS: "OK! This is where we start; these our your radio logs..."

On to the radio room, where club members were ready with five stations in all; one each on 10, 15, and 20 meters, and two on 2 meters. Kids could wonder from station to station and make contacts as the day progressed.
Lots of comments followed throughout the day as kids experienced the fun of chatting with other places and other kids. Here are some of my favorites from the event:
"What's this?"
"So this is Ham Radio!"
"Can I do this too?"
"How do I do this?"
"What's my call sign?"
"Dave, say your name please?" (Oops!) Sarah Brenner, 5, with Merle, KB9PDM

And finally, one 15 year-old kid made a contact with a NASA station and jumped up shouting for all to hear... "I just contacted NASA!!!!!!!"
Over in the code room, kids were amazed to see how easy sending Morse code can be. John, W9GRE, had these notes from the code area:
"Is this my name?"
"This is really cool!"
"This is fun!"

Twenty-four kids made 58 contacts from five stations during the event.
It was concluded that kids do live in Indiana and have fun with Ham radio. The Red Cross Disaster Radio Group plans to do more Kids Day events, where the big kids have fun too.

Special thanks to Bill, K9DBY, John, W9GRE, Rick, KB9NZY, Don, K9MCM, Mike, KB9NZF, Suzy, KB9WRV, and Norm, KB9UEH.
The Indianapolis IN Red Cross Disaster Radio Group's WA9LGQ is located at 441 E. 10th Street, Indianapolis IN 46202
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#2
I'm interested Joe. What kind of activity/locale/event are you considering?
K1RCT - Rob
W1NRG Station Activities Manager
Home Email

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#3
My initial thought was to setup a couple stations (HF and VHF/UHF) at the clubhouse. I'm also hoping that Paul (K1SEZ) will be interested. I helped him at a school event earlier this year and he does a great job getting kids interested. We can make some flyers and send them to local schools, scout troops, post at library, local clubs and hopefully get some of the kids and grandkids of our current members involved.

73,
Joe

Hey Rob,

What do you think we can do to make it more interesting for the kids?

Joe
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#4
Tossing out a few ideas in addition to radios
* Slide show of past events (Field Day and such)
* Incorporate hands on activities like CW keying.
* World map showing locations spotted if running spotting software
* History of communication and how it's used today.

All depends on the age of the kids. I know as a kid lights, switches, knobs and tubes always caught my attention.

This also could get posted on the WPAA community BBS so CATV users can spot this. This would have to be submitted soon as you have to have two weeks notice to have it posted. Here's the link... I can do that if folks want to this:
http://www.wpaa.tv/documents/AnnouncementForm.pdf
73, Steve - KC1SA
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#5
Great ideas, Steve!
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#6
I asked an 8 year old what would entice him about the event.."winning a prize"... leave it to kids.

73,

Steve - KC1AXJ
73, Steve - KC1SA
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#7
I asked a fourteen year-old (Stuart) what would "hook him" into wanting us to drive him to such an activity or presentation.

His reply, "if it involved Outdoors Hiking, Camping or other activity which I already like". I thought of SOTA. He also said, "like a lock-in activity".

In Scouting, we offered "Lock-In" activities to our Troop several times a year. They were usually an earned thing. If they performed a certain number of service projects, performed exceptionally well at a Scout Show or Camporee, Summer Camp Awards, etc. The Lock In was mostly reward based and included whatever activities they wanted. The Lock-In was conducted at our Meeting Site with permission from our Sponsor (Immanuel Lutheran Church on Cook St. Meriden). There, they would be dropped off by their parent and All would be "Locked In" for the evening. Then the Night was theirs to execute the SPL's Plan (his plan for Activities: The Scouts were ALWAYS required to plan activities. Adults only supervised). We would usually provide Pizza, Soda and Snacks. We were always lenient on curfew but there was ALWAYS a curfew. Sometimes even 1 or 2 AM but again, that was Their Plan.

Once, the SPL (Senior Patrol Leader - The Troops' Boy Leader) organized a Networked LAN Party with other Scouts Computers connected to a Central Gaming Server. They Gamed all night. Other activities they organized were Basketball, Volleyball Tournament, Modern Board Games and RPG's, Card Games.

One Activity they seemed to like was a Hobby Night where they brought in whatever Hobby they liked most or maybe All of their Hobbies.

As a Scouting Activity, we could get our Council or District involved as a Merit Badge Activity. There are a few Merit Badges which could be offered.

Getting Club Members Registered as a Merit Badge Counselor would be a first step and is relatively easy. I have been a Merit Badge Counselor for 18 Merit badges for years. Not everyone would be required to be a Merit Badge Counselor but each Adult that would be present would be required to apply for membership to the BSA and undergo a background check and vetting process.

FWIW - YMMV
K1RCT - Rob
W1NRG Station Activities Manager
Home Email

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#8
I just worked Santa, OF9X, from Lapland in Finland on 10m; it's been very good for DX today. Check out the QRZ.com listing!

K1SEZ, Paul Ciezniak
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#9
Just worked K8DAR in Menominee, MI. It's a Boy's and Girl's club youth league. Chatted at length with Violet and Xander (ages 9 and 7 respectively). Gave a nice weather report (36 and cloudy!). Fun.
73, Steve - KC1SA
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#10
(12-07-2014, 07:41 PM)KC1ACN Wrote: I asked a fourteen year-old (Stuart) what would "hook him" into wanting us to drive him to such an activity or presentation.

His reply, "if it involved Outdoors Hiking, Camping or other activity which I already like". I thought of SOTA. He also said, "like a lock-in activity".

At that age my answer would have been "chicks". Tongue
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