Gainesville —



And they’re off ...

The first Pinewood Derby began in 1953, when Don Murphy, Cub Master of Scout Pack 280C, had an idea of racing miniature Pinewood Derby cars that took shape.

“I wanted to devise a wholesome, constructive activity that would foster a closer father-son relationship and promote craftsmanship and good sportsmanship through competition,” Murphy said in 1953.

Murphy also explained he wanted an activity he could share with his 10-year-old son who was too young to race in the Soap Box Derby.

These traditions continue in Cub Scout packs today. And Gainesville’s Pack 1631, Lindsay’s Pack 631 and the Muenster pack have spent the last month gearing up for their races this weekend.

“The Pinewood Derby is a race where each Cub Scout has the opportunity to design and build their own car,” Lindsay Pack Unit Coordinator Britni Dulock said. “They are given a Pinewood Derby car kit, which includes a block of pine wood, four wheels and four pins to hold the wheels on the car. Some cars will be as simple as a block of wood and others will have various colors and curves showing their personalities. Once the Scout is done with the car, it cannot weigh more than five ounces, with other length and width restrictions.”

The kit consists of a 7 3/8-inch block of pine, which can be easily carved and shaped into any design the boy can imagine.

The Gainesville and Lindsay Packs had their race Saturday morning while the Muenster pack is scheduled to have their race today in the Muenster High School gym at 1 p.m.

In Muenster, the Derby track is erected on the gym’s basketball court and measures four lanes wide, with runners laid down to keep the cars in their perspective lanes, said John Kintz, the Muenster Pack’s Derby organizer.

“The Derby teaches the kids competition while giving them a taste of what it means to execute and idea on a deadline,” Kintz said.

After the races are over, winners in each Scout den are announced for first, second and third places, and speciality awards are given for “Fan Favorite,” “Best Scout Design,” and “Most Original Design.”

Once the winners are named, the boys leave the track with a feeling of accomplishment.

Dulock explained the world of Cub Scouts. She said Scouts are a part of a worldwide youth movement that represents certain values and beliefs. Cub Scouts stress the motto “Do Your Best” and strive to always help others. In the program, Scouts learn the Cub Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack and what those teachings mean. Boys in grades one through five can become a Cub Scout.

Dulock said the Cub Scouts who reside in a certain area or attend a certain school are part of a pack, which is sponsored by a chartered organization.

The pack will have one main leader, known as the Cub Master. There is also a pack committee, which helps coordinate the events, and this group includes the treasurer, unit coordinator, event coordinators and parent volunteers.

The pack itself is divided into smaller groups called dens. Cub Scouts go through five tiers of “denhood” before being bridged over into the Boy Scouts organization.

These tiers include first-grade Tigers, second-grade Wolves, third-grade Bears and the fourth-grade Webelo I and fifth-grade Webelo II.

Cub Scouts enjoy various activities throughout the year, such as participating in camping trips and going on outings such as ice skating and field trips, and they perform service projects with their pack and families.

“Some of the services projects focus on helping the natural world,” Dulock said. “We do this with our aluminum can collections, and ‘Keep Lindsay Beautiful’ trash pick-ups and Lindsay’s Friday night football game flag-raising ceremonies, led by den leaders Ashley Fuhrmann, Mark Tackett and Darrel Timmins.

This year we collected food, toys and coats, which were then donated to ABBA (All Babies Born Alive) before the Christmas holiday.

“We celebrate Scouting’s birthday in February, when packs across the country have their own bridging ceremony and the ‘Webelo II’ Scouts advance out of Cub Scouts into Boy Scouts.” Dulock added.

For more information, visit www.scouting.org.