It’s Pinewood Derby Time!
Last month, our Cub Scout Pack held its annual Pinewood Derby, the wooden car race that is a the highlight of the Cub Scout year for many a young boy. Ryan and Connor decided long ago that they had a better chance of winning in the design category than the speed category, and so for months they tossed around ideas for this year’s cars. Never short on imagination and creativity, the trick was to come up with a unique design that could be created out of the provided wooden blocks and that would meet the height, width, length, and weight requirements of the Pinewood Derby races.
Ryan’s first idea was to use his newly acquired skills to whittle a stick-shaped car. While on paper the idea certainly seemed doable, when it came time to pull out his pocket knife and begin carving the basic form of the car, Ryan discovered the block of wood too hard to whittle. Not easily deterred, Ryan revised his plans to suit a Dremmel tool and came up with the Roasted Marshmallow in honor of one of our favorite Cub Scout pastimes: roasting marshmallows for s’mores!
The boys must have been hungry the day they thought up their designs for this year’s Derby because Connor’s car, too, paid homage to an edible Cub Scout pastime: popcorn selling. Introducing Trails End.
Neither car was especially fast; both finished in the middle of their respective age groups, but as I said, Ryan and Connor strive for style over speed, and both boys earned style awards for their car designs at the Pack level. Ryan’s Roasted Marshmallow won the second place Webelos award and the second place Best in Pack award, while Connor’s Trail’s End won the first place Wolf award and the third place Best in Pack award.
Trophies and ribbons were collected and the boys headed home to relay their good fortune, and to wait not all that patiently for the next level of competition: the Old Dominion District Pinewood Derby.
TODAY was the ODD Pinewood Derby. Hundreds of cars representing the best of the District’s packs gathered to compete for top awards for speed or style. The style competition was fierce; clearly there are a large number of very creative boys out there! Both boys’ cars made it to the final 9 for award consideration, but in the end, it was Connor’s Trail’s End car that took home top honors: Overall Best-in-Show! Our Wolf Cub Scout grinned from ear to ear when he realized that it was his car that was going to take home that GIANT trophy!
Losing to his younger brother was difficult for Ryan who has been to districts three years out of four, but has yet to take home a prize. Watching your little brother pick up the coveted top prize his first year at Districts is humbling, and in Ryan’s words, “annoying,” but Ryan’s already talking about his design for next year’s Pinewood Derby, so clearly he’ll get over it, and maybe one day he’ll actually give his brother a big pat on the back… well, a mother can hope!
Way to go, Ryan and Connor! Just making it to the District level is quite an accomplishment. We are so proud of you both!