The 2013 running of Scouting’s Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) is less than a month away. The 56th JOTA will take place the weekend of October 19-20, from 0000 local time Saturday to 2400 local time Sunday. JOTA gives members of the Boy Scouts of America a chance to experience Amateur Radio firsthand, perhaps planting the seed for a lifetime of hamming. But this year’s running of the world’s largest Scouting event will be the last for the crew at HB9S at the World Scout Bureau, which plans to move its headquarters next year. JOTA 2013 will be a farewell party for HB9S, with a special QSL card (QSL via HB9AOF). An international team of Scout operators, including PA3BAR, the World JOTA Organizer, will be at the station for the occasion.

JOTA attracts nearly 750,000 Scouts, participating from 6000 stations in 150 countries. JOTA’s goal is to foster Scout-to-Scout communication across borders, to allow as many Scouts as possible to talk to other Scouts and learn about them and their activities and interests.

The JOTA guidelines offer suggested frequencies and additional information. Licensed mentors often open their stations to Scouts on JOTA weekend, serving as control operators. Radio operation will be on 80 through 6 meters and 2 meters and 70 centimeters FM simplex, all modes.

Last year more than 18,500 US Scouts took part in JOTA from more than 200 stations — up by nearly 500 percent from a year earlier. — Some information from The Daily DX