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Any advice/solutions for Pinewood Derby Addicts? You know the ones, the dads/moms who do all the work on the cars. The dads who machine lathe axels/wheels and deny it. The same parents whose kids win time and time again every year. Our Pack already has a weigh in and inspection the night before the race and they keep the cars until the race. Any car that obviously was built/painted by parents (one year a professional) is disqualified....it races but does not place. Our pack has three boys who consistantly come in 1st,2nd,3rd place every year. What about the boys who do their own cars? Are they just supposed to learn that the same kids win every year? We already have two scouts who have made the comment that they know they won't win and "so and so" will, they always do. Any advice?
We have a separate open class race at the end for anyone who wants to build a car - and the cars can be pretty wild - in the hopes that the parents who just cannot keep their hands off the cars will make their own instead.
Of course that does not stop it from happening, but is kind of a gentle reminder.
Just know that in the end, the boys who made their own cars are learning planning, time management, and the skills for sanding, drilling, painting etc... of their car.
Any advice/solutions for Pinewood Derby Addicts? You know the ones, the dads/moms who do all the work on the cars. The dads who machine lathe axels/wheels and deny it. The same parents whose kids win time and time again every year. Our Pack already has a weigh in and inspection the night before the race and they keep the cars until the race. Any car that obviously was built/painted by parents (one year a professional) is disqualified....it races but does not place. Our pack has three boys who consistantly come in 1st,2nd,3rd place every year. What about the boys who do their own cars? Are they just supposed to learn that the same kids win every year? We already have two scouts who have made the comment that they know they won't win and "so and so" will, they always do. Any advice?
We went through this. You just encourage your children to do their best and offer advice when they are building their cars. They really will get better throughout the years. My son eventually won twice making his own car. Trust me, the pride and satisfaction he got from winning the honest way was certainly well worth it. The frustrating years have a purpose.
Our troop also had a prize the best car that was obviously done by the scout, not the father. I forget what they called that prize. But maybe you can encourage the troop leaders to begin this type of recognition. Together you can be creative with what to call the prize. I'll ask my husband if he remembers.
Can you make the cars at the club house.
Get the dads to help out there. That way the kids who don't have a mechanically minded dad to help will be able to get some tutoring from those mechanically minded dads who may have a tendancy to make their own car.
My Dad told me that it is, like it or not, a real-world lesson. You do your best, you take pride in what you do, and while it is not fair if someone gets expert help, it is the way the world works. He also pointed out that those kids missed the point, and did not get the joy of seeing the car they built race, regardless of whether it won or lost.
And no, in all the years I competed, I never won even once.
Can you make the cars at the club house.
Get the dads to help out there. That way the kids who don't have a mechanically minded dad to help will be able to get some tutoring from those mechanically minded dads who may have a tendancy to make their own car.
A parent not helping doesn't mean that the parent isn't mechanially minded. The point of the project is to do it on your own. Your parent might offer advice, but the child is supposed to do the entire project on their own. Sadly, some parents actually build the cars. Boy Scout leaders won't supervise the building of the cars. Scouts is an honor system built on trusting the scout is being honest.
I remember this so well-I was divorced- dad not involved and my little 7 year old did his all on his own and of course it was pitiful looking but he was so proud of it-he didn't come in last either- that was it for scouts for us...mainly b/c Dad wasn't involved- not the Derby itself
We went through this. You just encourage your children to do their best and offer advice when they are building their cars. They really will get better throughout the years. My son eventually won twice making his own car. Trust me, the pride and satisfaction he got from winning the honest way was certainly well worth it. The frustrating years have a purpose.
Our troop also had a prize the best car that was obviously done by the scout, not the father. I forget what they called that prize. But maybe you can encourage the troop leaders to begin this type of recognition. Together you can be creative with what to call the prize. I'll ask my husband if he remembers.
Another idea would be to do two contests: one where the scout does it on his own or on a team with other scouts, the second contest as a father/son one where the fathers are okay to help.
Our pack (along with numerous others) have tried the seperate races. We have mulled over the idea of having boys/parents work on the cars in a controlled atmosphere i.e. everyone including parents helping on the car meet and work on cars and the cars stay with cubmaster until the race. We have tried talking to parents about fairness/sportsmanship/friendly competition at pack meetings. We even have an official pwd car inspector to inspect cars, problem with this is that unless the wheels and axels are taken off the cars, there is no way to prove that they are within guidelines. A few years ago, a dad actually sent his sons car off to a machine shop to have the axels professionally lathed. He was busted when the owner of the shop happened to tell another scout dad. The derby is becoming a dreaded event. I see boys who honestly do the work to the best of their ability come in with high hopes only to be crushed when the same boys over and over again win. The winning "dads" claim that their boys have just "learned the tricks of the trade". Hogwash! The dads, moms too...are sitting at home while little johnny is at school and working the cars over. I've actually had one parent tell me by accident that he put the axels on a lathe only to have the mom look me in the eyes and say "No, we have never used a lathe, we just know how to build a fast car". Give me a break. How can we teach good sportsmanship with people like this? I fear that some of the boys are learning it's okay to cheat and others are learning that only the ones who cheat get somewhere. ARRRGGGHHH
Ah c'mon....they are just teaching their kids how to be CEOs of major banks, insurance companies and brokerage houses.....
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