VI. SPECIAL NOTES TO ALL CONCERNED
This project is a parent and son event, and
is recommended as such by the National Boy Scouts of America. The Pinewood
Sportsmanship for
Kids: (parents, please read this with your boys
prior to race day)
Two things the Pinewood Derby requires each participant to learn are 1) the craft
skills necessary to build a car, and 2) the rules that must be followed. Even
more important, though, is how we act and behave while participating in the
Pinewood Derby or any other group activity. This is called sportsmanship.
The first thing to remember
about sportsmanship is that everyone's skills are a little different. You may
be good at something like singing or drawing, but not as good at something else
like basketball or computers. Parents have different skill levels, too. This
doesn't mean that you are a good person one time and not good another time. You
can always be a good person, whether or not you have good car-building skills.
Remember, you and your friends are individuals first and racers second. This
idea is often called having respect for others.
The second thing to
remember is to follow the rules. Without rules, there would be no Pinewood
Derby. You will never know if you are really good at doing something unless you
follow the rules. This is often called being honest.
The third thing to remember
about good sportsmanship is that there are winners and losers in every
competition. You accept this when you choose to compete. There may be times
when you win and feel happy, and times when you lose and feel unhappy. Being a
winner is easy, and losing is sometimes hard. If you win, you must not brag or
gloat. If you lose, you must not feel jealous or bitter. To be a good
sportsman, you must be able to say "I did my best" and be satisfied
with the results. You must also be able to appreciate and feel happy for
someone else when they run a good race or build a neat car.
Sportsmanship for
Parents: (Parents, please read this yourselves before race day!)
The race committee
volunteers their time and energy to ensure that the event is successful and
enjoyed by all. Anyone with a strong opinion on how the race should be
run is welcome to volunteer for the committee and help with the setup, cleanup,
pit crew, judging, etc. All should understand that things do not always
go as planned, sometimes mistakes, misunderstandings,
or rule disputes may take place. Such events present an opportunity to
show our boys by example how problems are dealt with in a mature, civilized
manner. In this case, dispute resolution means the race committee makes
its best effort to resolve the case fairly, and all parents will agree to abide
by the race committees decision. This
doesn’t mean everyone will agree that the decision is correct. It’s just that there is no other way to
quickly resolve disputes on race day with a minimum of conflict. Both race committee volunteers and parents
should not forget the example we are setting for our kids in the event that a
dispute crops up in the heat of the competition.
Remember, most of the boys
will learn a lesson about LOSING, not WINNING.
It is your job as parents to prepare them for that eventuality. Yes, they will be disappointed if they do not
win. Please help prepare them to deal
with that disappointment.
