The Boy Scouts of America, Pack 118, competed in a Rain Gutter Regatta and kicked off its annual popcorn sales fundraiser at Fort Belvoir's Scout Hut Saturday.
The Scouts built small sailboats to race on a straight track of 12 foot long and four inch wide rain gutters filled with water.
Tiger, Wolf, Bear and Webelo scouts, ages 6 to 10, competed in one-on-one races while parents placed orders for the amount of popcorn bins they want to try to sell.
"It is our summer fun," Christine Maly, Pack 118 event planner, said of the event. "The idea is to keep the children involved in Scouting and keep them motivated. Children get busy with other things in the summer, so this is a way to keep them from drifting away from Scouting."
The popcorn the pack sells is candy flavored and is very important to the pack's finances, according to Maly.
"It's how we support ourselves, other than donations from the parents," said Maly. "This is a way to keep the financial burden off of the parents."
The format for the races was double-elimination, so each Scout had at least two opportunities to race their boats. After each race, the Scouts shook hands and congratulated one another on a good race.
The idea behind the races is to teach the Scouts good sportsmanship, and perseverance, according to Maly.
"It's supporting one another and encouraging one another," said Maly. "They learn winning is not everything."
The lessons were learned by each Scout, like Michael Pidgeon, Webelo Scout and Woodlawn Village resident. Pidgeon, 10, feels it's good for himself and his fellow Scouts to learn sportsmanship and perseverance at a young age.
"If you lose you want to stay positive," said Pidgeon. "If you win you want to cheer on the other team or person you're competing against."
Pidgeon's mother, Laureen Pidgeon, enjoyed watching the children compete because they had to keep their hands behind their backs the entire time even if their boat tipped over in the gutter. She also liked seeing the Scouts shake hands after each race.
"If your boat tips over you have to get it to the end of the rain gutter somehow because they had to keep their hands behind their backs," said Laureen Pidgeon. "Even though you are bummed you lost, you are still showing you are happy, the other person won by shaking their hand."
Having the Scouts compete against one another, but also have a chance to have fun together over the summer, is another aspect of the event Laureen Pidgeon likes.
"The children don't all go to school together," said Pidgeon. "So, they are getting to know one another and working together at the same time."
Keeping the children's minds on Scouting is another benefit Maly hopes the children take away from the competition. Staying focused on the core values of Scouting is important for young children, according to Maly.
"We find when children get away from Scouting and they don't feel the connection to one another anymore, they tend to not make the best choices," said Maly. "They also tend to not come back. We believe Scouting is a lifestyle, so when they see these Families come out and support them it reinforces the value of the lifestyle."
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