On Sunday May 18th, 2008 at
11:28 AM (more than two years ago) I sent the following email message to Lisa
Tate and Paul Montville at the USHPA:

Subject: Helping Boy Scouts get their aviation badges

The 2010 Boy Scout Jamboree

http://www.circle10.org/site/c.owL1KgN4LxH/b.4041229/

http://www.aphill.army.mil/sites/mwr/boysscout.asp

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Fort+A.P.+Hill,+VA&ie=UTF8&ll=38.095322,-77.26691&spn=0.011871,0.017788&t=h&z=16

Right up the road from BlueSky:
http://www.blueskyhg.com/

How about setting up ten scooter tows and getting 40,000 boy scouts their
aviation merit badges?

Lisa wrote back:

Thank you Davis. I will forward this on to our Marketing Work
Group.

I never heard another word from the USHPA about this again. Then a
few days ago I got this email forwarded to me from David Glover. It was sent to
the USHPA asking for $600 by a member of the Arizona Hang Gliding and
Paragliding Association (a long ways from Virginia):

Mark Knight <mark>
here, you will remember me from the 2009 Santa Cruz Flats Race. We spoke about
the Boy Scout National Jamboree July 26 - Aug 4, at Ft. AP Hill, Virginia and
getting Hang Gliders into the exhibits. Well last Saturday I finally got
confirmation that I was going. Talk about waiting to the last minute.

I will once again be helping with the Aviation Merit badge at the Boy scout
National Jamboree this summer at AP Hill Virginia. It will be bigger than usual
because this is the 100th year of Boy Scouts. President Obama will be visiting
and speaking to over 45,000 Scouts and another 300,000 people visit the exhibits
during the week. Five years ago we gave out over 700 Aviation Merit Badges to
the scouts that attended our exhibit, lectures and passed their test.

I petitioned the Leaders to include weight shift this time because of the new
Weight Shift Private Pilots license. The leaders are all retired Air force and,
of course, have their own agenda. One of the big deals at the Jamboree is
acquiring special patches. The Air force guys always make their own patch and
give one out to the scouts that pass their test. Sporty's Pilot shop made the
donation to make those patches. We are estimating between 800 to 1000 Scouts
will take the test this year.

I have been given the opportunity to make a patch with a hang glider on it to
hand out as well. I had to copy their design and add a hang glider instead of a
fighter plane. As you can see I used the Wills Wing T2 in the patch I made.

Here is the pitch. I need to raise about $600.00 to produce the patches (500
patches and they will cost approximately $1.30 each at that quantity). I'm
hoping I can interest Wills Wing and the USHPA in making a donation for these
patches. We are also looking for T-shirts, hats or any other give a ways to have
at the exhibit to give away while I talk to the Scouts and people who sit
through the lecture, question and answer session.

I will have a few Wills Wing gliders in the exhibit tent where the speaking is
taking place. We will be using the gliders to explain how lift is created and
general aerodynamic principals. I'm also trying to acquire a Hang gliding
simulator. If you know of one out east let me know. I will be contact Steve
Wendt near Richmond Virginia and see if he can help as well. If you are
interested in coming to help out or even speak, let me know. I have to get you
Military clearance to get you past security.

I'm very excited about this opportunity. Just think how many people will get to
see a hang glider for the first time. Over 350,000 people in one week will pass
the exhibit. All donating sponsors will get their company logo added to the
presentation and a Wills Wing Banner will be hanging at the exhibit as well. I
hope I can get a USHPA banner. I will have contact information available for
interested people. I will try to guide them to the USHPA for more information on
hang gliding. I hope you can assist me in making this a great event. Let me know
if you have any question or if you want to see information about the 2010
National Scout Jamboree you can go to
http://www.bsajamboree.org/ for more information.

A few days later Mark wrote:

Part of earning the merit badge is to go to an aviation museum,
airport or something pertaining to aviation and writing a short report about the
experience. Blue Sky could be one of those locations.

In the past many Scouts from around the country come a few days early and
experience Washington DC or something historical from the area. Many have gone
to the Smithsonian Institution aviation museum. I know Richmond has an aviation
museum also. I've seen the SR-71 on display. I don't know why we could not
suggest Blue Sky. I have not heard back from Steve yet.

Kitty Hawk Kites will be supplying gliders and a Nintendo hang glider simulator.
If someone wants to kite a paraglider that would be fine. Time is the problem.
Do to added security this year, everyone attending has to pass a background
check.

The Arizona Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association has donated 100 dollars
towards the patches. So I only need another 500. I will put together a complete
proposal of what we have and what we plan on doing and keep you in the loop of
what is going on.

Jeez, wouldn't it be nice that you got a merit badge if you
actually flew and not until you actually did? Maybe that is just too much to ask
(if you are talking about flying a jet).