This weekend, scouts from packs throughout York County will gather in Kennebunk to race toy cars they have built in the District Pinewood Derby for trophies and prizes. Races begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 7, at Sea Road School in Kennebunk.
At this year’s Pinewood Derby, there’s a new twist, as younger girls will be allowed to participate for the very first time.
“Welcoming girls and families into scouting offers busy families an important additional choice to meet the needs of all their children,” said Eric Tarbox of the Boy Scouts of America’s Pine Tree Council. “Now they can get one great scouting experience in one place.”
Organizars say that the event is intended to introduce children to scouting programs and to help them learn more about scouting opportunities in their communities.
Pinewood Derby participants build and paint tiny cars from blocks of pine and then attach plastic wheels and metal axles. The cars are placed on a track and entered in races powered by inertia and gravity.
Racing in the Pinewood Derby is a fundamental part of scouting and a tradition whereby each Cub Scout is given a block of pine and they must meet some general guidelines about weight, height and length. They then spend the next few weeks designing, carving and painting all while using artistic expression and developing a basic understanding of physics.
Participants also work with their parents in planning, cutting, sanding and painting the cars.
For the most part, the District Pinewood Derby races feature participants who won community races in their packs last month.
The scouts are challenged to design and construct a car that will be the fastest in the derby, all while meeting certain specified requirements for their Lego-style cars.
“We are excited to be able to offer this event to youth in York County,” said Boy Scouts of America District Executive Ken Sparta.
More or less a rite of passage, Pinewood Derby races teach a number of invaluable lifetime skills to participants.
Win or lose, scouts take pride in having done their best which develops good sportsmanship. They also learn about craft skills, rules of fair play, and pulling for one another in challenging situations.
In serving more than 8,000 children and registered volunteers, the Pine Tree Council of Maine and the Boy Scouts of America are one of the nation’s foremost youth programs of character development and values-based leadership training.
For more information about scouting, call Diane Madden at 797-5252, ext. 27. or Eric Tarbox at 797-5252.
— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be reached at 282-1535 ext. 326 or by email at editor@journaltribune.com
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