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Pinewood Derby Stories and Photos from Maximum Velocity
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PINEWOOD DERBY MEMORY Sad Day for the True Cub Scout Boys
Every year my brother would get help on his car from the 'winning family', but for some reason his car never placed. This year we decided to try someone different - help from a friend that has helped build winning cars for his nephews and grandkids.
It was a great race. My son, who is a Wolf, and my brother, who is a Webelo II, had two of the fastest cars there. My son took first in his den, while my brother took first in his. The final race was with the first place cars from each den.
It ended up being my son's car racing my brother's car. The people putting the cars on the track sent my brother's car down crooked. My son's car won that race and got the trophy, but I asked the Cubmaster to re-race the cars because my son needed to know that he won fair and square.
In the second race my brother's car won. They raced the cars two more times in different lanes, but my brother's car won every time.
Then the sad event occurred. The 'winning family', whose cars did not win this year, were angry because their cars would not being going to the district race. They confronted the Cubmaster who told them that nothing could be done. The parent then replied, "I don't know how I am going to keep my boy in Cub Scouts anymore." But that was not the end of it. They tried to talk other people out of taking their car to districts, so that their son's car could go. But the Cubmaster put an end to that.
It is sad to think that the biggest event in Cub Scouts had become the 'only event' for this family. The pinewood derby is supposed to teach sportsmanship and be fun, but now it seems to have become a competition that teaches 'win or whine'.
Cora Brandon
Editor's Note: Please do yourself and your children a favor; remember that the pinewood derby is intended to be a friendly competition that is fun for the kids. An improper attitude will only serve to sour the experience for yourself, your children, and other participants.
The Pinewood Derby Memory is a regular feature of the Pinewood Derby Times Newsletter. To subscribe to this free e-newsletter, please visit: www.maximum-velocity.com/subscribe.htm