WTRN was taken over by a pack of Cubs on Monday evening.
Local Cub Scouts had the opportunity to participate in the creation of radio’s “theater of the mind.”
Station owner Cary Simpson invited the boys to the station to participate in what he described as a “horse opera.”
It was really a lot of fun,” Simpson told The Daily Herald.
The children are part of the Tiger Cub Scouts from the St. Matthews Pack 300 and Church of the Good Shepherd Pack 320. The boys are working on their communications badges according to a news release of Simpson’s Allegheny Radio Network.
The scouts wanted to know how radio is broadcast over the air. So, Simpson had them make tapes of themselves and then hear the tapes played back. This year, the completed work of the radio skit entitled “Cowboy Jack Stops the Train” will air this Saturday at 10:10 a.m. on WTRN.
The scouts used different objects to make sounds for the skits as they were assisted by their leaders in putting it all together. The event concluded with everyone joining in to sing a commercial.
The boys also used sand paper to create some of the effects along with running their fingers on boxes to represent the sound of galloping horses. One of the scouts even blew a whistle to create the sound of a train whistle.
The production even includes a sponsor known as “Cactus Cornflakes.”
Simpson has hosted similar events in the past and The Daily Herald has participated in tours of the newspapers for the scouts.
The troops are part of the Penn\’s Woods Council Boy Scouts of America which serves Blair, Bedford, Cambria, Somerset, Indiana, and parts of Armstrong, Huntingdon, and Westmoreland Counties.
Area residents may be interested to know they can help all the scouts in the area and enjoy a day at DelGrosso Amusement Park later this year. According the Penn’s Woods Council Web site, those choosing to support the Family Friends of Scouting Campaign with a pledge or contribution of $200 or more will receive two free all day ride and slide passes for Delgrosso’s Amusement Park valued at $27.90. (To ride the water slide a youth must be at least 42 inches in height.) The one day passes will be good for Saturday, June 12, 2004 only. Families, Packs, Troops and Crews are all welcome.
Deb Pensyl Reasy, a development coordinator with Penn’s Woods Council, suggested a person could even add to their donation by then contributing the tickets to a scout. However, she added folks are more than welcome to use the tickets themselves.
Each year, as part of the Family Friends of Scouting Campaign, givers are also presented with tokens of thanks based upon their amount of giving. For a gift of $200 or more, not only does a contributor receive the two passes to Delgrosso’s Amusement Park, but they will also receive a Smith & Wesson two and one half inch folding pocket knife, a collector’s edition (#2 in the Scout Law series) “Helpful and Friendly” Penn’s Woods Council Strip Patch, and a FOS sticker. For a gift of $100, the collector’s council strip and a sticker, and for a $50 gift, the sticker.
For additional information about the Family Friends of Scouting program, the council can be reached via phone at 814-288-0162 or e-mail at PWC508@bsamail.org. The Penn’s Woods Council Web site is www.pwcbsa.org.
