OT - John Beard and the Boy Scouts

[Mike D]

Allow me to go slightly off topic -

Like reading a book and visualizing what the characters look like, I'm sure most of us do the same thing when reading posts by the regulars here on this forum and others, I know I do.

Not long ago Rick the Librarian posted photos of what I believe was a Philippine Scout Reunion that he attended and set up a very nice display. In those photos was Rick! I remember commenting that Rick looked just like I had envisioned!

While browsing around here at Milsurps, instead of usually going straight to the '03 forum, I noticed JB's photo and a short biography! Well John, you did not look like I had envisioned! I'm afraid you look normal, just like the rest of us!

It was nice to finally put a face with the name.

While reading about you, John, it was nice to hear about your participation with the Boy Scouts. This past fall, my wife and I started our son and three daughters in Scouts at a local Church, where the meetings are held. So I figured I would share our first experience in the Pinewood Derby!

My son, Braden, drew the shape for the car on the block of wood and I rough cut it with a jigsaw. Together we sanded, polished the axles, installed the wheels, and drilled two holes in the back to add tubular lead weight. He finished out the paint job himself.

Unfortunately, while polishing the axles, I hit one of the wheels nearby with the Dremel. That put a nice groove in it, so the day of tryouts, while the kids were at school, my wife and I ran out the the store and bought a new set. Tryouts went great, but the new wheels we bought were not BSA approved. Another den leader gave us a spare wheel so we would be ready for the race a few days later, but nervous about not being able to test the car after changing the wheels.

At the races, each car runs six times in each den. Then the winner from each den races in the finals. Out of the six, the slowest race is dropped and the other five are averaged. The track was a nice aluminum set-up and timed by computer. Out of the six races in the Wolf Den, Braden's car was 1st place the first five races and 2nd on the sixth! On the 3rd race the car broke the track record and on the 4th broke it again! We were ecstatic!

In the finals, Braden's car won 1st place in the first three races! We thought for sure it would go all the way. Well, the graphite must have worn off, 'cause in the final three races the car came in third.

The computer screen was turned around so everyone could see the results as they were processed. Third place came up, it wasn't us. Oh, we could hardly wait... 2nd place came up - Braden D. Shucks, we missed it. We were very happy, nevertheless!

As 1st place came up, I noticed the time. The difference between 1st and 2nd - five hundredths of a second. What a race!

So, in the first photo you get to see me and Braden just before the trials. The car has the non-BSA approved wheels. In the second photo is Braden after receiving the 2nd place award for the whole pack. You can easily see he's happy but at the same time he just can't hold back the disappointment of having just missed 1st overall.

Looking back, I'm glad he experienced losing so closely. You just can't win all the time. Can't wait 'till next year, for the races, and I plan on being assistant leader in the Bear den. Our first year in Scouts has been a lot of fun!

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