MANISTEE -- For many years,
everyone has heard about the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, but now that
women are playing a more prominent role in the sport of auto racing,
it seems only natural that the Girl Scouts hold one of their own
like they did this past weekend at the Faith Covenant Church in
Manistee.
Excitement ran high among the girls, and the racing was just as intense as
their Cub Scout counterparts.
Becky Feil who is leader of Onekama Cadet Troop 462 and leader of
Troop 458 in Onekama said the concept of holding a Pinewood Derby is
something they have thought about for quite some time. All of the
pieces of the puzzle fell into place this year, and the girls were
excited about the prospect of “going racing” for the first time.
“It is the first one that I know of ever being held in Manistee
County,” said Feil. “We opened it up to all of the Girl Scouts in
the county, from Daisies to Senior Cadets, and they all made their
own cars out of little blocks of wood.”
Feil said that just like
the boys Pinewood Derby, they wanted to set it up in a manner where
the project of building a Pinewood Derby car is much more than just
entering a race. It is an activity that also helps build
relationships between family members.
“It was a project that I wanted them to do with a parent, older
brother, sister, aunt or uncle,” said Feil. “We felt it was
something that would be a good learning experience for both the
scout and their parents.”
Cars had to meet specific size and weight restrictions, and prior to
the racing, all the cars were officially weighed in. They even held
a “meeting of the drivers” where the scouts gathered to be reminded
about things like good sportsmanship that are just as important in
this competition.
Feil said they were
uncertain of what the initial response would be to the derby when it
was being planned, but they were pleasantly surprised at the
interest that was shown. She says it shows good signs of growing
even larger in the future.
