VIENNA - More than 300 Cub Scouts from 17 West Virginia and two Ohio counties gathered Saturday for the 39th Annual Davis Anderson Memorial Cub Scout Pinewood Derby - Allohak Council Championships at the Grand Central Mall in Vienna.
Nick Mehl, district executive of the Allohak Council, said 350 Cub Scouts signed up for the annual competition, which involves the Scouts building the racers with the help of a parent or other adult.
"The Cub Scouts are in grades first through fifth and they learn the crafts needed to make the racers," he said. "They have the Pinewood Derby rules that must be followed in the making the car and the racing process."
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More than 300 cub scouts from 17 West Virginia and two Ohio counties gathered Saturday for the 39th
Mehl said the young Scouts learn an important lesson in sportsmanship dealing with how they behave at the derby and how they react to winning or losing.
"They are also here to have some fun," he said. "They build a relationship with their parent or helper and in the process learn new skills and learn the excitement of competition."
The Allohak Council Pinewood Derby Committee sets simple rules for the derby and each Scout receives a set of those rules with their racing kit. All Scouts are required to build a new car each year. On race day, the cars were weighed, measured and inspected to confirm the race rules have been followed.
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Photo by Jeffrey Saulton
Bill Kroll, center, and his son Jacob Kroll watch as Mike Tice weighs Jacob’s racer.
Kathy Anderson Wise, chairwoman of the derby, said her father organized the first local Pinewood Derby in 1972. Since 1974 she said the derby has been an annual event at the Grand Central Mall. Her father died 10 years ago and the derby was named in his honor.
"I've been here every single year and I've been the coordinator for the past 20 years," she said. "We're all here because we love the Scouts and Scouting."
Winning the Pinewood Derby for the second time in three years was 10-year-old Landon Wigal of Belpre and a member of Cub Scout Pack 19. He finished first in 2009, second in 2010 and won it this year. Wigal said he's been building racers and racing for four years.
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More than 300 cub scouts from 17 West Virginia and two Ohio counties gathered Saturday for the 39th annual Davis Anderson Memorial Cub Scout Pinewood Derby - Allohak Council Championships.
Davis Anderson founded the local derby in 1972 and it has been an annual event at Grand Central Mall since 1974.
His daughter, Kathy Anderson Wise, has been the coordinator for the past 20 years.
Winning the Pinewood Derby for the second time in three years was 10-year-old Landon Wigal of Belpre and a member of Cub Scout Pack 19.
Saturday's event began at 10 a.m., with the Cub scouts racing their handcrafted cars of their own design. The derby kicked off Scout Anniversary Week as Scouts from the area and across the state celebrate the Boy Scouts of America's 101th anniversary.
The Allohak Council serves 17 counties in West Virginia and Ohio, including Ritchie, Wood, Pleasants, Calhoun, Jackson, Roane, Wirt, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Barbour, Randolph, Tucker and Upshur counties in West Virginia and Washington and Athens counties in Ohio.
The finishers Saturday at the Davis Anderson Memorial Pinewood Derby - Allohak Council Championships were:
First: Landon Wigal, 10, Belpre, Pack 19
Second: Christopher Reeder, 8, Guysville, Ohio, Pack 52
Third: Derek Ballengee, 10, Walker, Pack 60
Fourth: Jeremy Joyce, 10, Belleville, Pack 117
Fifth: Kaleb Calloway, 9, Walker, Pack 60
Sixth: Devon Van Allen, 8, Parkersburg, Pack 6
Seventh: Nathan Banks, 9, Barlow, Ohio, Pack 217
Eighth: Joey Shepard, 10, Vienna, Pack 20
Ninth: Garrett Holsinger, 9, Coolville, Ohio, Pack 52
Tenth: Gavin Shaffer, 7, Parkersburg, Pack 6
