Gentlemen, start your imaginations!

By Toni Walker

 

Cub Scout Pack 220 in Daingerfield had their annual Pinewood Derby Saturday, January 24, at West Elementary School. A total of 12 boys, from first through fifth grades, raced Pinewood cars and competed in design competition. Pinewood derby is always a high point of the boys’ scouting year. Each scout begins with a block of wood, 4 wheels, and 4 axles. Pack 220 usually picks an overall theme, which the boys can choose to follow. The theme also is used as the basis for the design awards. Each scout then chooses the design for his car. All designs and decorating are done by the boys, with their parents help. Cars must weigh no more than five ounces, and most scouts use weights added to their cars to get close to this weight. On raceday, the scouts bring their car to the pit crew, who weigh it and check the dimensions to ensure it will run on the track correctly. Then the parent, scout, or pit crew will put graphite on the axles to make them run smoother. At this point, the car is out of the scouts hand until after the race. The pit crew and car handlers are the only ones who will be able to handle them from this point to the end of the race.

 

To continue reading this article purchase the January 29^th edition of The Steel Country Bee or go to our online e-edition at: http://www.etypeservices.com/Daingerfield%20BeeID312/default.aspx