The Race Committee,
Volunteers, & Officials Roles & Responsibilities
A successful and fun Pinewood Derby is
highly dependent on the work of the "Pinewood Derby
Committee, Volunteers, and Officials."
This individual is responsible for all
coordination activities and the Race
Committee. Strong organizational,
motivational, and leadership skills are
required here. The Race Commissioner
will typically host a number of meetings
in the months prior to the Derby to
collect and coordinate the status of all
of the other Committee members, and to
assign/coordinate additional tasks.
During the races, the Race Commissioner
will also act as the behind the scenes
coordinator of the event, coordinating
solutions to all unforeseen
'emergencies' should (when) they arise.
The MC is the Committee 'mouth' during
the Derby. He / she announces all races
and racers, all results, and all other
general communications during the event.
The MC also presents all trophies,
certificates, and medals to event
winners during and after the Derby. Your
Cubmaster is a good bet for the Master
of Ceremonies.
The Rules Committee is responsible for
the creation, approval, and distribution
of the ‘Rules, Regulations, and
Procedures’. The Rules Committee can
consist of all interested Pinewood Derby
Committee members. Key players in the
process are the Race Commissioner, the
Registration Team, and the Trackmaster
Team, even though all committee members
can participate.
A team of individuals that understands
woodworking, tool safety, and Derby car
construction techniques. This team will
be responsible for the planning and
running of the Pack Derby Construction
Clinics. Someone on this team should
have the ability to communicate in front
of the pack and review the Rules and
Regulations as well as Constructions
Tips and Tricks. The team should be
ready to answer a lot of questions and
offer one-on-one assistance to first
time builders.
We typically
require that cars be turned in for
impound before our Derbies. This occurs
one day prior to the event. There will
be a number of individuals responsible
for check-in, weighing, and conformance
to our rules on duty during this period.
These individuals MUST be very familiar
with the car construction rules. This
can be a 'tough' job!
These individuals are responsible for
all Derby decorations during the
Registration and Race. This involves
decoration acquisition from purchased
sources, and locating businesses that
are willing to donate decorations.
This team individuals are responsible
for the purchase, set-up, and sale of
snacks during the event. Typically, the
Pack should take in slightly more funds
than their refreshments outlay. If you
are not charging for food or
refreshments, the this team assist in
the coordination and distribution of
foods and snacks for the even.
A team of individuals that comes
together during the race to assist with
wheel / axle lubrication and any car
repairs that might be necessary should
cars 'fly' off of the track, or get
dropped, etc. Construction Clinic Team
members may participate here as well.
This team is responsible for the Track
Setup and Repair. This team assembles
the track and timers in the weeks before
the race, and effects any repairs that
might be necessary. During the races the
Trackmasters are also responsible for
keeping the tracks fast-and-smooth.
Two to three individuals that are
responsible for staging and starting
cars. These individuals shall assist
the racers in the placement of their
cars on the track. They shall make sure
that the racers are in their proper
lanes for the races and also properly
placed over the guide rails.
Two to three persons per track are
responsible for working the finish-line
during the races. This job involves
judging car finish order (as a backup
for the electronic timers) and handing
the cars to the appropriate scout upon
completion of the race.
Our Den Leaders are each responsible for
helping their Cubs with race day
logistics (and behavior.) They also help
with some of the more difficult lessons
that Cubs learn about 'sportsmanship'
during the races!
The Race
management Team is responsible for the
planning and management of the race.
This includes the planning of the
various racing heats, the collecting of
race outcomes, and the calculation of
the race winners and Grand Final Race
participants. This is typically
accomplished using a Race Management
Software.
The awards team is responsible for
developing an award program for the
races, and moving it through an approval
process by the Cubmaster and Committee
Chairman. The awards person then
purchases trophies and medals, and
coordinates the making of certificates.
We award trophies for the six fastest
cars, medals for first thru third place
in each Den, and really nice
personalized certificates, pins,
patches, etc. for all participants.
All of our Committee members (and maybe
some volunteer parents) help with
post-event cleanup.
