Boys and Girls of Grafton, Your Scouting Adventure begins with YOU!

Monthly Archives: January 2011

Weigh-in Night info

Posted on by Posted in Pack News

The weigh-in for the 2011 Pinewood Derby is this Friday! To make things smoother, we’re going to stagger the weigh-in times for the Dens. The schedule is as follows:

  • Tigers: 7:00pm
  • Wolves: 7:15pm
  • Bears: 7:30pm
  • Webelos: 7:45pm

Also, please note that we’ll be taking pictures of the cars AND the boys the night of the weigh-in, so please have your boys dress in their full uniforms with neckerchiefs.

There will be two or three weigh-in stations, and one or two modification stations. As previously communicated, try to have your boy’s car as close to 5 ounces as possible, with easy-to-remove weights applied to take it over. It’s far easier to remove weight that way than via drilling. Please ensure that the car is fully lubricated before weigh-in, as after the car is handed in, it will be garaged for the night, and it won’t be handled again by the boy until after the races on Saturday. We will have a movie playing for entertainment.

To check the weight of the car prior to Friday, the Post Office will be happy to weigh the car. Alternatively, if you have a balance scale, 28 nickels is about 5 ounces.

For Saturday:

Please arrive promply by 12:30, and please have your son bring a flashlight or two. We’re going to have an “opening ceremony” with the boys waving flashlights, which should be a ton of fun.

We will likely need some additional adult help on Saturday. If you’re willing to assist, please see one of the leaders when you arrive.

Finally, please note that registration for the CoCo Key event on January 29th is due on Saturday. The registration form is here – please contact Jennifer Rodrique if you have any questions regarding this event. Late registrations will not be accepted.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

Posted on by Posted in Gallery, Hiking

Despite the snowy weather, we had 19 intrepid young hikers show up for our January Hike at Upton State Park. Everyone was dressed for the occasion, with good waterproof boots, hats, and gloves all-round. We had a terrific time and went 3 miles in total. Below are some pictures of the event.

[slidepress gallery=’january-2011-hike’]

The Pinewood Derby is fast approaching!

Posted on by Posted in Pack News

Happy New Year everyone!

Our first major event of 2011 is approaching quickly: the always-popular Pinewood Derby! Weigh-in will be at 7pm on Friday, January 21st, and the “main event” will be on 12:30pm on Saturday, January 22nd. Both of these will be at St. Mary’s.

You should already have copies of the rules & regulations, but here are some links if not.

For first-timer’s:

If you’re still stuck with a block of wood and no good way to shape the car, please note that there’s a great little wood-working shop in Marlborough (Marlborough Wooden Toys and Crafts) that will do the cutting for you. It’s around $5 per car, but if you provide him with the design (and, of course, the wood) he can whip it out in no time.

You should arrive at the weigh-in with a completed car. It’s better to be a little bit over 5 ounces than under, but make sure you’re able to easily remove weight from the car to get it to 5 ounces exactly. You can do this by using “stick-on” weights that you can buy at hobby stores like Michael’s. Please make sure to pay close attention to the rules around building the car too – weight, length, width, and other rules are strictly adhered to. The car itself must be made from the block of wood in the “official” kit – no pre-cut kits, and no exceptions!

There will be a table with tools and limited materials to assist folks at the weigh-in, but from past experience, it’s MUCH easier to snap off a weight than have to do major modifications to a car with a power drill or dremel, not to mention getting saw dust in the axels. You will be leaving the car at the weigh-in, and no last minute modifications will be allowed on the day of the race, so please make sure you’ve done your wheel lubrication, etc. prior to or at the weigh-in.

The annual Pinewood Derby is always one of the most fun, and most memorable, events in your boy’s Cub Scouting career, as is the process of designing and building the cars! I hope you take the time to enjoy it as much as your boys do! And, don’t forget, siblings and parents can enter their own cars in a separate race!

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of the leaders to get answers.

Good luck, and get ready to “Start Those Engines”!!