Derbymaster

Pack 200 has the following derbies during the year:

• Rain Gutter Regatta - November
• Pinewood Derby Cars (PWD) - January
• Space Derby - discontinued 2012

Details:

• Coordinate the set-up of the PWD track.
• Operate the PWD track, on Trial day and on the race day.
• Manage the PWD recording system (software) and Scout name inputs.
• Coordinate the set-up of the Regatta troughs.
• Manage the brackets system used for Regatta scoring.
• Instruct parent volunteers on judging, and deliver needed materials (forms/clipboards/pens).
• Deliver race records to Cubmaster for inclusion in Pack meetings.

Pinewood Derby is a primary activity for scouts, but often the cars appear to have been built by the parents. there has been discussion of requiring less adult intervention, and allowing a parents-only league. Some packs do "shape & sand day" as a group to make it easier to build cars. We tend to leave this to dens or word-of-mouth to connect scouts and those with tools or workshops to help out.


The Raingutter Regatta used to be held at the FUMC playground prior to 2012, but weather was always a concern. In 2012 we held it at a shelter at Bond Park and this worked great. For 2013, we missed Bond's sign-up and will have it at a different park. The park requirements need to include an overhead shelter, bathrooms, water source, and electricity. the gutters are typically drained using garden hoses and a siphoning action. Most boys build using Cub Scout boat kits, but creative works are encouraged.

Prior to their cancellation in 2012, the Space Derby was fun but complex. The rockets were carved form balsa and used wound up rubber bands. The bands had to be dipped in silicone grease to ensure they would not bind. As the races progressed, the bands got looser and looser. The silicon grease also became a bit of a mess. Launching all of them together sometimes failed, leading to numerous false starts.