It didn't come off that way at all and I hope you didn't take my words as thinking you did. Just encouragement that you're doing things the right way.
Tales of Cheating
- Thread starter DuckOfAllTrades
- Start date
It didn't come off that way at all and I hope you didn't take my words as thinking you did. Just encouragement that you're doing things the right way.
"The most cheating comes from the leaders with kids competing. Hands down." I've been a leader of my sons and we won some and lost some. People asked me if I set up our track. Where? It came down for race day and got put away after. I'm now the most hated and feared guy in town once a year. (Head district inspector) I've never caught a scout breaking any rules, but dads will be dads. I go over each car with a fine tooth comb looking for anything not allowed that they have had weeks to prepare and I have mear seconds to find. If I find something they have the opportunity to correct it or race with others who didn't follow the rules. Their choice, no fuss. They always ask "what kind of cars would we be racing against" LOL My goal this year is to build the best car I can for district. I don't know if I can get everything done I want to. My oldest son (now 36) and I are going all out. Building a test sled for wheels, axles and weight to run down my track. I don't play sports but love racing of any kind.
Ha ha ha...i actually thought about doing that myself but abandoned the notion as i thought it was a bit over the top...maybe i AM going to fit in
It’s easy to say the dad who cheats the most without getting caught wins. With all the aftermarket parts, cars, and information on the internet it’s not difficult to build or purchase a winning car. Even if you know someone is cheating can you prove it? If so, before the race tell a leader which car is cheating and ask to see it and point out the violation. I can’t stand the losers who accuse people of cheating after the race.
As a pack leader, I feel a responsibility to make sure my own kid puts meaningul time and effort into his car, and in our pack, if you take the time to polish your axles, you use a vaguely aerodynamic shape, and you lift one wheel, you will place in the top ten. So it does not surprise me that most pack leaders’ kids do well, since their insistence that those kids do the bare minimum guarantees a decent showing.
A related phenomenon is that the kids of engineers always do well. But I don’t think that’s because the engineers either have secret knowledge or are cheating; they are just a bit more motivated because its more embrassing for the child of an engineer to place last than the child of a chef. And motivation is 90% of what you need for a fast scout car.
A related phenomenon is that the kids of engineers always do well. But I don’t think that’s because the engineers either have secret knowledge or are cheating; they are just a bit more motivated because its more embrassing for the child of an engineer to place last than the child of a chef. And motivation is 90% of what you need for a fast scout car.
We had a boy at district race that whenever we told the group that just finished racing to come up and get your cars he had to ask which car was his lpl.
I can honestly say I’m my pack, the kids that do well are the same kids invested in the program. They are at all den meetings, pack meetings, events, campouts, etc...
Oh my! That’s horrible! If my kids don’t put in the effort, they won’t have a good car. This way they are invested in the race, they care more and take pride in how they do. They could definitely pick there car out of a lineup, it’s there design.
Agreed on that. My kids either have a hand in the car or they don’t race.
I love the idea of pwd workshops...i unfourtunatly work second shift so i dont make hardly any meetings or workshops however working this shift does allow me more one on one time with my scout being a machinist by trade i am very detail oriented and some of that has rubbed off on my scout...not to mention he is a very determined 9 year old...he has done very well at the derby in the past and have no doubt (judging hus car currently being built) that this year will be anything but stellar...anyway i have been accused of building his car for him since he doesnt do it at the workshops ...frankly because its too hectic for his style and hed rather take his time vs take his turn....point is dont under estimate a childs determination
Well even at Scout workshops Dads will still be doing most of the stuff.....that is if they are going by the rules written in the Guide for safe scouting that states cub aged kids can't use power tools.
Tell ya what...this may seem a bit strange to ya'll but when we took over the derby for our troops, we also took away a ton of cheating! how you ask? We are now using LEGOS! Because number one I was tired of folks whining and bellyaching "i dont have a saw, I dont have a drill, I WAA WAA this, I WAA WAA that" and they cannot buy the cars off of ebay!! We upped the weight to 6oz and you would be surprised these little cars go pretty good, and actually it is AWESOME to see the LEGO explosion and the end of the track if they are built quite right HAHA! But now the kids do more of the buidling and there is a lot less cheating and crying.
What’s alarming is everyone knows cheating goes on at the scout level, but I can’t find an example of them getting caught. I like to assume no scout would cheat! And if they do, it’s most likely the parent. But it seems to go unstopped. I guess it’s hard to prove and you assume and believe the scout is following the scout code, so why accuse or look for cheating? Plus most inspectors are volunteers not knowing what to look for. In the case they are caught, as it should be, they are allowed to fix it, which is great, and not considered a cheater (such a harsh word!)
Thanks everyone for sharing! I reiterate again, not a cheater and would never entertain the thought of it! I believe in setting an example of how to be a good person for my kids. They will do in life as they see there parents do at this impressionable age. Hardwork, time and dedication beats a shirt cut any day! And if someone does cheat, let them win. They have to live with it. Everything comes back around and they won’t win in the end.
Thanks everyone for sharing! I reiterate again, not a cheater and would never entertain the thought of it! I believe in setting an example of how to be a good person for my kids. They will do in life as they see there parents do at this impressionable age. Hardwork, time and dedication beats a shirt cut any day! And if someone does cheat, let them win. They have to live with it. Everything comes back around and they won’t win in the end.
Only real way of catching them is to have a tear down at the end of the race.....now all I mean is removing a wheel and axle and performing measurements and visual inspection.....of course this would have to be written in the rules that winning cars have to go thru this.....but it could be done.
Not saying im for or against that ..it is how it is done in short track racing and i can tell you from experiance (racing short track) that taking home a trophy after someone else fails tech ...once the cheers and the crowd have dispersed just doesnt feel the same as victory lane...double edge sword i guess
Last edited:
District race this last weekend...2 scouts got caught. I didn't get to see what the violations were, but they had their names crossed off the final standings. It was pretty clear they did something severe....an ENTIRE SECOND faster than the rest of the scouts. They posted times that would have been decent on a 42 foot track when they ran on a 49.
Were they inspected because they were so much faster? I wonder what it could be that was not caught on initial inspection. How tight are the rules, could it have been vendor grooved axles and oil (if only graphite allowed).
WOW, sounds like they had a bottle rocket strapped to the back. That's incredible. And incredibly stupid! An entire second? How did they think they would get away with that and not get caught. That's a crazy discrepancy.
Similar threads
