How to Plan a Pinewood Derby
The Pinewood Derby is an annual event conducted on behalf of young boys in the Cub Scouts. In this event, boys build cars out of wood and race them against other members of the pack they are in. The boys carve their cars out of pine, attach wheels and accessories and paint them before bringing them to a pack-wide meeting to conduct their day of racing. Parents may supervise the building of the cars but they are supposed to let the boys build the cars themselves.
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Instructions
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Announce that your pack's Pinewood Derby will be taking place about a month in advance. Have the rules and instructions handy as to how to build the cars and also hand out car-building kits. Every boy who wants to participate should be given the raw materials needed to build the cars. The cars are purchased with money that came from membership fees and fund-raising activities early in the year.
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Find a suitable location for the Pinewood Derby racing. Most packs make local arrangements at a school or church. There is usually an auditorium available at a nominal fee. Most municipalities or religious organizations are not interested in charging high fees to an organization like the Cub Scouts. If you have trouble securing a location, contact the local Chamber of Commerce and ask for their assistance.
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Recruit parents to help you run the Pinewood Derby. You will need parents to help you "check in" the cars to make sure they meet specifications. You will need a "pit crew" to help build and repair cars that have problems. You will need parents to help your run each race by putting the cars on the track and pressing the "start" button.
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Put together your Pinewood Derby track at your facility before the event. The Boy Scouts of America (the parent organization of the Cub Scouts) has a uniform Pinewood Derby track that is used to conduct the races. It comes in pieces and can be assembled with normal tools in less than an hour. It comes with an electronic timer that helps determine winners in close races.
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Conduct the races and award prizes. This is always a fun part of the day. You not only get to award trophies to the fastest cars, but also to the most creative builders and those that have the best paint job.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure you make spirited announcements on the winner of each race. Boys love to hear how their car has done and they love to get credit when they win.
