Running siblings with Pack Boys

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ScoutAndDadTeam
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Running siblings with Pack Boys

Post by ScoutAndDadTeam »

This may be a question specifically for Randy. Because of the size of our pack and the size of the fellowship hall we are going to run the race this year a little different. We are going to run all the Tigers together, the Wolfs and Bears then all the Webelos together. We will then advance the three top winners from each rank to the grand finals round. My question is about siblings. We have traditionally run a sibling race in addition to the main pack race. For convenience sake it may be nice to run the siblings at the same time as each den race. Is it possible in GPRM to have the siblings run with the den races (I know we can do this -- just have a sibling group). My question is can we hide the results for the siblings when we show how everyone finished in order at the end of the race. Also, what are your thoughts of running siblings at the same time as the boys race? The fastest car in our pack the past few years (if you look at times) has been a sibling car.
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Go Bubba Go
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Re: Running siblings with Pack Boys

Post by Go Bubba Go »

FWIW I would encourage you to keep the siblings separate.

We also have adult / sibling races (the night before) as a supplement to the boy's race to "share the fun", but the main event is really for the Boys as part of their program.

Even if you run the siblings right after the boys are done, it's still not the same as sharing the track and losing to their little brother / little sister / etc. Sometimes the boys need to have their "own" time, even if they share part of it.

The adults in our Pack that often lose to my daughter's "Disney Princess" line of cars (Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, this year was Cinderella) take it in stride (mostly). Not sure the boys would take it as well.

Just my opinion.

Bubba
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gpraceman
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Re: Running siblings with Pack Boys

Post by gpraceman »

If Siblings are their own race group, then they will not be racing against the scouts.

The only concern with the standings is if you are trying to display the overall standings, which would show the Sibling racers in the mix. The easiest way not to have them show up in the overall standings would be to run the Siblings group in a separate data file. If you run them in the same data file, then with Version 8 you can turn on the option to exclude racers from the standings. Then exclude each of the Sibling racers (or just the top ones) so they don't show up when you display the overall standings. You can unexclude them so they display properly when looking at the Sibling standings.

Also with V8, you can turn on master scheduling. This will take each of the group schedules and collate them together, so you will be running a mix of heats from each group to keep everyone involved instead of waiting their turn. Everyone will still only race within their own group.
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PWD_addict
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Re: Running siblings with Pack Boys

Post by PWD_addict »

Go Bubba Go wrote:FWIW I would encourage you to keep the siblings separate.

We also have adult / sibling races (the night before) as a supplement to the boy's race to "share the fun", but the main event is really for the Boys as part of their program.
I'd totally agree with Bubba. For some reason, the last three years, one of the Sibling cars was fastest of the day. It would have been deflating for the Scouts to be beaten by a 4 year old girl's car. Keep the Siblings separate.
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Go Bubba Go
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Re: Running siblings with Pack Boys

Post by Go Bubba Go »

PWD_addict wrote:It would have been deflating for the Scouts to be beaten by a 4 year old girl's car. Keep the Siblings separate.
Older Scouts (i.e. Boy Scouts in an Open Class) and Adults should (I know, the operative word is SHOULD) be mature enough to handle watching their "Hot Rod" follow a Barbie car all the way down the track without reacting in an immature (angry, discouraged, etc.) fashion. Cub Scouts... not so much.

One of our main goals in Scouting is to guide these boys along and help them mature in areas like good sportsmanship, but this occurs over time. For many Tigers, it can be a tough learning experience just coming to grips with their "Hot Rod" following somebody else's "Hot Rod" down the track. But to lose to a GIRL, or a 4 year old's car, or even worse... a 4 year old GIRL's car??? Too much for them to grasp at once and not get overly discouraged, in my opinion. Have this happen a couple of years in a row, and my guess is that either your PWD, your participation rate in PWD, or you Sibling class would get nixed or suffer.

Bubba

p.s. For our races, we use GPRM (version 7, I think) and we have a different data file for the Open Class / Sibling races. While there are a few adults & boys who pay attention and note who was really the "fastest overall", most Cub Scouts are clueless about the other Dens let alone the Open Class.
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Re: Running siblings with Pack Boys

Post by dna1990 »

Whether or not you think losing to a Princess car is a good life lesson or not, do remember that there is a good chance that will happen. I think the majority of our Princess cars were made 99% by Dads who wanted to tinker with building a fast car, but chose not to enter themselves in the Adult category.
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