Kings Park Pinewood Derby Lets A Boy's Imagination Race

Local Cub Scouts, Pack 75,  held their annual Pinewood Derby race  last week at Parkview Elementary School.  The family-oriented event welcomed the full pack of scouts to create their own miniature race-cars and face off against each other.

The traditional event, which took place  February 4, let the scouts show off their creative and racing skills. For those not familiar with the event, all scouts are given the same wooden rectangular shape a few months in advance.  They are then allowed to let their imaginations go, designing each individual car in the months leading up to the race.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the kids,” said Cubmaster Kevin McBride.  “It’s an opportunity not only for the boys to do something fun and creative with their parents, but the competition itself is designed to teach the virtues of sportsmanship and healthy competition.”

Cub scout Brandon Luoni was this year's  first place winner, with  C.J. Speciale in second, and Trevor Teubner in third, all of the Webelos group.  Additional awards will be announced at the Cub Scouts Blue and Gold Awards Dinner next month.

According to McBride, the boys are distributed an undecorated block of wood and a  kit that includes wheels and basic axles. The boys then paint and decorate the cars to make them unique. 

The  event not only includes a night of competitive racing along the specially-built track, but also numerous competitions for craziest paint job and coolest-looking car, with each sub-competition singling out a different and fun facet of the group’s creativity and originality.

“The Cub Scout motto is ‘Always Do Your Best’ and this particular competition is really to set an example for that belief.  Although there is that healthy competition, there are no real winners or losers, as long as the boys did their best and used their imaginations," said McBride.

The Pinewood Derby was first started as an annual Cub Scout event in 1953 by a California Cubmaster whose son was too small to take part in the older children’s soap box derby races.  Since that time, the popularity of the practice has only grown, and is now a regular event for Cub Scouts all across America. 

The scouts are divided into groups according to grade level;  Tigers, Wolves, Bears, and Webelos, who are the oldest. The groups represent grades first through fifth. As the boys get older, they are able to compete against each other and boys of other ages, adding to the sense of learning and accomplishment.

“It really was a great night and a lot of fun,” said Den Leader of the Bears, William Gunnell.  “Not only do the kids always have a good time, but the parents do as well.  We’re all part of the competition, and I think we had as much fun as the boys.”

According to Gunnell, the night also functioned as a fundraiser, which included a fifty-fifty raffle  to help fund upcoming scout events such as the Rocket Derby, where the boys create bottle rockets from empty soda containers.