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Announcement of the 2026 Sons of Liberty District Pinewood Derby
Greetings to all Cubmasters and Pack Committee Chairs! (If you are no longer serving in either of these capacities, please forward this message to the appropriate person and provide me with the correct name and email contact.)
While I am getting this announcement out a little earlier than last year, I realize that I am a couple of months behind in getting out the specific details for the 2026 Sons of Liberty District Pinewood Derby, and I apologize if I have caused confusion at the Pack level. It always seems to take longer than expected to get confirmation on the date and location fr our event. I am hoping that all Packs can complete their Pack Pinewood Derby in the next two months and that we can complete the District Pinewood Derby before we get any further into the busy Spring season.
I have some GOOD NEWS for this year! The Packs will have to pay NO Registration Fees for the District Pinewood Derby!! Our Council (“The Spirit of Adventure Council”) has agreed to pick up the costs of the trophies and Event Patches as your Pack members are thus getting some value out of their annual Council Fee that is tacked onto their National BSA Membership Fee.
I have REMINDERS for the 2026 Sons of Liberty District Pinewood Derby - actually three (3) items that you will want your Pack parents to be aware of:
First - the date for the SOL 2026 District PWD will be on Saturday, May 2. Since that date is now a little less than two months away, I trust that your Pack will have adequate time to select your representatives and for the families to make arrangements to be present on May 2nd.
Second, - our location for 2026 is now at the St. Camillus Parish, in the church basement (1185 Concord Turnpike) in Arlington. That location is on the street parallel to Route 2, just west of the steep hill. If you are using Route 2 westbound, then take the Park Street exit and continue west on Concord Tpke; if you are going eastsbound on Route 2, then take the Park Street exit, cross over Route 2, and bang an immediate left onto Concord Turnpike. Your GPS should be able to get you to the location, but be aware that the church parking lot entrance comes up very quickly once you crest the hill, and it is well before the stop light.
Third, this year we are hoping to see lots of Lions participating in our series of Pinewood Derby races for representatives from the Cub Scout Packs in our District. Since we can not start our event any earlier in the day, we will be running an additional block of races after the Arrow of Light Scouts have completed their heats. Please see the arrival times and starting times below.
It is my understanding that most Packs distribute Pinewood Derby Racecar Kits at their December Pack Meeting. Please see the attachment for the "Sons of Liberty District Pinewood Derby 2026 RACE RULES". There have been no changes to the Rules used since 2018 except that we will be using Pack 313's plastic racetrack again this year. The two RULE changes/additions from seven years ago, which addressed the continued ban on liquid lubricants and the standardization of the racecar wheelbase, continue in effect; they are part of our on-going effort to provide a "level playing field" for all Cub Scouts participating in the District Pinewood Derby as a representative of their individual Pack. So - please inform your Cub Scouts and their Parents about the significance of these rules, and please make sure that any and all of the Racecars sent to the District PWD comply with the District RULES.
The basic Rules included in each Pinewood Derby Racecar Kit, as well as the District PWD RULES, are based on Cub Scouts using the standard components provided in each BSA Kit. Certainly, those colored BSA wheels are allowed! We don't want any surprised and upset parents and/or crying Cub Scouts, because their racecars were disqualified from running after being found to be in noncompliance with the District RULES by using non-BSA parts.
The RULES for the SOL District Pinewood Derby are exactly that - these RULES are intended for all entrants in the SOL District PWD races that will be held on Saturday, May 2 at the St. Camillus Parish in Arlington. These RULES do not prevent any Cub Scout Pack from applying stricter or less stringent rules for its own Pack Pinewood Derby. However, if a Pack uses less stringent rules for the Pack PWD, then that Pack needs to be aware of two (2) issues regarding the use of rules different from the District RULES. At the beginning of the racecar construction period, hopefully, the Pack informed the Pack members & families that only cars which comply with the District RULES will be allowed to go to the District PWD to represent the Pack. This means that just because a certain racecar wins at the Pack level, that car may not be eligible to go on to the District Pinewood Derby Races; the Pack can send, as its representative, a different Cub Scout with her/his racecar which does comply with the District RULES. Second, it is the responsibility of each Pack to make sure that each racecar, submitted to the District PWD as a representative of the Pack, complies with the District RULES. If a racecar fails the inspection at check-in, the Cub Scout will have a opportunity to make changes to his/her car to bring it into compliance (if possible) before their race begins.
Since the races are going to be started primarily on-the-hour for the different Cub Scout levels, I ask that you remind your Pack's representatives that they need to arrive at least half an hour before their starting times so that we can get them registered and checked-in before their races are scheduled to start.
Arrival times are as follows:
Tigers should arrive at 9:30 AM, for their races to start at 10:00 AM.
Wolves should arrive at 10:30 AM, for their races to start at 11:00 AM.
Bears should arrive at 11:30 AM, for their races to begin at 12:00 Noon.
Webelos should arrive at 12:30 PM, for their races to begin at 1:00 PM.
Arrow of Light should arrive at 1:30 PM, for their races to begin at 2:00 PM.
Lions should arrive at 2:15 PM, for their races to begin at 2:45 PM
The basic specifications for the racecars are printed on the instruction sheet inside all of the BSA Pinewood Derby Racecar boxes ("Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit"). The Race Rules have basically not changed from the past five years (see above, and the attached RULES). As always, we are looking forward to seeing lots of unique creations at the District Pinewood Derby!
I am taking this opportunity to again plead for all Cubmasters to make sure that the racecars that represent your Pack at the District Pinewood Derby are running on all four wheels. I am happy to report that there seems to be a positive result from my plea in the last twelve years, following the inclusion of a newly stated requirement (see Rule T-7). Although there are still racecars submitted that may have been intentionally designed and constructed to have one of those four wheels hanging up in the air instead of bearing its share of the cars' weight and drag, they are not so blatant and their number is significantly reduced from thirteen years ago. I still maintain that those 3-wheelers are so manifestly unfair to those Cub Scouts who live up to the expectation that their racecars are to run on all four wheels! You may allow the variant design in your Pack PWD, but please inform your Scouts and their parents that your Pack's representatives to the District Pinewood Derby are expected to have all four wheels running on the track.
As usual, your Pack needs to REGISTER before the day of the races, although you do not need to submit your individual racers' names at the time of registration - please use my e-mail address or telephone number below to inform me of the Ranks/Levels at which your Pack will be represented. I appreciate your getting me the names of your racers as soon after your Pack PWD as you can, so that we can have them entered into the computer program before May 2nd arrives. I look forward to another exciting District Pinewood Derby in May, with every Pack represented at every level of Cub Scouting. Remember - your Arrow of Light Scouts (“Arrowheads”) are welcome to participate in the District Pinewood Derby, even if they have crossed over into a Scouts BSA Troop between your Pack's PWD and the date of the District PWD.
The deadline for registering your Pack is Friday, March 27 - I need time to order trophies and a sufficient number of Event Patches. The actual names of your representatives at each level are not needed in order to register your Pack with the number of representatives that you will be sending (ONE, and only ONE, per level). I will be looking forward to receiving directly from you (by e-mail or texting my cellphone) the names of your representatives after your Pack's Pinewood Derby has been completed and the representatives are determined.
I wish GOOD LUCK to all Pinewood Derby Racers! I look forward to seeing the creatively designed, constructed, and decorated race cars on May 2!!
Yours in Scouting,
John Boll, Event Chairman (“Derbymeister”)
Sons of Liberty District
The Spirit of Adventure Council
Scouting America
617) 519-1946 Cellphone
email address: johncboll@gmail.com
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