Speed workshop...format suggestions?

How to have useful construction workshops.
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Vitamin K
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Speed workshop...format suggestions?

Post by Vitamin K »

Hi folks,

So, we're having a pre-districts speed workshop this weekend (district race is the following weekend). Yours truly will be leading it. I expect to have 3-4 dad/scout pairs in attendance. A few people have expressed interest in alignment and rail-riding techniques, so I expect to spend most of my time on 'how to build and align a 3-wheel rail rider'. I'll have a tuning board with me, but setting up the track is probably not an option, given space and time.

That said...any suggestions for how I can keep it informative, but interesting? I thought I'd bring along a plank car, and modify it as we go along (or, maybe have /them/ modify it as we go along). I want to be able to keep the boys engaged especially, since their attention spans are going to be the challenging point.

Hm. I wonder if I could bring along enough stuff to have every parent/scout team construct a 3-wheeler car as we go through the various speed aspects. Might need to zip to the scout store for a few extra sets of wheels, but hmmm....

Anyhow, any other suggestions/ideas/tips/warnings? I'm all ears.
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Stan Pope
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Re: Speed workshop...format suggestions?

Post by Stan Pope »

Can you structure so that you do not withhold the attendees discovery experience? For instance convey critical physical factors: High weight on rear, low weight on front. Relationship of weight to friction . Relation of wheel contact patch to rolling friction. Value of not bouncing off the rail. (Other?) Let each team put the facts together to discover what they may. A track upon which they can test their discoveries is highly desirable.
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Vitamin K
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Re: Speed workshop...format suggestions?

Post by Vitamin K »

Stan Pope wrote:Can you structure so that you do not withhold the attendees discovery experience? For instance convey critical physical factors: High weight on rear, low weight on front. Relationship of weight to friction . Relation of wheel contact patch to rolling friction. Value of not bouncing off the rail. (Other?) Let each team put the facts together to discover what they may. A track upon which they can test their discoveries is highly desirable.
That sounds like a pretty great idea Stan...if I had more time to prepare and more hands to do things like haul out and assemble/disassemble the track. I think, unfortunately, I'm going to have to stick to the practical at the expense of pedantic purity. I do want to do my best, though, to explain the reasoning behind the stuff we're doing. Also, wherever possible, I want to be able to draw the line between the way I personally do, and other options out there. I want them to go away with an understanding of the factors in play, but also maybe some ideas to experiment with on their own time.

However, with the districts a week away from the date of the workshop, I want them to be able to get their cars prepped as well as possible, too.
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Re: Speed workshop...format suggestions?

Post by ngyoung »

After my first work shop I wish I would have had an assistant, my son isn't quite experienced enough to demonstrate on his own. Make easy to read posters at each station with basic steps or printed multiple packets with the workshop steps. At the time I ran out of paper right when I went to print out 5kids' scout build worksheets. I had one copy that I kept having to flip through to show dads what to do while I was helping get the silver bullet set up properly.
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Re: Speed workshop...format suggestions?

Post by Speedster »

A word of caution. This comes from my working History. Whenever you do ANYTHING with the scouts, be certain you have the Boy Scouts of America protecting you legally. Don't ever put yourself in a situation where you are the one that is solely liable. Best of Luck in your workshops.
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Re: Speed workshop...format suggestions?

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Speedster wrote:A word of caution. This comes from my working History. Whenever you do ANYTHING with the scouts, be certain you have the Boy Scouts of America protecting you legally. Don't ever put yourself in a situation where you are the one that is solely liable. Best of Luck in your workshops.
What do you suggest? Have the Council sponsor the workshops, and as such, have the appropriate health or other insurance forms completed by each attendee? I'm sure there's a way to get covered under Scout insurance, but not sure the Councils will want to take that risk on, if power tools are involved. But I could be wrong about that.

I know people who work at the National Scout Headquarters, close to where I work in Irving, Texas. I might try to ask someone.

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Re: Speed workshop...format suggestions?

Post by Speedster »

Actually, Scrollsawer, I like your suggestion a lot better than what I did. Our Pack leader announced our annual workshop and my name was never mentioned even though I was in charge of the whole thing. I felt I was safe. I asked the Pack leader about liability and was told the Boy Scouts covered us. Everything was verbal. Nothing in writing. I need to take my own advice. I look forward to hearing what you find out. Thank you.
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Re: Speed workshop...format suggestions?

Post by Gtdhw »

Tagged for good info, as I plan on holding a workshop in a couple of months (since there is no one else in our pack that has shown any interest in doing so, and we have multiple boys with no male influence at home/tools/guidance/any idea what to do at all).
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Scrollsawer
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Re: Speed workshop...format suggestions?

Post by Scrollsawer »

Gtdhw wrote:Tagged for good info, as I plan on holding a workshop in a couple of months (since there is no one else in our pack that has shown any interest in doing so, and we have multiple boys with no male influence at home/tools/guidance/any idea what to do at all).
Read this post about possible liability, and the BSA's stance on Cubs and tool usage.

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=7334

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Re: Speed workshop...format suggestions?

Post by Gtdhw »

^^^Thanks Scrollsawer!
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