Cubmaster Shawn MacFarland passes out pinewood derby car kits to the Cubs. Over the next few weeks, the Cubs and their parent or grandparent will carve and cut these blocks of wood into sleek racers.
Corbin Burdeck is a Webelos in Pack #609 and lives in Whitefield. “I love everything about Cub Scouts!”
Cub Pack #609 held their holiday party on January 4, at Windsor Elementary School. The event was delayed due to the “Grinch” storm that left many in the area without power for days. Families brought food to share and Cubs learned a new song. The highlight of the evening came when each Scout received a new pinewood derby car kit.
“We have a busy January and February,” said Cubmaster Shawn McFarland. “We have the Klondike Derby at Camp Bomazeen later this month, perhaps the China Ice Fishing Derby next month and then the Pinewood Derby after that.” The pinewood derby is the wood car racing event of Scouting.
Julia Hartwell, of Windsor is, in fourth grade at Windsor Elementary. She has been in Cub Scouts for a year and is one of the six original members of Pack #609 after it restarted this past autumn. She enjoys hiking and is looking forward to the Pinewood Derby.
With the help of adults, Scouts build their own unpowered, unmanned miniature cars from wood, usually from kits containing a block of pine wood, plastic wheels, and metal axles. The Scouts use their imagination to come up with the design for their wooden car which ranges from Formula 1 racers to tanks to tractors to spaceships and even cartoon characters. Those cars are raced down the pack’s Pinewood Derby track and the fastest go on to race at the district level. “It is a lot of fun,” McFarland said. “One of the best parts is it is a great project for a kid to do with their parent or grandparent.”
Pack #609 had ceased operation before Covid-19 and only began this past autumn. “We started back up after the Windsor Fair,” McFarland said. Six youth and parents from Augusta Pack #684 who lived in Windsor were the nucleus but since then the pack has grown to 19 kids drawing from Jefferson and Whitefield. “I am glad to see it taking off. Scouting has a great opportunity to build character in these kids and it is a lot of fun,” McFarland said.
All photos by Chuck Mahaleris
Ivan Peaslee is a Lion Cub Scout and is in kindergarten, in Jefferson.
Pack 609
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