The Area-wide Ripley Rendezvous was a boy scout event with all of the Minnesota Councils participating and scout troops from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa in attendance. There were approximately 8500 boy scouts and leaders participating. The Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club and Explorer Post 676 from Crystal, MN. provided two-meter communications and two separate HF Special Event stations with the call signs of KØBSA and K2BSA/Ø. The Special Event stations were used as Amateur Radio Merit badge demonstration stations in the Boy Scout midway. The two HF stations generated a lot of interest by the scouts in Ham Radio and produced 49 HF contacts even though the band conditions were not good.

        Friday evening hams provided 2-meter communications support for seven locations during the arrival of the event participants, and on Saturday we provided communications for 16 action areas, two HF stations as well as the Radio Merit Badge demonstrations. We had a total of 24 Amateur Radio operators participating.

        We used the BAARC portable repeater to cover the four-mile separation between stations. There were no serious injuries at camp, but several minor ones such as a sprained ankle, bloody nose and lost boys. Friday night we had a heavy rain and strong winds storm and the entire camp lost all power from approximately 0300 to 0630.

        I would like to thank my wife, Shirley, KCØDCW, for a good job of net control, Explorer Post 676 for providing equipment for the two HF stations as well as operators for our 2-meter communications, also the operators from BAARC and the 3M Amateur Radio Club.

        This event was very successful and we gained some valuable experience, as well as being able to expose a large number of individuals to Amateur Radio. The Ripley Rendezvous Staff were pleased with our operation and thanked us for a job well done.

        Operators from the Explorer Post were Ryan KCØAGQ, C.J. KCØCDU, Jim KIØDN, Tom KBØLIV, Mike KØMSX, Paul KBØPGD, Alan NØQPM, Jason NØRPM, Peter NØRUG, Gordy NØZRD and Jim (no call). Operators from BAARC were Jim KCØANQ, Alan KCØBQP, Shirley KCØDCW, Mel NØFOO, Paula WØHA, Ken KAØJSW, Mark WØMH, Jon KBØMNM, Al WØRC, Roger KBØUUN, Bob KGØZK and Mike KCØDHP. Operators from 3M Radio Club were Dave WAØRKE and James KCØFVW. We also had an operator from the National Guard, John KBØRSO.

        Special thanks to everyone for helping make this a successful BAARC Event!