Heights Cub Scouts Race Creative Cars in Annual Derby

Nearly 40 boys and their siblings took part in the Hasbrouck Heights Cub Scouts Pack 17 annual Pinewood Derby this past weekend.

Cub Scout master Adam Tegge reports there “were some extraordinarily creative cars such as Perry the Platypus, a slithering snake, a realistic box of Crayola crayons, and several sticks of dynamite (wiring, fuses and all).  Others were simply built for speed with sleek aerodynamic designs and eye-catching paint jobs.”

A tradition that dates back to May 1953, Cub Scout packs around the country compete for town and regional honors in building and racing their cars, Tegge reports. It was originally started by Cub Master Don Murphy of Manhattan Beach, CA He had  set up a race for his son who was unable to compete in a local gravity-powered car competition.  By 1955 it was embraced by the national organization and has since grown to one of the top activities for nearly all Cub Scout programs, says Tegge.

As per the Cub Scout motto “Do Your Best” the program avoid events which result in a single winner. Instead the focus of the Derby is on three specific areas: sportsmanship and good citizenship, personal achievement through the creation of the car, and family understanding while working with their parents on developing the vehicle. 

Hours are invested into choosing a design, cutting out and sanding the car from a single block of wood and artfully painting the final product.