Submitted by Darrell Groman

Webelos II Leader and Assistant Scoutmaster

Bluffton scouts from Cub Pack 256 and Boy Scout Troop 256 participated with the 52nd Jamboree On The Air (J.O.T.A.) at the village park shelter house on Saturday morning, Oct. 17.

Three local short wave "ham" radio operators dialed up their amateur radio equipment on the 20 and 40 meter bands for three hours, allowing the scouts an opportunity to listen to broadcasts and talk with scouts around the world. Since 1957, J.O.T.A. has been an event held annually on the third weekend of October.

The weather was a sunny day, but brisk 37^0. The scouts heard broadcasts from Jamboree radio stations in Great Britain, Czech Republic and Cyprus. The scouts were able to talk to other scouts at a gun club at the Waco, Texas ,airfield; at scout camps in Fort Myers, Florida, and Macon, Georgia, and at the National Electronics Museum (www.hem-usa.org) in Linthicum, Maryland.

The participants included:

oTiger Cub Scouts Grant Klingler and Levi McClain;

oWolf Cubs Thomas Calvelage, Shaun Hamilton and Sumner Kibele;

oBear Cub Ethan Rodabaugh;

oWebelos I Scouts Brian Green, Christian Groman, Casey Purcell and Kaden Reneker;

oBoy Scouts Jacob Barnett, Clay Burkholder, Jack Burrell, Misha Groman, Tecumseh Kibele, Tyler King, Carrick Lancaster, Jared Metzger and Roger Zeits;

oCub Leaders Wes Klingler, Heidi and Brian Calvelage, Steve Rodabaugh, Darrell Groman;

oCubmaster Eric Reneker and Assistant Scoutmasters Gary Wetherill and Clair Zeits.

oVisitors included Cole Harlow, Leah Klingler, Jessie and Nathan Calvelage, Jodi McClain, Doug Carr, Jeff Burkholder, Frank Hamilton, Brownie Girl Scout Emma Klingler and Junior Girl Scouts Lacey McClain and Cara Hamilton.

The amateur radio operators were Bill Gaines AD8P and Adam Wireman KC8NIU of Bluffton and Brain Binkley KD8CPF of Ada.

The Bluffton Boy Scouts camped out at the village park over the weekend surrounding J.O.T.A. Tent campers braving the overnight sub - freezing, frosty temperatures were Scouts Jacob Barnett, J. J. Garmatter, Tecumseh Kibele, Tyler King, Carrick Lancaster, Jared Metzger and Roger Zeits and Assistant Scoutmasters Gary Wetherill, Darrell Groman and Clair Zeits.

After setting up camp on Friday evening, the Scouts hiked to Harmon Field to join the Cub Scouts in raising the flag before the Bluffton - L.C.C. high school football game.

After the game, the scouts made "pudgy pie" pizzas and hot chocolate over the campfire. On Saturday, the scouts were joined by day campers Scouts Clay Burkholder, Christian and Misha Groman and visitor Cole Harlow, guest of Jack Burrell.

In the morning, the scouts participated with J.O.T.A. and in the afternoon, hiked and worked on their compass and orienteering skills. The scouts cooked "eggs in a (plastic) bag" for breakfast, fried hamburgers for lunch and cooked "stone soup" and Dutch oven cornbread for supper. Each scout was responsible for bringing a can of vegetables to add to the "stone soup."

After a Saturday night game of "flashlight tag," the scouts enjoyed Dutch oven cherry and peach cobbler for a snack. For breakfast on Sunday, the scouts made fresh sugar donuts over the fire, a troop tradition for several years. After hiking and find a geocaching treasure site in the park, the scouts broke camp to travel home.

The Scouts greatly appreciate the support of the community by purchasing popcorn during the month of October. The popcorn will be delivered shortly before Thanksgiving. This is the major annual fund-raising event for the Cub Pack and Boy Scout Troop.

Boys in Grades 1 - 5 are welcome to join the Cub Scouts or Grades 6 - 12 to join the Boy Scout Troop. For more information about Scouting, please contact Cubmaster Eric Reneker at 419-233-6365 or Scoutmaster Dan Groman at 419-231-3710.