Operation On-Target

Last updated

Fig. 1: The classic large Operation On-Target mirror Operation On-Target modular Quad Mirror.png
Fig. 1: The classic large Operation On-Target mirror

Operation On-Target is a high adventure Scouting activity. It was created as a Varsity Scout program activity, [1] [2] open to Venturers and older Boy Scouts. [3] It has continued since the disbanding of the Varsity Scout program at the end of 2017. [4] The event is mainly held in the western United States, but has included Hawaii [5] and New York. [1] The basic idea is to have Scouts scattered across a particular area, located on mountain peaks or other prominent points [1] within line of sight of each other. Using large signaling mirrors, [6] they relay messages from peak to peak. Success in the event depends on team skills such as map-reading, compass skills, mirror-building, mirror signaling and teamwork. [7] Many units spend time in the weeks or months before the actual event learning communications skills like ham radio [8] and signaling. Reaching the peak can also be a challenge, requiring the boys to practice hiking, camping, and backpacking skills. [1] They also need to consider what they will do if the clouds block the sun. [9]

Contents

Background

According to Doug Brewer, its founder, the name "Operation On-Target" was chosen at its inception in 1980 [2] because the "purpose of the experience was to get the Scouts on target with the Varsity Scout program, and on target on the peaks with mirrors". [8]

Two main goals are to establish a signal link from the Mexico–US border to the Canada–US border, [1] [10] and to make a link from the Pacific Ocean to at least the continental divide. The event has been annual since 1981. [11] [12] As many as 5,000 scouts have participated in a single year, with participation from Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington, from Puget Sound in Washington to Catalina Island and San Diego in California. [13] [14] [15] [16]

The annual event is held on the third Saturday in July [1] and September. Areas with warmer climates typically see larger turnout on the latter date.

A manual for this event was developed by the Great Salt Lake Council, was later reprinted in one of the Varsity Scout Program Helps books, and became a chapter in the Boy Scouts of America Varsity Team Features Volume II handbook. [1] While even small handheld mirrors, 3" to 4" on a side, can be seen 30 miles away, [1] teams are encouraged to take along at least one large mirror. [1] The classic large Operation On-Target signal mirror is a modular design with four square feet of reflecting area, transported in backpacks and assembled on-site. It consists of four 12"x12" mirrors bolted to a square of plywood with wing bolts and mounted on a light tripod. A small aimable signal mirror is taped to one edge as a sight. [1] [17]

Early beginnings

Explorer Scouts using mirrors to send signals from Mt. Timpanogos to residents of Utah Valley below. Photo by Glannin A. Cloward Explorer Scouts (Post 156, Clearfield, Utah) use mirrors to send signals (sunlight 'flashes') from Mt. Timpanogos to residents of Utah Valley below..jpg
Explorer Scouts using mirrors to send signals from Mt. Timpanogos to residents of Utah Valley below. Photo by Glannin A. Cloward
Scouts with mirrors at Mt. Timpanogos, 1964. Photo by Glannin A. Cloward Explorer Scouts (Post 156, Clearfield Utah) with signal mirrors at the peak of Mt. Timpanogos, 1964.jpg
Scouts with mirrors at Mt. Timpanogos, 1964. Photo by Glannin A. Cloward

Operation On-Target was foreshadowed by the 1964–1965 "Signal Festival" [18] organized by Glannin A. Cloward, a former U.S. Air Force pilot and World War II veteran. In 1964 Mr. Cloward led a group of 10 Explorer Scouts from Post 156 (Clearfield, Utah) to the top of Mt. Timpanogos; from there they flashed signals (reflected sunlight) down to the inhabitants of Utah Valley [19] using pieces of old mirrors from which Mr. Cloward had created signal mirrors patterned after those carried in military aircraft survival kits. Several dozen local residents, seeing bright flashes from the peak, improvised return signals using household mirrors from locations around the valley approximately 5 to 25 miles away. The following year a peak-to-peak signaling event was attempted between five peaks in northern Utah, [18] but due to bad weather and inadequate planning communication was successful only between two of the five peaks. Mr. Cloward organized similar activities involving one to three scout units multiple times from 1965 to 1979 from various mountain peaks in central and northern Utah. In 1980 Mr. Douglas G. Brewer, [2] Varsity Scout commissioner for the Great Salt Lake Council, [8] and several other Scout Leaders built upon Mr. Cloward's experience to create Operation On-Target as a well coordinated, multi-council, multi-state activity in the nascent Varsity Scouting program.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouting in Utah</span>

Scouting in Utah has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah State University</span> Public university in Logan, Utah, US

Utah State University is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Logan, Utah. Founded in 1888 under the Morrill Land-Grant Acts as Utah's federal land-grant institution, Utah State serves as one of Utah's two flagship universities. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity". The Logan campus is the state's largest public residential campus, with more than 84% of students living away from home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas S. Monson</span> President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (1927–2018)

Thomas Spencer Monson was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As president, he was considered by adherents of the religion to be a prophet, seer, and revelator. Monson's early career was as a manager at the Deseret News, a Utah newspaper owned by the LDS Church. He spent most of his life engaged in various church leadership positions and public service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSL-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City

KSL-TV is a television station in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is the flagship television property of locally based Bonneville International, the for-profit broadcasting arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is sister to KSL radio. The three stations share studios at the Broadcast House building in Salt Lake City's Triad Center; KSL-TV's transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, southwest of Salt Lake City. The station has a large network of broadcast translators that extend its over-the-air coverage throughout Utah, as well as portions of Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heliograph</span> Communication device reflecting sunlight

A heliograph is a solar telegraph system that signals by flashes of sunlight reflected by a mirror. The flashes are produced by momentarily pivoting the mirror, or by interrupting the beam with a shutter. The heliograph was a simple but effective instrument for instantaneous optical communication over long distances during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its main uses were military, surveying and forest protection work. Heliographs were standard issue in the British and Royal Australian armies until the 1960s, and were used by the Pakistani army as late as 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varsity Scouting</span> Former Boy Scouts of America program

Varsity Scouting was a program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It was an alternative available to boys ages fourteen to eighteen until the end of 2017. It used the basic Boy Scouting program and added high adventure, sporting, and other elements that were more appealing to older youth to accomplish the aims of character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. Varsity Scouts were organized into teams; separate chartered units from a Boy Scout troop.

KJZZ-TV is an independent television station in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside CBS affiliate KUTV and MyNetworkTV affiliate KMYU in St. George. The stations share studios on South Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City; KJZZ-TV's transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, southwest of Salt Lake City. KJZZ-TV is the ATSC 3.0 host station for the Salt Lake City market; in turn, other stations broadcast its subchannels on its behalf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KUEN</span> Educational TV station in Ogden, Utah

KUEN, known as UEN-TV, is an educational television station licensed to Ogden, Utah, United States, serving Salt Lake City and the state of Utah. The station is owned by the Utah Board of Higher Education and part of the Utah Education Network (UEN), which provides connectivity services to the state's K-12 and higher education systems. KUEN's studios are located at the Eccles Broadcast Center on the University of Utah campus; its transmitter is located at Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, southwest of Salt Lake City, and is extended by dozens of broadcast translators across the state.

KPNZ is a religious television station licensed to Ogden, Utah, United States, serving the Salt Lake City area as an owned-and-operated station of Tri-State Christian Television (TCT). The station's studios are located on North Wright Brothers Drive in northwest Salt Lake City, and its transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KUCW</span> CW TV station in Ogden, Utah

KUCW is a television station licensed to Ogden, Utah, United States, broadcasting the CW network to Salt Lake City and the state of Utah. It is owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group alongside ABC affiliate KTVX. The two stations share studios on West 1700 South in Salt Lake City; KUCW's main transmitter is located atop Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, extended by dozens of translators that carry its signal throughout Utah and portions of Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KUPX-TV</span> Independent TV station in Provo, Utah

KUPX-TV, branded Utah 16, is an independent television station licensed to Provo, Utah, United States, serving Salt Lake City and the state of Utah. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Fox affiliate KSTU. KUPX-TV's offices are located on Lawndale Drive in the southern section of Salt Lake City, and its transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, southwest of Salt Lake City.

Peaks Ice Arena is an indoor ice hockey and figure skating arena in Provo, Utah, located 43 miles (69 km) south of Salt Lake City. Along with the Maverik Center in West Valley City, it was built as an ice hockey and figure skating practice venue for the 2002 Winter Olympics. It currently serves as the home of the Utah Valley University men’s ice hockey team, Peaks Youth Hockey Association, several high school teams, the Peaks Figure Skating Club, and a Learn-to-Skate USA program for beginning skaters of all ages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ten Essentials</span> Survival items recommended by hiking and Scouting organizations

The Ten Essentials are survival items that hiking and Scouting organizations recommend for safe travel in the backcountry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Youth Leadership Training</span>

National Youth Leadership Training, often called NYLT, is the current youth leadership development training offered by the Boy Scouts of America. The program is conducted at the council level over six days for Scouts, Venturers, and Sea Scouts. The program has been open to all genders since 2010. This training is a part of the national organization's leadership training program and is designed to mirror themes found in Woodbadge, which is the BSA program for adult leadership training.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTMW</span> Telemundo TV station in Salt Lake City

KTMW is a television station in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, broadcasting the Spanish-language Telemundo network to the state of Utah. Owned and operated by NBCUniversal's Telemundo Station Group, the station maintains studios are located on South Redwood Road in the northwestern section of Salt Lake City, and its transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, southwest of Salt Lake City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Knap</span> American football player and coach (1914–2011)

Anthony Joseph Knap was an American football coach. He was the head coach at Utah State University (1963–1966), Boise State University (1968–1975), and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (1976–1981). He compiled a career college football record of 143–53–4 (.725). Knap also worked as a high school teacher and coach, and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanosh (chief)</span> Chief, Pahvant band of the Ute Tribe

Kanosh was a nineteenth-century leader of the Pahvant band of the Ute Indians of what is now central Utah having succeeded the more belligerent Chuick as principal chief. His band had "a major camp at Corn Creek." He is remembered for having been "friendly toward early Mormon Pioneer settlers."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farnsworth Peak</span> Mountain in Utah, United States

Farnsworth Peak is a peak located on the northern end of the Oquirrh Mountain range, approximately 3.5 miles (6 km) south east of Lake Point, Utah and 18 miles (29 km) south west of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The mountain is named for Philo Farnsworth, the inventor of the first completely electronic television. It is used mainly for radio and television transmission, but could potentially become part of a ski resort owned by nearby Kennecott Land. On the eastern side of the mountain, the land is completely private, and access is restricted. The peak can be reached by hiking from the Tooele side, which is mostly public land. The Bureau of Land Management land extends from Ridge Peak west to the base of the mountain. Public access to this land is available off SR-36 near Lake Point, Utah. Several cattle gates need to be opened and closed, but are access roads to hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venues of the 2002 Winter Olympics</span>

The 2002 Winter Olympic Games were held in and around Salt Lake City, United States from February 8 to 24, 2002, and the Paralympics from March 7 to 16, 2002. The sporting events were held in ten competitive venues, while non-competitive events, such as the opening ceremony, were held in six other venues. Three venues were also created for training purposes. All Olympic venues were scattered throughout Northern Utah and the Wasatch Front.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1921 Idaho Vandals football team</span> American college football season

The 1921 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1921 college football season. Idaho was led by second-year head coach Thomas Kelley in their last season as an independent before joining the Pacific Coast Conference. The Vandals had two home games in Moscow, one on campus at MacLean Field and another at the fairgrounds; they also played one in Boise at Public School Field.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Varsity Team Program Features Volume II. USA: Boy Scouts of America. 2000. pp. 79–87. ISBN   978-0-8395-4838-6.
  2. 1 2 3 Associated Press (July 15, 1983). "Varsity Scouts will attempt flashy world record". The Deseret News. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  3. ↑ Romney, Richard (April 1984). "Varsity Scouting On Target". Boys' Life : 28–31. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  4. ↑ "What Is Operation On Target?". bsaOnTarget.org. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Varsity Scouts Practicing Their Mirror Messages". Deseret News. May 24, 1988. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Scouts Join in 'Operation On Target'". Los Angeles Times. July 18, 1987. Retrieved January 29, 2012.[ dead link ]
  7. ↑ Daniels, Scott (June 1990). "FLASH! 'Operation On Target'". Scouting. 78 (3): 4. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 Palmer, Douglas D. (July 18, 1982). "Mountains weren't admiring themselves". The Deseret News. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Bad weather clouds Scout project". Spokane Chronicle. July 18, 1983. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Scouts' sun signals right on target". The Deseret News. July 19, 1999. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  11. ↑ AP (July 13, 1983). "Scouts to Attempt 1,000 mile Relay". Spokane Chronicle. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Scouts to Signal From Mountains". The Deseret News. June 18, 1982. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Scouts Plan Mirror Message". The Spokesman-Review. July 14, 1984. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Flashing mountains reflected Scout's communications skills". The Deseret News. July 16, 1984. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Scouts try to traverse western states with mirrors". The Spokesman-Review. July 18, 1983. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  16. ↑ KZ1O, Dave (July 15, 2006). "99 Hobbies - On Target and BSA". Podcast. Internet Archive Community Audio. Retrieved April 28, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ "Message from a mirror". Spokane Chronicle. July 18, 1983. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  18. 1 2 "Scouts Plan Signal Event At Clearfield" Ogden Standard Examiner, July 21, 1965, page 12A
  19. ↑ Palmer, Douglas (July 2, 1989). "Scouts to Provide Midday 'Fireworks'". Deseret News. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.