Hello everyone,

Well,  yesterday, Saturday Oct 22nd, was a wet, wild and wonderful day!

We had 24 flyers, which included 22 First-Timers! Of these, 12 were cub scouts from Pack 17 in Norwich, and the rest were from different cub scout packs around the area. The looks of apprehension on their faces evaporated in a flash with the launch of the first rocket, and were instantly replaced with squeals of glee and grins and smiles that wrapped completely across the faces of the boys and their leaders. They couldn't line themselves up to fly fast enough!

The rain, which was already beginning as a light mist even before the 1st scout arrived, did not dampen the enthusiasm of the flyers, their leaders, or any of us "old timers" who were there.

We began shortly after 8:00 a.m., by gathering the scouts and their leaders. The Pack leaders led the boys in the Pledge of Allegiance, as is customary for all scouting events, and we (CATO officers and members) then introduced ourselves.

Dave Ristow talked about the CATO Rocket club, the NAR (National Association of Rocketry), went over the rules for the day, and covered all the safety requirements. Each of us interjected little things here and there we felt were important, and the event began. The scouts gathered around Ulf Jonssan, who headed a class on how to fold and pack parachutes and streamers, how to load and arm motors, how to make field repairs of broken or cracked fins, and the proper use of wadding or other insulation. The class ended with open ended questions, where Ulf asked the group about things he had demonstrated in a manner designed to draw out their comprehension, and to make sure they all understood what was required of them to be able to fly safely and to have fun.

The boys made 54 flights, and all vowed to come back and do it again and again. Every flight went off with all the boys just as excited for each other as they were for themselves. Each boy will receive a certificate which will be presented to them at their next Pack Meeting in November.

Karen Depietro, Ann-Marie Jakubielski,  and Bill Longton, Den Leaders of Pack 17, did a fabulous job of organizing the boys themselves into a reasonably coherent group of excited flyers, and we all know how difficult that can be! In addition to that, each of them, together with the parents of all the boys, spent many hours, some of them into the wee hours of the morning, helping their boys to prepare their rockets for flight. They showed their boys how to cut out fins, how to use glue, how to prime and paint and, most importantly, how to follow instructions. I couldn't have been more proud of the leadership I saw displayed by these dedicated parents. It was a beautiful thing.

Many thanks to the CATO leadership which was there to help out:

Dave Ristow, CATO Vice President, was the LCO (Launch Control Officer).

Jessica Ristow, who sat beside her Dad at the launch console, helped him with the Launch Cards.

Ross Tracey was the RSO (Range Safety Officer), helping each flyer to get a good flight.

Bill Dauphin, NAR Section Advisor, was the official photographer.

Ulf Jonssan was the official teacher and repair center. He kept all the rockets flying.

I attended the scouts at the launch pad, first showing them how and then watching them load their rockets on the launch pad and connect the leads of the launch control system to their motors.

A special thanks to the members of the RC Propbusters of Salem, who graciously made their flying field on Route 82 available for this event. It is a beautiful and well-maintained location.

At about 10:30, we called it a day because the rain, which had begun as a minor mist was now beginning to come down in earnest. The scouts fanned out across the flying field looking for anything which would leave a sign of their presence, and cleaned it away. They left the field as clean as it looked as when they first arrived.

All in all, it was a wonderful event, and I really want to thank the leaders of Pack 17, who first approached me about doing this, for giving us the opportunity to spend some time with a really great bunch of boys. It was time well spent. These are the things that good memories are made of.