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BSA Morse Code Interpreter Strip

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by W0IS, May 4, 2012.

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  1. W0IS

    W0IS Ham Member QRZ Page

    The Boy Scouts of America just announced a new "Interpreter Strip" for Morse Code. An "Interpreter Strip" on the uniform means that the Scout or adult leader is able to communicate in a particular language. The requirements for the Morse Code strip closely follow the requirements for other languages, such as francais, espanol, and Klingon. (Well, the Klingon one is actually unofficial, but Morse Code is official.)

    http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2012/05/04/a-blast-from-the-past-in-code/

    This will be a good incentive for my Cub Scout to learn the code, since his Cubmaster (me) will be wearing one!
     
  2. WM3O

    WM3O XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    i think this is excellent. my oldest is now in Boy Scouts and is almost a ham. this will spark his interest (no pun intended)
     
  3. W6UDO

    W6UDO Ham Member QRZ Page

    Great idea!! Who knows? Maybe this will spark (pun intended) a revival in young folks to get their ham tickets! Vy 73 and tnx for the post! Joe
     
  4. AG7GB

    AG7GB Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Really cool! Both my boys are in scouts and working on their radio badges. They learned their first word in code of "hi". Pretty simple. They routinely have me sound out license plates we see in code to them. Now they can work towards this badge.

    73
    Davis KF7PKL
     
  5. WS4E

    WS4E Ham Member QRZ Page

    This will be a great conversation starter between scouts.
     
  6. K4EHB

    K4EHB Ham Member QRZ Page

    This is very cool! My son is 4 years and 5 months, but soon will be old enough to join the scouts (as I did). He speaks fluent hebrew (born in Jerusalem, Israel) and English. He also likes ham radio -- he goes with me to ham radio events and talks about getting his license. I have a very nice hw-8 for him and a couple of keys. He likes my vibroplex bug very much.

    Scouts will be good for him. Can't wait for him to grow up, but love every minute of his being a little boy.
     
  7. WA4OTD

    WA4OTD XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    That is great, kids do like morse code.
     
  8. WJ4U

    WJ4U Subscriber QRZ Page

    Whew! I thought this was another Alec Baldwin SNL skit. :rolleyes:
     
  9. N4RRL

    N4RRL Ham Member QRZ Page

    Back home, years ago, I was a Scouter(SM, ASM and also worked on District staff a while) and a group of Scouters in Selma(AL), whom I worked with on OA events, had some "Southern Drawl" interpreters strips made up - I got several from them to go on my uniform shirts as well. They were also unofficial..
    What a great group of guys and we had a blast working together.
     
  10. WA8LGM

    WA8LGM Ham Member QRZ Page

    Boy Scouts and Ham Radio! What a combination!

    This is a great thing! More hams, especially if they are/were Boy Scouts, is never a bad idea. And learning Morse Code and getting on the air with it? Well, it couldn't be better than this. More CW ops out there is always good news. --... ...-- --- -- ...-.-
     
  11. KF5EWR

    KF5EWR Ham Member QRZ Page

    This is sweet. More bling for my uniform. And the scouts are going to dig learning it.
     
  12. K5CO

    K5CO Ham Member QRZ Page

    I'm not too sure that I could be conned into thinking that Morse code is a "language", but I'll go along with continuing efforts to teach it to scouts. Way back in the early '50's, the Charles Howell Scout reservation taught me enough to get badges in cooking, marksmanship and code, among others. All have been very handy over the years. I hope that in addition to teaching the code, they teach the several methods of sending/receiving including radio and light blinking.
     
  13. KW0U

    KW0U Ham Member QRZ Page

    Good job, the requirements are not too hard, but require some regular effort and commitment. If it's made into a fun group project this achievement should be doable by almost anyone who is serious. Listening (and replying under supervision) to some slow code on the radio is an obvious tie-in. And I bet once scouts get it some can be talked into going on for the ARRL Code Proficiency Certificate as a pretty easy next step.
     
  14. N6JSX

    N6JSX XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    OK, this is good, PROVIDING this is not a substitute for the HAM Radio Merit badge! I just hope they are not setting up to eliminate this Merit badge since they now have this new language badge. :rolleyes:

    What is the definition of a "language"?
    a : the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community ;
    b : form or manner of verbal expression; c : the vocabulary and phraseology belonging to an art or a department of knowledge. ;)

    How is Morse Code not a language, you can send via your mouth if desired, Morse Code is the method of communicating words/phrases to a unique group or community?

    I would say Morse Code is the simplest of all languages with various dialects being (the amount of sloppy fist used) speeds. :confused:
     
  15. K7EDL

    K7EDL Ham Member QRZ Page

    interpreter strips are not the same as merit badges, interpreter strips were originally so that when scouts at world jamborees etc met they could find others to communicate with. I can't imagine one scout knowing Morse needing another scout to interpret for him but I guess it is a very small possibility as in a hearing impaired scout tapping out code for a to communicate with a non hearing impaired scout.
     
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