The Runnin' Ute

Last Friday night our family loaded into the car and headed to our ward house for the annual Pinewood Derby. Jonathan was decorated with cub scout pins and badges, his pinewood derby car was in hand and a tray of lemon bars to share was sliding around the back seat.  This was the big night we had been waiting for. Steve and Jonathan had spent hours in the basement sanding, painting and weighting their racing creation. Upon arrival Jonathan eyed his competitors running their derby cars down the wooden tracks. He headed over to meet his friends and give his car a test drive. 

Steve leaned over and whispered that our hope should be for Jonathan to win third place. We could avoid the Saturday long upcoming regional derby races that a higher place would qualify him for, but he would still win a medal and we could all feel great about his efforts. After a chili dinner, the crowd gathered around the race track. The boys weighed their cars and the competition began. 

Jonathan's name was called and he placed "The Runnin' Ute" in starting position. We held our breath as the trigger was pulled. 

"The Runnin' Ute" and it's fierce competitors raced down the track. Jonathan's car took the lead. Jonathan's cheering squad, which included his siblings and their recruited friends, went wild. Heat after heat, "The Runnin' Ute" pulled in first.

 However, when round two began and the Bears entered the race, the competition became more tense. "The Runnin' Ute" got a taste of second and even third place. At the end of the night Jonathan's car was in the running for one of the top slots. But when all was said and done, "The Runnin Ute" took third. Just as Steve had hoped, we had avoided a Saturday at the regional races, Jonathan got his medal and we all felt great about his effort!

After the races we gathered around the United States Flag for a quick pack meeting. Perhaps less exciting than the derby, but more significant, was Jonathan's progression from Wolf to Bear.

 Jonathan and two of his friends worked hard to finish their Wolf badges early and join the Bears, who were lacking in membership. With Jonathan's pinning, we celebrated six months of trekking through the snowy woods to collect trash, discussions about Internet predators and home safely, trips to the skating rink for an ice skating belt loop, planning, cooking and eating healthy meals eight year old style, and keeping track for two weeks of healthy habits including how many glasses of water consumed a day and the number of times Jonathan's hands were washed per day. We were proud of our cub and all of his hard work!