How Pack 12 Used Pinewood Derby as a Kickoff to the Superbowl

I recently had a chance to catch up with Pack 12 out of Frisco, Texas to chat all things Pinewood Derby with them. You may remember Keaton, from our Pinewood Derby Facebook Live… well this is how his Pack does PWD!

Pack 12 was founded in 2016 and hosted their very first Pinewood Derby event in January of 2017. One of my favorite things about Scouting is just how kind and helpful the community is as a whole. They had a successful first race due to their experienced Cubmaster, Gary Bedell, Jr. who hails from a Scouting tradition – both he, along with his two brothers are Eagle Scouts, and so are his sons. In fact, Gary’s parents were instrumental in the starting of Pack 12 and Karen, his mom, serves as their Arrow of Light Leader. She is currently gearing up to help her Webelos (one of which is her youngest grandson!) cross over from Cub Scouts to Scouts BSA in a few weeks.

What does your Pinewood Derby event look like and does it change every year?

Paula (Keaton’s mom and Committee Chair): Our Pinewood Derby event is actually very simple! We are fortunate to work with Mr. Phil Hanus who donates his time to area Cub Scout packs by running the Derby races. With a little help setting up, Mr. Phil has the timing down to supersonic speed! With his efficiency and our leadership team completing the check-in process, our Pinewood Derby averages usually about 1.5 hours total (32 Scout cars and 45 cars total, including outlaws) In fact, we held our Pinewood Derby before the Superbowl this year!

Tell me more about Mr. Hanus!

Paula: He owns his track and volunteers his time to help Packs run their Pinewood Derby races. It’s all based on donations - we run what we call an outlaw category, and for $5, adults, siblings and Scouts can join in the Pinewood Derby fun. The outlaw class allows for modifications outside of the normal rules and the outlaw entry fees are used to create the donation to help support Mr. Hanus and his efforts.

What is your favorite thing about Pinewood Derby?

Paula: Our Pack does a few build workshops prior to the derby. It’s special to watch the kids work with their parents on designing and building in the cars. In fact, Mr. Sean Schneyer, our current Cubmaster, hosted a build day in his woodworking shop just a few weeks before the derby to make sure everyone had the chance to participate!

What tips would you give to a new Pack looking to plan their first PWD event?

Paula: Reach out to other area Packs for their best practices! Not all Packs do it the way we do, but I LOVE the simplicity of the Pack 12 Pinewood Derby. We keep Pinewood Derby low-key and easy, while ramping up Blue & Gold and the Raingutter Regatta. Collaborate and gather tips from those other Packs to figure out what works best for your Pack.

Stay tuned for some tips and tricks from Phil - we've got all of his PWD hacks coming your way!

Have some of your own crowd favorites or Pinewood Derby must-haves? Leave a comment and share with the BSA community!