The following article appeared May 10, 2002 in the

    Boy Scouts go camping, hiking and fishing, but thanks to Richard Newman, owner of High-Tech Productions of Boca Raton, FL,  now Scouts are getting an opportunity to go online, study the stars and explore the world of microscopic organisms.

    High-Tech Productions.com in Boca Raton, a video production and duplication company, is donating about $25,000 worth of digital and electronic equipment for each science and technology center built at Boy Scout camps all over the country.

    Each center will be equipped with multimedia computers, digital telescopes, satellite dish systems, TVs, VCR's, digital cameras, microscopes, weather forecasting equipment and more.

    "I call it the `wow' factor. Kids walk in and say `wow!' That's a big part of my motivation," Newman said.

    So far he has built several of these Science & Technology Centers. One is located at the Ten Mile River Scout Camp in Narrowsburg, N.Y., where Newman attended as a Scout for eight summers more than 30 years ago. Another is at the Quail Hill Scout Camp in New Jersey and one is at the Forestburg Scouting Reservation operated by the Monmouth Council.

    Newman plans to create at least one center in every state. He's contacted the Gulf Stream Council of the Boy Scouts, which oversees camps from Palm Beach to Indian River counties, to build centers in South Florida.

    Lowell White, director of support service for the Gulf Stream Council in Florida, said they are waiting for approval from Martin County to build a facility to house one of Newman's science and technology center's at the Tanahkeeta Scout Reservation in Tequesta, FL.  "This is a very generous offer." said White.

    In March 2001, Newman received a call from a friend saying their former Scoutmaster, Jerry Reimer, had died. Newman contacted the Greater New York Council of the Boy Scouts to find out if anything was going to be done in memory of Reimer, a Scoutmaster for more than 40 years. He was told that nothing was planned.

    So Newman suggested refurbishing an old trading post at the Ten Mile River Camp, and dedicating it to Reimer, all at Newman's expense. Council members welcomed his idea and work began soon afterward. The building is now known as "Reimer's Trading Post".

    After the first center Science & Technology Center was completed, Newman decided to build more because of the positive affect it had on the Scouts.

    "I love kids, and I love being able to give back," Newman said. "I learned more in the Boy Scouts than I did in high school. I can't remember the last time I was asked about geometry, but the lessons learned in the Scouts helps me on a daily basis."

    Since the first center was completed, Newman has been appointed as an executive member of the board of directors of the Greater New York Council. Council spokesperson Don York said it was an appointment to show their appreciation and keep Newman involved in activities there. York said that the Scouts at Ten Mile River have put the new center to good use. Last year alone, several thousand scouts visited the new science center at the camp.

    "Boys have become excited about science and technology, because now they have state-of-the-art equipment to use," York said. "Because of Mr. Newman's center's, we've even modernized an old idea. Instead of the boys sending postcards to their parents, they now send e-mails and digital pictures."

    Newman said he felt gratified when he heard the Scout's interests were changing.  "I was always into science when I was a Scout. I loved it, and I want to get more Scouts interested in it," Newman said. "These centers also provide underprivileged kids with computers and other resources they may not have."

    Newman also owns numerous electric cars he is rebuilding and sending to the centers. In fact, Mr. Newman owns the worlds largest collection of Citicar Electric Vehicles which were the first production model electric cars, and is donating his entire collection to his scouting science centers.

    For more information on the Scouting Science & Technology Centers, or to have a center set up at a camp near you, visit:

www.HighTechScience.org or call them toll free 800 662-8336.