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"Gentlemen, start your engines."
With that announcement, 26 members of Cub Scout Pack 39 cued up their cars for the pack's annual Pinewood Derby on Jan. 30 at First Baptist Church in DeRidder.
The races pitted Tiger Cubs, Wolf Cubs and Webelos against each other to determine a winner in each group and an overall winner for the pack.
The double-elimination event allowed all racers to compete at least twice. The pack boasts several members whose parents are soldiers or civilian members of the Fort Polk community. Prior to the race, most of the military kids were confident in their cars' performance.
Cameron Davis, 7, said he and his dad, Capt. Damond Davis, worked for two days to prepare his entry — Flash.
"We put some weights on it to make it go faster," the Wolf Cub said. "I think it will do pretty good during the race."
Another Wolf Cub, Henry Jansen, 8, also was optimistic about his vehicle's chances. Jansen said he and his dad, Maj. Karl Jansen, spent about three weeks preparing his entrant that looked like the family minivan.
"We did some work on the front to give it a fast start," Henry said. "I think we'll win."
Webelo Mark Mestre, 10, added a little more weight to his entry — the Green Machine — just prior to entering it in the competition. He said the name came from his dad, retired Chief Warrant Officer Mark Mestre.
"I think I've got a good chance of winning," the younger Mestre said. "Last year I finished in fourth place — I'm going for first this year."
However, it was another Fort Polk youngster, Aidan Willis, 9, and Car No. 7 that would prove to own the fastest wheels at this year's event. Willis, the son of Sgt. 1st Class Sean and Keisha Willis, raced through the competition without losing a single race.
"Actually, I thought we might win a few races, but I never thought we would win the whole thing," Willis, a Wolf Cub, said. "I thought maybe we could pick up a few pointers that would help us go faster and win next time."
Aidan said it was his first year to compete in the Pinewood Derby.
"That's another reason I was surprised we won," he said. "But I'm very happy."
Dennis Corda, Cubmaster for Pack 39, said he was pleased with the way the evening's events unfolded.
"The kids seemed to enjoy themselves," Corda said. "The Cub Scout's slogan is 'Do your best' - and they did. And they had fun."
Each pack member who participated in the race earned a patch for his efforts.
Cub Scout Pack 39's charter organization is First Baptist Church of DeRidder. Parents interested in signing their youngsters up for scouting can call Jason Ebeyer at (337) 463-9047.
"Gentlemen, start your engines."
With that announcement, 26 members of Cub Scout Pack 39 cued up their cars for the pack's annual Pinewood Derby on Jan. 30 at First Baptist Church in DeRidder.
The races pitted Tiger Cubs, Wolf Cubs and Webelos against each other to determine a winner in each group and an overall winner for the pack.
The double-elimination event allowed all racers to compete at least twice. The pack boasts several members whose parents are soldiers or civilian members of the Fort Polk community. Prior to the race, most of the military kids were confident in their cars' performance.
Cameron Davis, 7, said he and his dad, Capt. Damond Davis, worked for two days to prepare his entry — Flash.
"We put some weights on it to make it go faster," the Wolf Cub said. "I think it will do pretty good during the race."
Another Wolf Cub, Henry Jansen, 8, also was optimistic about his vehicle's chances. Jansen said he and his dad, Maj. Karl Jansen, spent about three weeks preparing his entrant that looked like the family minivan.
"We did some work on the front to give it a fast start," Henry said. "I think we'll win."
Webelo Mark Mestre, 10, added a little more weight to his entry — the Green Machine — just prior to entering it in the competition. He said the name came from his dad, retired Chief Warrant Officer Mark Mestre.
"I think I've got a good chance of winning," the younger Mestre said. "Last year I finished in fourth place — I'm going for first this year."
However, it was another Fort Polk youngster, Aidan Willis, 9, and Car No. 7 that would prove to own the fastest wheels at this year's event. Willis, the son of Sgt. 1st Class Sean and Keisha Willis, raced through the competition without losing a single race.
"Actually, I thought we might win a few races, but I never thought we would win the whole thing," Willis, a Wolf Cub, said. "I thought maybe we could pick up a few pointers that would help us go faster and win next time."
Aidan said it was his first year to compete in the Pinewood Derby.
"That's another reason I was surprised we won," he said. "But I'm very happy."
Dennis Corda, Cubmaster for Pack 39, said he was pleased with the way the evening's events unfolded.
"The kids seemed to enjoy themselves," Corda said. "The Cub Scout's slogan is 'Do your best' - and they did. And they had fun."
Each pack member who participated in the race earned a patch for his efforts.
Cub Scout Pack 39's charter organization is First Baptist Church of DeRidder. Parents interested in signing their youngsters up for scouting can call Jason Ebeyer at (337) 463-9047.
