Newsgroups: rec.scouting
From: rob.marlowe@sanctum.com
Subject: JOT-INTERNET
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 94 16:46:44 -0400


The following appeared on the front page of the October 16, 1994 Pasco Times
(St. Petersburg Times Regional Section), written by Roger Clendening II:

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Even from the wilderness, we are part of the world.

That was the message this weekend as hundreds of Boy Scouts from west Pasco
and Pinellas counties came to J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park for Encampment 
'94 -- World of Adventure.  The Scouts came together to meet and experience
different world cultures.

The get-together was one of the largest such events for the Boy Scout's
West Central Florida Council in recent years, said promotions manager
John Hoegstrom.

Scouts received "passports" that let them visit tents and exhibits from
countries around the world, including Mexico, Canada, France, Australia,
Japan and the United Kingdom.

"It's pretty cool," said John Honey, 13, of Troop 48 in Tarpon Springs.  
"My favorite is probably Australia."  He described an event from earlier
in the day called Sheep Shearing:  Each Scout had to try to shave a foam-
covered balloon without breaking it.  Those who didn't ended up with 
shaving cream all over them.

"That's why my hair is all messed up," John explained, patting his still-
damp scalp.

Rob Marlowe, a scoutmaster from Troop 7 (Really a Webelos leader from
Pack 7 camping with the Troop this weekend and serving on the midway staff)
in New Port Richey, showed John and the other scouts the '90s way to get in
touch with the world:  the information superhighway.  Marlowe runs a 
computer bulletin board service and, with the help of a portable electric
generator, is able to let Scouts at Starkey Park "chat" live with their
counterparts in South Africa, Finland, Germany, Iceland, England and
Australia.

"The guys seem to be enjoying it," Marlowe said.  In the heat of the 
afternoon, while most troops were having lunch and relaxing, Marlowe's
tent was popular with those who wanted to try something new.

John, or "John-BSA" as he was known on the Internet, sat down at the
keyboard and typed a simple "hello."

"G'day, how are you?" came the response from a Scouting organization that
Marlowe identified as Australian.  "It's 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning 
there," Marlowe said.  "Ask him what he's still doing up."

John tapped in the question.  "Most of the world is up now," came the 
response, "so I thought I should be."

"We are freezing in Iceland," interjected "Gupa," another distant voice.
"Send us some sun."

Encampment '94 continues at 7 a.m. today.  Call John Hoegstrom at 
(813 245-0903 for information.

(The article included a large color picture on the front page titled 
"Greg Minteer of Pinellas Park Troop 32 finds out what happens when
you try to "shave" a shaving cream-covered balloon.  The game is called
Sheep Sheering." and two pictures on the continuation page showing 
doughnut making and scouts learning the Japanese art of folding paper
swans.)

Note:  We hosted around 200 of the Scouts in our Internet linkup.  The
telephone company had to run a kilometer of wire to get to our tarp
and we ran the computer off of a small gasoline generator, switching
to internal batteries only long enough to refuel every couple of hours.


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