Pinewood Derby Draws a Crowd
The cubs got help from the Boy Scouts in Troop #143, who are old Pinewood pros, know how fragile the track assembly is, and are actually tall enough to put the cars in the starting gate.
The Pinewood Derby hosted by Cub Scout Pack #143 in Euclid drew more than one hundred cheering fans to Our Lady of the Lake Parish Hall on Saturday, January 27. The pack families and friends came together to celebrate the boys' efforts, and see which cars flew the fastest down the pack's four-lane aluminum track.
The boys in the pack, who are all in grades 1-5 and go to a variety of schools in Euclid and Cleveland, spent their Wednesday night meetings since Christmas working on their derby entries. They chose designs, then outlined the profile on pine blocks. They waited patiently in line as dads with electric band saws cut them out. They sanded the cars smooth, painted and decorated them. Then they were weighed and souped up as needed until they were at or just under the five ounce limit.
Then derby day finally came—each of the 29 cars raced four times, once in each lane, followed by an Outlaw Race for cars that didn't meet the weight restrictions in the official race. The boys and their guests enjoyed pizza and treats as the results were tabulated, then trophies were handed out in each grade level and overall.
Organizers were happy to have such a great turnout, since it shows the pack is growing stronger and providing a solid place for boys to learn the timeless Scouting virtues of being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent, and celebrating when the boys live up to the Cub Scout motto: "Do Your Best!"