Girls Scouts from around Whidbey Island gathered at the multi-purpose room at Coupeville Elementary School Feb. 15 for a Saturday of learning about the telegraph and working for merit badges.

They also spent time talking. Only this time they were trying to get in touch with Girl Scouts as far away as Great Britain. All this talk was made possible thanks to the Island County Amateur Radio Association.

Radio enthusiasts brought their sets to show the scouts the specifics of their equipment.

“It’s fun to talk to someone far away that you don’t know,” said 11-year-old Hanna Banks.

The event, called Thinking Day on the Air, provides advantages for both the scouts and the operators.

“This allows Girl Scouts to get on the air and learn a bit about electronics and the radio,” said Wayne Jeffers, member of the Island County Amateur Radio Association. He added that the day also provides disaster preparedness training for the operators.

The radio club has often participated in community events on the island. Their favorite time is helping at the Penn Cove Water festival, though islanders will see them at parades and other events. Information on how to get a license and join the club is available at their Web site, www.w7avm.org.

Jody Jeffers is the service unit co-manager for South Whidbey Girl Scouts. She said this is the second year the girls have used the radios.

“Some of the girls were able to hit Alaska last year,” she said. She added that scouts did a postcard exchange with the troops they contacted.

This year, they reached radio enthusiasts in California and Colorado.

In the weeks preceding the radio day, the scouts spent time e-mailing other troops from around the world to set up the specifics for the day.

After their broadcast, the day wasn’t over as the scouts were treated to a sleepover in the elementary school’s multipurpose room. No doubt, there was plenty of talking there, too.

According to Jody Jeffers, World Thinking Day was first created in 1926 at the fourth Girl Guide/Girl Scout International Conference. Conference attendees decided that there should be a special day when Girl Scouts and Girl Guides all around the world think of each other and give thanks and appreciation to their “sister” Girl Scouts.

Girl Scouts of the United States are an active part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, or WAGGGS. There are 144 member organizations that are members of WAGGGS, which involves about 10 million girls. More information can be found online at www.WAGGGS.org.

Joan Soltys contributed to this story.