FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — The Main Post Chapel was filled with the cheers and excitement of children and parents alike as the children put their handmade speedy cars to the test at the Pinewood Derby Saturday at Fort Cavazos.
Boy Scouts of America Cub Scouts Pack 221, led by Col. Jeremy Kerfoot, commander of 89th Military Police Brigade and cubmaster of Pack 221, put their zippy creations to the test in a series of races, racking up calculated speeds of over 130 miles per hour.
The Pinewood Derby is an annual event, educating the children with a hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics activity, said Sandy Kerfoot, den leader for the Bear-ranked Cub Scouts and spouse of Jeremy.
“(The children) go through the whole process of designing a car, thinking about the STEM process behind it,” she explained. “We share videos with them about things that make (the car) go fast, the physics behind it. (The children) are sanding it and putting it together.
A total of 54 Cub Scouts raced, producing decorated cars from a mouse riding a hunk of cheese to a rocket.
Alice Walton, 7, decorated her car orange with pink and yellow accents, with the word “love” written on top and a flower to finish.
“I picked a design like a sunset,” she said.
1st Sgt. Chance Thomas, Predator Troop, 4th Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, helped his son, Chase Thomas, 9, build his vehicle, a “Star Wars” Rebel Alliance pilot flying a X-wing, and enjoyed the process.
“Sitting out there and teaching him — telling him how to measure things and how to cut things — was a lot of fun because he doesn’t really do, normally do, that stuff with me,” Chance said.
After a flag ceremony and recitation of the Scout Oath, it was off to the races for the Cub Scouts. Runs were done between Cub Scouts within the same den in heats, with awards given for first, second and third place. The top three from each den then competed for an overall win. Separate awards were also given to the winner of the “Outlaw” race and for the most creative car, most “out of space” car and most “Cub Scouty” car.
Colton Muncie, 9, enjoyed the derby, earning ninth place overall, first place in his den and the most out of space car with his rocket creation, set with flashing lights and red and white stripes.
“It’s just having fun, seeing friends and participating,” he said.
Ian Figueroa, 8, with a Minecraft-themed car, likes racing and also had fun at the event.
“I was not in the best three, but at least I tried my best,” Ian said.
Sportsmanship is another key lesson from the derby, Sandy said.
“Just being good sports,” she said, “seeing that sometimes your car doesn’t cross the finish line and cheering on your fellow Cub Scouts while you’re there. So there’s a bit of competition in it that not everybody’s going to win, but we’re all doing our best.”
Representatives from III Armored Corps, the Fort Cavazos Police Department and Fire Department also participated, putting their own cars to the test in a race. The Fire Department reigned victorious with a miniature fire engine, complete with flashing lights and a siren.
“Honestly, we didn’t even think that we were going to place in this race, not knowing what the rules were or the expectations looking at here,” said Lt. John Daly, Fire Station 1, Fort Cavazos Fire Department. “This is our first time in the race, and, surprisingly, we took it and won by a mile. I’m really pleased with that.”
Participating in events like these shows support and presence for the community, said Lt. Christopher Barker, Fort Cavazos Police Department.
“They can see that we’re here and here for helping each other out because we’re a family,” he said. “This is Fort Cavazos, The Great Place.”
“We wanted our scouts to feel like they’re part of the community,” Sandy expressed about inviting III Armored Corps and the police and fire departments. “That’s one of the things that we feel sometimes can be lacking, is this idea that we’re all part of this together. And there’s a big aspect of scouting that is about the community — serve the community. Citizenship is one of the aims of scouting — to create civic leaders.”
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