TCAT Elizabethton instructors help Ohio Boy Scouts earn their auto maintenance merit badge

Boy Scout Troop 694 from Cincinnati, Ohio, attended the races at Bristol Motor Speedway this past weekend. Before the green flag dropped, troop members earned their automotive maintenance merit badges at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Elizabethton.

The scouts visited the college Friday morning for the pre-arranged class in maintenance basics, before heading to speedway that afternoon. They began their 312-mile trek home on Sunday.

TCAT instructors Melody Bailey, Jacky Livingston and TimWard trained the boys how to check engine oil and other fluid levels, how to use an engine diagnostic meter and other basics. The group also toured the college’s automotive and diesel shops.

Scoutmaster Chris Collette said TCAT Elizabethton was selected for the visit because both the automotive and diesel training programs are ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence) certified and the college is located close to the Bristol track. Several parents accompanied the boys on the trip.

Collette told the Johnson City Press that his troop takes about 10 camping trips a year and tries to earn a merit badge on each. For the trip to the races, the automotive maintenance merit badge. Researching the area, the scoutmaster contacted the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Elizabethton, which was on break at the time but quickly agreed for the scouts to visit.

“They were so nice and agreeable that we decided to go there,” Colette told the Johnson City newspaper.

TCAT Elizabethton spokesman Bob Robinson said Northeast Tennessee Girl Scouts have also earned merit badges at the college.

New student registration for the 2018 Fall Trimester will be held Sept. 4 for students previously admitted to TCAT Elizabethton. The application for admission is available in the Administration Building at the Main Campus, 426 Highway 91 North, across from the Elizabethton Municipal Airport, or online at www.tcatelizabethton.edu. For more information, telephone 423-543-0070.