A few reminders/items of interest:

Merit badge pamphlets - I still have 4 available.

Notebooks - I will have notebooks with the slides and study material for the remaining 8 Scouts who didn't receive one on Tuesday at the next meeting.

Worksheets - feel free to read/study ahead and fill out the worksheet -those who can are welcome to complete the worksheet and the
associated requirements.

ON THE AIR - I will setup a couple or three sessions, most likely on a weekend, for requirements 7 and 9-a-2. All Scouts will have the opportunity to talk, on the air, with other hams and perhaps even other Scouts !!! The first opportunity will be Saturday, October 18th during the JOTA (Jamboree On The Air). Definitely talk over ham radio with Scouts in the US and perhaps even in Canada and other countries, depending upon atmospheric conditions. LET ME KNOW IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND THIS EVENT. There will be others, but none possibly as exciting as JOTA 2008. I will be portable and will most likely set up in my yard or somewhere else more convenient. If the weather is not cooperative, I'll set up inside.

QUESTIONS - If at ANY time you have questions about the material, call me at home at 495-1970 (evenings and weekends) or email me.

Next Session - TBD

John Evans, ASM, Troop 70

Mr. Evans will be the counselor for the RADIO merit badge.  We will have our first session of possibly three sessions beginning Oct. 7 at the Community Club merit badge session.  ALL Scouts interested are welcome to attend my sessions.

The RADIO merit badge is not a difficult merit badge but a lot of technical information is presented over the course of the three sessions.  The material presented will more than adequately prepare each Scout for working on and completing all the requirements.  Scouts may focus on one of three areas of interest for requirement 9 - Amateur Radio, Broadcast Radio, or Shortwave Listening.  I will be focusing on Amateur Radio since I am a licensed "Ham" Radio Operator but it is not a requirement that all Scouts follow the Amateur Radio focus area.  Those choosing to follow the Broadcast Radio path will need access to an AM or FM radio to receive local broadcasts.  Those choosing the Shortwave Listening path will need access to a decent shortwave receiver.

  I highly recommend that those interested obtain the new RADIO merit badge pamphlet with the color cover since it is chock full of useful information.  I will have 5 merit badge pamphlets available at the meeting for those who can't make it to the Scout Shop before tomorrow evening.  These may be purchased at cost ($4.82) or borrowed for the length of the course.  A Scout could read the pamphlet completely and complete almost all requirements on paper.  The presentations will reinforce the material in the pamphlet.

  I will also provide additional handout material to include course slides and workbooks to answer/meet the requirements for the merit badge.

  At some point, Scouts will need to "visit" my amateur radio station.   I plan to setup a complete portable station at a convenient time/location for all Scouts and parents to see for requirement 7.

Attached is the list of requirements for the NEW version of the pamphlet, which I will be presenting.  Hope to see you there on Tuesday evening.

John Evans, ASM, Troop 70

For those scouts that started the E. Science MB with the troop on Feb 19^th, the following is the two requirements that you still need to complete to finish the badge:

 Requirement 3e:
E) Endangered Species (complete ONE of the following)
1) Do research on one endangered species found in your state. Find out what its natural habitat is, why it is endangered, what is being done to preserve it, and how many individual organisms are left in the wild. Prepare a 100-word report about the organism, including a drawing. Present your report to your patrol or troop.
2) Do research on one species that was endangered or threatened but which has now recovered. Find out how the organism recovered, and what its new status is. Write a 100-word report on the species and discuss it with your counselor.
3) With your parent’s and counselor’s approval, work with a natural resource professional to identify two projects that have been approved to improve the habitat for a threatened or endangered species in your area. Visit the site of one of these projects and report on what you saw.


Requirement 4:
4) Choose two outdoor study areas that are very different from one another (e.g., hilltop vs. bottom of a hill; field vs. forest; swamp vs. dry land). For BOTH study areas, do ONE of the following:
A) Mark off a plot of 4 square yards in each study area, and count the number of species found there. Estimate how much space is occupied by each plant species and the type and number of nonplant species you find. Write a report that adequately discusses the biodiversity and population density of these study areas. Discuss your report with your counselor.
B) Make at least three visits to each of the two study areas (for a total of six visits), staying for at least 20 minutes each time, to observe the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem. Space each visit far enough apart that there are readily apparent differences in the observations. Keep a journal that includes the differences you observe. Then, write a short report that adequately addresses your observations, including how the differences of the study areas might relate to the differences noted, and discuss this with your counselor.

Once you’ve completed either or both, get with me and we can discuss the results.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Kathy Miley
H:282-9292