Going to The Pine Wood Derby

The eager racers line up the cars on the track in front of the anxious crowd. The race begins with cars flying down the track at breakneck speed, neck-and-neck. Who will be the first one to speed across the finish line?

One of my favorite events as a Boy Scout was the Pinewood Derby held each year. It would take pain-staking hours to carve out my derby racer while staying mindful about regulations to avoid getting disqualified. I cannot say the exact rules so many years later, but I know the width and weight were crucial to give all who entered the famous race equal opportunity for victory.

During the week of the big race, I would stay up to all hours of the night going over every detail and testing my racer again and again. This was another event I had wished for the company of my father. All the fathers always looked so proud and excited over their sons during such events. I don’t regret it anymore, because it was one of many lessons that taught me how to be fiercely independent. As I said many times before, the Boy Scouts taught me how to be a man, as I am sure there are plenty of other young lads that also find themselves in the same situation. I will always be thankful for the Boy Scouts for its many life lessons.

The night of the big race had arrived. Our troop was based out of a local Methodist church in Arlington; I can’t rightly remember which one. The meeting hall was packed full of young people who were beaming with pride at the Pinewood racers. Every type of design could be seen, each with the personality of their makers present for all to see. The racing went on for a good bit, but finally, the time had come to race my super speedster. I lined up my racer next to my opponent, waiting for the whistle to blow. There it was, the blaring of the whistle. I released my racer. Our race went in a flash, barely a minute or so, but time seemed too slow, and shouts could be heard all around for one racer or another. Unfortunately, I lost that race after much hard work and dedication. I was a bit sad, but I didn’t let the loss ruin the fun of the evening, and I learned a lesson that I would refer to throughout my youth—It is OK to lose as long as I learn from it. There is nothing wrong with having a winner and a loser. However, losing teaches that if I want to win, I must work harder and learn why I was beaten. I raced many times over the years as a Scout during the Pinewood Derby; I mostly lost, but sometimes I would win, and it was such a sweet victory earned through countless losses and learning from mistakes made!

This is Will B saying; I would never want a participation trophy, never!