BSA Recognized with CW Ops Award

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The Boy Scouts of America has been recognized by the CW Operators’ Club with their Award for Advancing the Art of Communicating with Morse Code. The nomination for the award stated:

Boy Scouts of America created a new award for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturers as well as Adult Leaders called the Morse Code Interpreter Strip. Created in 2012, as proposed by the BSA National Radio Scouting Committee, the Morse Code Interpreter Strip encourages youth and adults to learn Morse Code and elevate their skill level to at least 5 words per minute. Once earned, they can sew on a uniform patch. This is a superb motivator for Scouts and adults.  BSA sales records show that nearly 4,000 patches have been sold since it’s introduction. This does not necessarily correlate with the number earned as leaders and Scouts often have more that one uniform shirt that would require the patch. It is, nonetheless, a good indication of its use and popularity within Scouting. This action by the Boy Scouts of America has advanced the art of CW by introducing it to their youth and adult members, recognizing their achievement in learning and using CW, and thereby fostering the growth of CW knowledge and increasing the number of qualified operators.

Dayton, Ohio. CWops Dinner. Jim, K5ND, accepting CWops award to the Boy Scouts of America in recognition of its outstanding programs over the years that advance the art of communicating with Morse Code.

Jim Wilson, K5ND, chairman of the BSA National Radio Scouting Committee accepted the award at the CW Ops Dinner during Hamvention® in May 2017.

Previous winners of the award include: Rob Brownstein, K6RB, for creating the CW Academy; Carlo Consoli, IK0YGJ, for his book Zen and the Art of Radiotelegraphy; and Chuck Adams, K7QO, for writing and publishing a CW training course.

Congratulations to the Boy Scouts of America for this recognition of their ongoing support of amateur radio and in particular the Morse Code Interpreter Strip.