Fort Gibson hosts district Pinewood Derby

By Bess Warren
Times Correspondent

April 01, 2008 05:44 pm

— Brian Smythe struggled Saturday to decide which car he would enter into the Neosho District Boy Scouts of America’s Pinewood Derby.
“I have three choices because my papa made three,” said the 8-year-old Fort Gibson Cub Scout.
But after some thought, he selected one.
“It was hard, but that one looks best for craftsmanship,” he said as he pointed out his car, which was lined up with others on a table.
Smythe and more than 50 other scouts, entered their hand-crafted race cars into the event, held at the Fort Gibson’s High School Gymnasium.
The Derby is a tradition in Cub Scouting that began in 1953 in California. The Neosho District consists of several packs from all over eastern Oklahoma.
Smythe’s brother, Scott, 10, had painted his car black and had placed a Batman emblem on the hood. “I thought my car was cool. It took awhile (to make),” he said. “I helped my papa put on the stickers.”
The Smythes entered both their cars in the same contest. Participants had to select just one to enter — for speed, design or craftsmanship. If they chose speed, they would compete in a double elimination race.
And the excitement of the races exhilarated many of the boys.
Zane Burleson, 9, of Muskogee Pack 624 had won one round and was hopping up and down and crossing fingers on both hands.
“Please let me win. Please let me win,” he prayed as he was waiting to race again.
Zane’s dad, Bill Burleson, 30, of Muskogee said his favorite part of scouting was getting to camp out. “We don’t get to do it a lot as a family.”
He also enjoyed the races.
“It’s still fun even if we lose,” he said.
Design winners were chosen by the style and shape of the car. Craftsmanship winners were chosen by the quality of the race car, which includes decals and the type of finish.
“Mine is a police car,” said Noah Woods, 8, of Stilwell. “It can pull all the other race cars over.”
Woods sat with his cousin, Patrick Sam, 7, also of Stilwell, as they anxiously waited for the race to begin.
“I want to win,” Patrick said as he lifted his hands in the air.
“They are so excited,” said Sam’s mother, Lisa Condrey, 33. “They’ve had so much fun. They’ve made lots of new friends.”
Condrey said her son was very interested in joining Boy Scouts because his sister was in Girl Scouts. She got him involved as soon as he was old enough to be a scout.
“I will keep him in as long as I can keep him interested,” she said. “I hope he graduates through Eagle Scouts. I hope he’s a lifelong member. That would be cool.”
Each scout was given a kit with which to create the cars. The kit included a block of wood, four wheels and two axles. Their final designs had to meet weight, length and width requirements to be eligible for any of the competitions.
“The cars have to have the actual BSA wheels and axle,” said Amy Welch, 32, of Porter who serves as assistant cubmaster of Pack 608 in Muskogee. “They can’t be longer than the actual block they receive.”
Welch said that she placed her son in Boy Scouts after watching the effect it had on her brother.
“My brother was a scout. I saw how it made him to be a wonderful man who is kind and respectful,” she said. “I want my son to have an influence in his life that is a positive role model. I think this is a way for him to get that.”

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