Pack 334’s 32nd Annual Pinewood Derby was Bigger and Faster Than Ever.
The Pinewood Derby is usually the biggest event of the year for Roxborough’s Pack 334, and this year’s race, held on Saturday, March 16, was no exception. This year’s Pinewood Derby was, in many ways, a glorious rise from the pandemic-induced ashes of recent years.
Each year, in late winter or early spring, Cub Scouts in Pack 334, with the help of parents, build their Pinewood Derby race cars from the wood-based kits supplied by the Pack. the Pack sets up a race track, and awards are given for creativity and speed. Parents and siblings are also invited to create their own cars to compete in a separate Open Race.
So what made this year’s race so different?
A Little History
Cub Scout Pack 334 was formed in 1991, and as far as anyone can remember, the Pack has been hosting a Pinewood Derby every year since 1992. The champions of many of those early years are lost amidst the fog of antiquity, but for the last few years, champions’ names have been engraved on a plaque in our hallway and on a trophy that we feel will one day rival the Stanley Cub or the Lombardi Trophy. Award winners are also posted on our website’s Pinewood Derby Honor Roll.
In February 2020, the Pack had a tremendous Pinewood Derby with 36 Cub Scouts. However, just about a month after that event, the pandemic hit. By the time 2021 rolled around, the best and safest way we could run a Pinewood Derby was to meet early in the morning in the summer, when COVID numbers were low and the temperature wasn’t too hot. Under two dozen Cub Scouts and their families sat in pods in a sparsely decorated hall; races were run quickly, and no food or drink was offered.
2022 and 2023 saw a return to the more raucous Pinewood Derbys of our past, including pizzas and some partying. However, our numbers had dropped so low during the pandemic that, at times, leadership was not certain we could survive. In a matter of two years, we had gone from close to 40 Scouts to around 10.
However, by May 2023, you could feel the momentum was shifting. Pack 334 went camping again for the first time in years, and the number of Scouts in the Pack was beginning to grow.
Almost magically, in the fall of 2023, our numbers started swelling. Between September 2023 and January 2024, the number of Cub Scouts in Pack 334 doubled. It became apparent to Pack leadership that they needed to capitalize on this vibe, pull out all the stops, make all the investments they’d been discussing for years, and do everything they could to make this year’s Pinewood Derby the biggest and best.
It’s entirely possible that they nailed it.
A Big Deal
Planning for the 2024 Pinewood Derby started in the summer of 2023. Plans were laid, dates were selected, budgets were approved, and the idea of making this Pinewood Derby a Big Deal began to take shape.
Sometime in the fall, a request came in: Daisy Girl Scouts from local Troops 983, 9004, and 91441 had heard about the Pinewood Derby and wanted to know if they could make their own cars and race them on our track on Race Day; the Pack Committee was unanimous in approving this request, and just like that, the Big Deal became even bigger.
The Pack started handing out car kits to Scouts in January, though over half of them had never taken part in a Pinewood Derby. Templates for different car designs were delivered via email. A Pinewood Derby Workshop was held in February, where volunteers helped cut out cars, explain how weights and wheels go on, and offer other “expert” tips.
Then the Pack made the biggest change of all: a new TwinTurbo timer from NewBold Products and new GrandPrix Racer Manager Pro software from Lisano Enterprises was purchased. The impact of this change could not be understated. For years, our races were run as a “double elimination” competition where once your car lost twice, it was out. This led to some vigorous head-to-head competitions but also led to some cars racing a lot more than other cars and whispers of one lane being faster than the other lane. The new software, used with the new timer, would allow the race to run with hyper-accurate speed measurements. We settled on a race format that would allow each car to race in each line twice, and the system would drop the slowest score for each car and average the other five. The average speeds would then be used to determine the fastest cars.
Recognizing this would be a big confusing change, the Pack sent multiple detailed emails and held a special meeting with parents at the beginning of March to explain the changes.
A week before Race Day, the Pack held an official Weigh-In, where Scouts turned in their cars for inspection, weighing (not a speck over 5.0 ounces!), took a “driving test” and an “eye exam,” and sat for a photograph so they could be issued an official driver’s license on race day.
With all the cars sequestered and the software all set up, the last step was to transform Westminster Hall at Leverington Church into a race track with viewing stands. A small army of parents and volunteers spent over 4 hours setting up the track, hanging decorations, prepping the kitchen, and more on a Friday night. By the time they were finished, a magical transformation had taken place.
Finally, the Day is Here
Coffee (donated from Sweet Java in Roxborough) started brewing and the lights were flicked on around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, 2024. With a tight schedule in hand, Leaders for Pack 334 set out to have a big opening ceremony and then run 3 different races: a race for Cub Scouts in Pack 334 (26 racers), a race for Leaders and Families in Pack 334 (13 racers), and a Daisy Derby for Girl Scout Troops 9004, 91441, and 983 (22 racers).
61 racers was new record!
For the creative awards, we needed a crack panel of judges to come in early and consider all of the cars for four different creative awards. We were pleased to have on our panel the following members of our community: a former Cubmaster and mother of an Eagle Scout, Joy Woodruff; the Institutional Representative for Pack 334 and member of Leverington Church (our Charter Organization), and former Eagle Scout from Troop 334, Jeffrey Craighead; and our Pennsylvania State Representative Tarik Kahn.
Two parents from Pack 334, Larry and Sarah Nannery, set up a Zen Room in the church’s Ellison Room, a space to serve as a low/no stimulation room for any Scouts who needed a break from the wins and losses of the competition, or the all of the lights and noise. This was the first time Pack 334 had set up a dedicated space like this, and it speaks to the Pack and Troop’s ongoing commitment to embrace accessibility, to meet all children where they need to be met, and to facilitate a program that is for everyone.
By 10 a.m., Scouts and their families were waiting in the hallway, completing their registration and getting their driver’s licenses. As judging wrapped up, the smoke machine was fired up, the music was pumped up, the doors were flung open, and an excited and anxious crowd of Scouts and their families poured into the hall.
A special reserved seating area was set aside for the Scout racers, and parents filled in behind them. The Pack provided coffee, tea, soft pretzels (donated from Wawa in Roxborough), and bottled water for anyone in attendance. Everyone settled in, and the event got underway.
A brief orientation from the Cubmaster and a rousing saxophone performance of the National Anthem by one of Pack 334’s Den Leaders, Shawn Dillon, followed by Cub Scouts reciting the Scout Law and the Scout Oath. Rep. Kahn provided some inspirational opening remarks, and finally… it was time to race!
There were some glitches and an occasional delay, but Pack 334 raced their cars for hours, with top speeds exceeding 200 MPH!
Following the racing portion, lunch was held in the fully decorated gym, while in the hall the Pit Crew stayed behind to confirm the winners and prepare the awards. As lunch wrapped up, Scouts and their families filed back into the Hall for an Awards Ceremony where the following winners were recognized:
Cub Scout Race Speed Awards
Cub Scout Race Creative Awards
Pack 334 always ends its big events by taking care of The Paperwork. It is always amazing how much joy you can produce with a leaf blower and a roll of toilet paper.
As the day wrapped up for the Cub Scouts, it was just getting started for the Girl Scouts (and never ending for the Leadership).
Girl Scouts from Troops 9004, 983, and 91441 had spent time making their own Pinewood Derby cars, as well as crafting their own “derby hats” (akin to the derbys one might find gracing the stands of the Kentucky Derby). As they were checked in, they each received a driver’s license as well. Rep. Kahn returned to provide opening remarks for their race, and Leadership from Pack 334 stayed to run the software and the race track.
The first Daisy Derby was a huge success, and Leaders from the Cub Scout Pack 334 and the Girl Scout Troops are already chatting about how to collaborate even more next year. This could be interesting as, little known to many, but two of the Girl Scout cars finished in the Top 5 of all cars raced this year. Hmmmmmmm.
Award certificates were printed on the spot and the following winners were recognized.
Daisy Derby Speed Awards
Many of the Girl Scout parents and Leaders stayed after to help the beleaguered crew from Pack 334 clean up and transform Westminster Hall back into a church hall in time for Sunday.
Pack 334 will meet this week to discuss the event, its successes, and areas for improvement.
The bar has been reset.
Pack 334’s Pinewood Derby is back, bigger than ever… and just wait until next year!
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