Cub Scout Pack 289 - Springfield, Missouri

Pinewood Derby Planning

Pre-year planning

• Come up with a budget, to include costs for trophies, participation ribbons, pizza, decorations.
• Pick a date that works for us, the church and district so that winners can advance to district race.

Derby 2010

• Practice was Sat, 6 Mar from 9am-12pm
• Race was Fri, 12 Mar from 7pm-10pm
• We were allowed in the Church at 6pm, with a race start time of 7pm
• We ran a leaders race, with 8 adult entrants, after the final pack race
• We attempted to use the "Lane Brain" finish line system, but the angle of the overhead lights we used caused too many shadows.

Ideas for next year

• Have an newcomer's orientation to car building
• Consider buying a new scale, the old one has questionable accuracy
• Have two check in table lines
• Build a step so that scouts can place own cars on the numbered lanes
• Build an overhead lighting system for the finish line so that boys shadows do not trigger false readings from the side

Equipment

• The 6 lane track itself is stored at our chartering church
• Tools to put the track together
• Drill and large bits to set weights
• Glue gun for adding weight quickly
• Laptop with spreadsheet to record and average the heat times
• Paper and pens to record times manually
• Preprinted heat scoring spreadsheets for the scorekeepers to write on
  • 6 lanes, 3 heats per den

Refreshments

• Sell pizza for $1.50 a slice
• Sell cookies for $0.50 each
• Have orange drink donated from McDonald's

Crafts and Games

• Keep scouts active even if not racing at the time
• Chess, checkers, connect 4
• Twinkie cars
• Ted has entertainment company and provided an air powered tire changing game

Awards

• Make blank certificates for each car category, signed by Pack Leader and Race Commissioner
• Order participation patches, scout store $5/10 ribbons
• Order winner trophies or medals
  • 1st, 2nd, 3rd per den, with at least one pack overall trophy
  • We have ordered from Paul, M&M Engraving and Design
• Arney's made driver's licenses the night of the race to hand out with scouts pictures on them

Registration

1. Makes rules, scale and special car ruler available
2. Put number stickers on each cars (den 4=4xx, den 8=8xx, etc.)
3. Record scouts name, den and number
4. Give scouts the participation patches and take drivers license photo

Opening Ceremony

• History
• Purpose
• Section the audience into 1/4 for the group participation Pack289.PinewoodSongs

Ask for volunteers to help with:

1. Starting line marshall - arrangement of cars on the starting line, making every heat a fair heat.
2. Finish line judges (2 or 3 people) - sharp eyes to help determine the winning cars coming across the finish line.
3. Refreshments (2 people) - ordering the pizza, snacks and drinks and running the store.
4. Car Checkin and Registration Table (2 people) - numbering the cars and recording the present and/or accounted for scouts.
5. Car Judges (2 people) - create nice printed certificates and come up with categories s that all our boys get acknowledgment of their hard work on their cars.
6. Trophies and Awards - ordering the derby awards, ribbons, trophies and medals.
7. Order and distribute car kits - order the car kits and making sure they got distributed to the den leaders
8. Track assembly crew (5 people) - help me get the track put together before the practice day and race day, and track tear down after the race.
9. Photographer / Decorations - someone with an artistic eye
10. Race day games - the boys not racing cars can get a little antsy, some racing themed games might help.

Preparations

• Brief den order and that kids will place cars on starting line and push the start button.
• Get dens to work on a cheer
• Brief the volunteers on starting gate and time recording
• Brief volunteers on judging cars and give suggestions for awards. Hand out these awards throughout the night to limit downtime

Setup

• Setup the track in the middle of the gym for an in-the-round presentation
• Setup the crowd barrier and chairs around the track
• Setup two tables for signin and car presentation
• Setup one table for car repair
• Setup one table for trophies and awards
• Setup tables for eating
• Setup tables for crafts and games; chess, checkers, twinkie cars, connect 4

The Race

• Race 3 heats per den, ~3 minutes per heat. If a den has more than the 6 scouts (for the 6 track lanes, work something else out). Cars will jump out the some lanes, causing the heat to be run again. Some cars have a nose on them that don't trigger the finish line gate very well and may have to run again. The goal is to have each car with 3 valid times. Run individual cars if necessary.
• Have the boys put their own cars on the starting line. Have the volunteer help align them and make sure the wheels are on the track correctly.
• Have the scout in lane number 1 push the Start button.
• The crowd can get noisy enough that the time keepers cannot hear the results. Have the boys return their cars to the starting gate so it's not so loud at the finish line and speakers. If the two timekeepers agree on the times, relay that info to a third timekeeper who will enter the times into a laptop with best average times automatically calculated.

Announce den winners and Best of Show certificates

• Certificates should be handed out throughout the night between races so that the awards ceremony is faster with just trophies
• Hand out trophies for each den and also the overall pack winners

Closing

• "A Reading"

Cleanup

• Important: have scouts and families help with the cleanup. Popcorn will get everywhere. Put away the track neatly and vacuum the floor.