Coordinator Racing in the event?

General race coordinator discussions.
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CubScoutsDad
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Coordinator Racing in the event?

Post by CubScoutsDad »

Well I volunteered to be the coordinator for this years pack race. We always have an OUTLAW div. Would it be wrong for me to enter a car in the event? I probably already know the answer, but I just wanted to see what your thougts would be. I have won the pack race 2 years in a row and once at district in the outlaw div. and I am pretty sure I can repeat the process. I just love to build a car and race it. It will be hard not to race this year.
rdlongsc
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Re: Coordinator Racing in the event?

Post by rdlongsc »

I am assuming you are a parent in this unit. If you are, you should not be prevented from participating because you are willing to volunteer. You can isolate yourself from this by getting other volunteers (we use Den Chiefs, who have no allegiance to any Cub) to handle the cars and non-Scouter parents to do inspection, design judging, etc. I would be more worried being the coordinator and having my son's car in the race. However competitive a parent may be, they are more likely to want their child to do well. Isolate yourself from direct contact like setting cars on track, start gate and such. I also have an older gentleman on my street that helps with running the event doing hands-on activities. These steps have prevented any conflicts in our unit.
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Darin McGrew
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Re: Coordinator Racing in the event?

Post by Darin McGrew »

We've never experienced problems from allowing our derby organizers to enter cars, although we have an All Comers division rather than an Outlaw division. Of course, some years, some of them have been too busy to build a car.
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Go Bubba Go
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Re: Coordinator Racing in the event?

Post by Go Bubba Go »

My first thought is that there is no reason that you should not participate, but that rdlongsc is hitting on something regarding apparent "fairness issues".

If you participate, I would ensure you have no "apparent" advantages over the other participants by virtue of your position i.e. you should not be the sole inspector and approver of your own car or those of other participants (maybe not an issue for "Outlaw" races but definitely so if rules are present and enforced). If the person in your position would normally stage the cars, you should either have a disinterested party stage all the cars or better yet allow all the participants (yourself included) to stage their own cars. In essence, if your car wins there should be no question that it has to do with the setup of the car itself and not any "shenanigans" that happened during the execution of the race. Frankly, you want this degree of visible integrity both for yourself (to know how well your car really stacks up) and to silence (or at least limit) any accusations of foul play.

However, my second thought is that there are a couple of reasons that you might consider abstaining, and they are ones that only you can really decide for yourself. If your participation is currently a discouragement to others (either through the tone you have set or through them feeling they are simply overmatched), you might want to consider skipping one year just to remove that source of discouragement. Also if you don't have enough time (there is only so much) to put a good effort both into building a car and into promoting the event through workshops, etc. designed to encourage others, you might want to consider skipping one year to concentrate on improving the participation level and enjoyment of others in the event. Having accepted a leadership role, you need to ensure the well being of the event and the Pack first. Self-sacrificial yes, but that is part of leadership.

In interest of full disclosure, let me say that I have also won our Open Class for several years running (though Mrs. Bubba nearly beat me last year LOL), and this is also my first year as our Pinewood Derby Chairman. So far as I can tell from the reactions of the other parents and participants, the manner in which I have conducted myself (encouraging others to participate, sharing all (well most :wink: ) of my "secrets", inviting the Dads of the other boys with "hot cars" to join in the Fray, adding a Design award to the Open Class) seems to be adding to the event rather than putting a damper on it. We have about 3 times the cars entered now than when we first joined the Pack (granted about 1/3 are from my family - we make one for my wife also and each of the kids as well as grandpa and grandma - it's great fun!!!), and there is much more energy and awareness of our Open Class than when we first arrived.

I do keep a close eye on the response of the parents and other participants (Mrs. Bubba keeps me honest on this as well), and if at some point we need to step out for a year to liven things up a bit I hope I will be wise enough to do so. What I have considered if it that becomes necessary is to build a couple "modified" cars (i.e. razor wheels, needle axles, etc.) that would be outside our Open Class rules and have a couple "Demo only" runs to show what other possibilities exist with these little cars. Not sure I could go "cold turkey".

Quick question - are you holding any workshops for your "competitors"? If they're mostly newbies, you really should IMO.
"Who's Grandpa's neighbor?"... Phil Davis, Down and Derby
CubScoutsDad
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Re: Coordinator Racing in the event?

Post by CubScoutsDad »

Thanks for your insight on the situitaion at hand. Yes I will be holding 2 workshops this year. I have told all to come, besause I am giving away speed secrets and going to let them use my speed tools.
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Stan Pope
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Re: Coordinator Racing in the event?

Post by Stan Pope »

Look at your various functions. Some of them involve (A) applying clearly understood procedures (e.g. calling up the next racers, announcing the readout on electronic finish line) and some of them probably involve (B) making decisions that require some degree of judgement (overruling the finish line electronics, performing technical inspection of cars) and may be seen as arbitrary.

When you or your opponents are subject of your "judgements" (group B functions) , then you should have a stand-in preform that function. No one should have a problem with you performing the clear-cut and/or inconsequential functions (group A).
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