Pack Meetings and Pinewood Derby Races

but not on the same day.  Thursday night Gary and I were busy with Pack Meeting where the core value was "compassion".  We did a service scavenger hunt for our activity.  Our cub master wrote a darling script based around a trial to see if we could "convict" our cub scouts as "true scouts."  I was "Judge Judy" (of course), and Gary played the defense attorney pleading guilty on behalf of his clients (the scouts) and presenting evidence in their behalf.  They were all convicted and sentenced to 15 minutes of community services which is when they headed to our neighborhood to try to rake leaves and perform other acts of service.

'Judge" Judy
purple robe was all the DI had

Gary interviewing the mothers of the boys getting their arrow of lights.

Pictures taken by our court photographer for the evening, Jena.

On Saturday night, we did the beta testing on our new pinewood derby track with the High Priest Group in our ward.  They organized a yummy potato bar and salad dinner and we provided the track.  We ended up with 24 cars in the races and everything went great.  I have to say that I am looking forward to a relatively smooth race in Pack Meeting this coming January.  Computer timing and racing heats are a BIG improvement over stop watches and chalkboard.

The Senior Pinewood Derby
Some new cars were constructed but other borrowed from other high priests, sons, or grandsons.

Starting gates

Finish line--that is our car on lane one--"Daddy/Daughter" from a pinewood derby race
with Jessica over 15 years ago.

Our open class had these two very different competitors--

Every car raced on each of the tracks and then the winner was the one with the lowest average time.  All of those races were completed in about an hour.  It was a fun evening...and no tears were observed nor did anyone run out of the gym.  Two trademarks of a good pinewood derby race.

We are now planning pinewood derby races for our family reunions next summer.  Let the race begin.