From a_hargrove@juno.com Wed Dec 8 10:03:56 1999 Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 04:06:19 -0500 From: Andrew Hargrove To: d.caston@ieee.org Cc: r.riddle@ieee.org, d.green@ieee.org, d.jackson@ieee.org, a.hargrove@ieee.org, w.labelle@ieee.org, Mark_Gill@vapower.com Subject: Merit Badge Update Dale, Here is the merit badge update that I promised you. Upon the recommendation of Dan Jackson, in June 1998, the Virginia Council created the 2001 Jamboree Merit Badge Committee to consist of Ralph Russell, Andrew Hargrove, and the chairs of the Hampton Roads and Richmond sections. The committee met immediately and elected Ralph Russell as chair. IEEE has directed jamboree Electronics and Electricity merit badges in 1981, 1985, 1989 1993 and 1997 and proposes to conduct Electronics and Electricity Merit badges at Ft. A. P. Hill, VA in July-August 2001. Kits have been developed for merit badge counseling, instruction and testing and will be made available to groups world wide working with boys and girls ages 11-18. The jamboree will be attended by some 35, 000 scouts from all US states and 20 foreign countries. The intent is to counsel, teach and test 11-18 year old boys and girls at the jamboree and after to assure their understanding of basic electricity and electronics and to encourage them to choose Electrical and Computer Engineering and Technology for life long study and work. Jill Tietjen,PE, director of the Women in Engineering Program at the University of Colorado, past president of the Society of Women Engineers and board member of the Georgia Transmission Corporation and the Virginia Engineering Foundation is working with the committee, exploring and planning cooperative efforts to increase the knowledge of young women in engineering and to encourage more women to choose engineering as careers. Al Mouton of Texas is acting as technical and scout liaison and is supervising the design and manufacture of 1000 merit badge kits for counseling, training and testing. A meeting was held in February 1999 between chairman Ralph Russell and Sonny Barber of the IEEE Corporate Communications Department to develop a project public relations plan. Al Mouton of Bastrop, Texas has completed design of the kits and ready to send out the art work for board design prototypes. The Texas team is also preparing an instruction video for the merit badge. Merit badge director Ralph Russell met with several European IEEE leaders in Leuvan, Belgium on 12 September 1999 to discuss the jamboree project. Several; of the leaders expressed an interest in using our jamboree electricity and electronics program for youth in their countries. The electricity and electronics merit badge project was honored at a reception held at the IEEE Professional Development Conference in Dallas during Labor Day weekend 1999. Three national projects: the National Engineers Week Future Cities competition, the Technological Literacy Counts Workshop and the Jamboree Project were highlighted. Jill S. Tietjen, PE, Director of the Women in Engineering Program at the University of Colorado - Boulder is interested in using the electricity and electronics merit badge kits with the Girl Scouts. Jill is past president of the Society of Women Engineers and currently serves on National Council of the girl Scouts of America. Ralph was contacted in November 1999 by the Mile High Girl Scout Council in Denver to learn more about our electricity and electronics project. They already have a very active technology program and wish to use our program to promote and improve technology training in their area. Discussions have also been held with girl scout councils in Richmond, Virginia to discuss their Energy Badge and methods of incorporating girl scouts in future jamborees. The Jamboree Project team is working with the IEEE Corporate Communications Group to develop a public relations plan and to encourage groups in all Regions involved in getting students interested in electricity, electronics and computer careers. Again the Jamboree Merit badge will be conducted by IEEE in Ft. A. P. Hill, Virginia during 23 July - 1 August 2001. At least 200 volunteers will be needed. Any one interested in working with the team is urged to contact Ralph Russell, chair at Ralph_Russell@vapower.com. Grove The Jamboree Merit Badge Committee Ralph Russell, chair Andrew Hargrove Bill LaBelle, Hampton Roads Section chair Mark Gill, Richmond Section chair Dan Jackson, mentor