Thankfully the Pinewood Derby isn't too hard for us to pull off. Since we are LDS, our Stake puts on the race. The track and software to keep track of the times is provided, along with training to run everything. We provide the scale for weigh-in, awards, and the fun. My husband used Google Sketch-up to write a program for our awards. He just has to update the year, but otherwise it is ready to go. He uses a milling machine to cut out the lettering after he has cut the wood to size. Afterwards he gives it a clear coat and paints out the front face in either gold, silver, or bronze depending on the award. The top portion of the trophies is a display base for the boy's cars. So it is a two in one! The trophy becomes something functional, which as a parent is great. Our boy won 2nd place as a Webelos and loves having his car displayed this way.
That takes care of the big three awards. What about the rest of the boys? Obviously not everyone can win a trophy. All our boys do receive a certificate and a chocolate bar. They all worked hard making their cars, so we do give them something to acknowledge all their hard work.
This is the certificate we give the boys. We mount it on blue and yellow card stock so that it has a little more weight to it. We have done 8" x 10" before, but this year we went with a 5" x 7" one which seemed a little more manageable. The hard part is coming up with what the award title will be for each car.
Lastly, what do you do with all the kids during check-in time? The boys are busy with last minute car prep, but the siblings are bored. So after searching the internet, we found this printable. It kept the kids busy and from running rampant all over the building. As we want you to visit the website that made the printable, you can find it here: http://www.papertoys.com/nascar.htm
Just a few steps before the race made for a successful race and happy Cub Scouts (and siblings) at the end of the day.
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