Hey, Camp Folks!
Nowadays we can communicate with folks across the state, the country, and even the world. We can do it in a variety of different methods and we don’t think twice about it. But there was a time before immediate long-distance communication wasn’t possible. Let’s turn back the clock before the advent of the Internet and before the invention of the telephone.
More than 30 years prior to the telephone in the 1830’s, Samuel Morse was coming up with a way to communicate rapidly over long distances. He was developing a binary code that consisted of dots and dashes. Such a simple code could travel across telegraph wires. They ran a telegraph line from Washington D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland.
Today is Write Your Name in Morse Code Day!
While the US Navy and Coast Guard still use signal lamps for communication by Morse Code as well as individuals who aren’t able to communicate due to stroke, paralysis, or many other reasons, Morse Code has mostly been forgotten by the modern world. The world of summer camp, however, is one that always harkens back to a more primitive time.
Today was made Write Your Name in Morse Code Day to generate some interest in this dying code. Don’t let it totally disappear and share Morse Code with your friends. It can certainly be a valuable means of communication when you want to keep things secret!
And remember—Morse Code was made for audio communication, but it can be used for written communication as well or even visual communication such as the US Navy and Coast Guard signal lamps. You could do something similar with a flashlight, clicking it on and off in short bursts for dots and longer ones for dashes!
I’ve included a Morse Code key with today’s post so that you all can spell your own names in dashes and dots. For example, here’s Everything Summer Camp spelled out in this code:
. ...- . .-. -.-- - .... .. -. --. / ... ..- -- -- . .-. / -.-. .- -- .--.
Have fun with it, folks! And, as always, thanks for reading!
- John