With Pinewood Derby Daze February 24-25 coming up, let’s give a big THANK YOU to advance volunteer leaders and helpers . . . Host Committee / Décor / Signage Leader Margarita Perez (1030) . . . Event Concierge (Q&A, Directions): Carolyn Clark (1513) . . . Repair Shop Helpers: Gil Patterson (1513) and Kelly Collier (3802) . . . Yellow Track Track Master: Bret Wood (631), and Yellow Track Inspections/Check In (Pit Row): Cliff Strat and Troop 631 . . . Yellow Track Computer Scoreboard “advisor” Dennis Willis (631) . . . Blue Track Crew Inspections/Check In (Pit Row): Ricky Johnson (7250) . . . Yellow Track Master of Ceremonies: Shawn Smith (631) . . . Concession Stand helpers Sabrina Snowden and Karen Corbin (631), and Dominique Hammond (T631) . . . Awards Assistants: Patricia Carter (373), Eileen Joiner (373) (NOTE: Except for Patch and Design Certificates, there are no awards for “Pack Derbies” – each Pack does their own award system, whether trophies or medals or whatever) . . . Drivers Licenses (DMV) Director: Rich Taylor (1954) . . . Silver Fun Track Track Master: Cam Sutherland (1030), with Mark Milhiser (1030), Nick Esposito (1030), Niraj Patel (1030), Antwan Marbley (3802) …  and Troop Campsites and Scout Skills Challenge: Pete Wilborn (54), with Jim Waddell (631), and Participating Troops: 54, 711, 631, 374, 1513.  Come join the team! To volunteer to help, feel free to Add a Comment (login as member, member1) on the Pinewood Derby Page, or email the Derby Commissioner, or take this Point & Click Survey, and read the Plan, or your part of it, at the Pinewood Derby Page.

The Atlanta Area Council has announced a new fundraising program for units called Camp Cards, intended to help Scouts pay for Summer Camp opportunities like Summer Cub Adventure Camp (click on that for the sharp new flyer), and other camping opportunites (click on that link, because you'll find out about a LOT of new camping options, like the 2013 Council Encampment for ALL units, a LOT of new Cub Scout Adventures, including one night "Fun with Son" June 23-24; for Boy Scout Troops: Aquatics Camp, Shooting Sports Camp, Winter Camp!, plus good ol' Summer Camp, and for Venturing Crews: Venturing Extreme Summer Camp).  Camp Cards are simple "discount cards" for various retailers in Atlanta, sold for $5.  Discounts include Publix ($5 off $50 purchase -- one-time use), Waffle House (free beverage with meal purchase -- multiple use!), Sports Authority ($10 off $50 purchase -- multiple use!), Meineke (10% off automotive services and 5% off tires and batteries), White Water Express ($10 off an activity or buy one get one free activity!).  Each card is worth many times the $5 they sell for:  one Publix trip covers the cost, and more year-round discounts offered on the back make the sale of this card "the biggest no-brainer in the history of earth”.  Units get 50% commission.  So, Unlike Popcorn, no issue about "extra inventory": You simply return any unsold cards by May 17, 2012 along with payment for all sold cards.  See the Camp Card web page for more details and to register to participate.

This is a story about 4 people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.  A Pinewood Derby job had to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.  Now, Anybody could have done the job, but Nobody did it.  Everybody knew that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.  It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.  See more here, but, yes, we do need more advance (signing up now for a job), committed (reading the plan to know what is going to happen), communicating (responding to questions, calling the others in the job area to be sure all "get it") volunteers, including some "leaders" of areas (like Blue Track Trackmaster and Scoreboard (Computer); Yellow Track Scoreboard (Computer); Repair Shop Leader; Blue Track Master of Ceremonies; Publicity; Concessions (should be from 631, as Host Pack); Award Guru Guide (to help Packs with Pack Derby Award Ideas); Design Judging; Security / Crowd Control; First Aid; Derby Films (Live Video); Adult Derby Commissioner), and (in all areas) "assistants" and "helpers" who can share the work and take shifts.  To volunteer to help, feel free to Add a Comment on the Pinewood Derby Page, or email the Derby Commissioner, or take this Point & Click Survey, and read the Plan, or your part of it, at the Pinewood Derby Page. 

Question:  "Is it possible that this Derby might be cancelled if there are not enough Advance, Committed, Communicating Volunteers who lead the different parts of the Derby?"  Answer: Yes, it could be cancelled if there are not enough volunteers.  While the existing volunteers would hate to cancel, because a big crazy active three ring circus style of Derby is huge fun for the boys (see these photos from last year), it takes a lot of Advance, Committed, Communicating Volunteers to succeed in putting on a big fun event (just take a look at the team that put this on last year).  Question: "Really?  Isn't there already a team in place running the Derby?  Why would you put it on the calendar if you didn't have a team lined up?"  Answer:  Putting on a big event like this takes a Leap of Faith -- that we will get the volunteers needed to put this on, because there is no group of "Derby Daddies" or "Pinewood Pixies" who magically produce a Pinewood Derby for your boys:  it has to be done by all of us. Question:  "What do you mean by 'Advance, Committed, Communicating Volunteers' who lead the different parts of the Derby?  Can't we all just show up that day and help?"  Answer:  For the Derby to succeed, Volunteer Leaders are needed who will "in advance" lead a part of the Derby.  They need to be Committed in advance, by reading the plan in advance and improving the plan where it needs improvement.  They need to be Communicating in many ways: to recruit a team (from your Pack or others), to inform the team of how that part of the job will be done (who will do what and when, who will bring necessary items), and communicate with the Derby Commissioner and others on the Derby Staff so that all are working together.  While unassigned people who show up at Derby Daze will be impressed into service in some way, it is impossible to recruit, train, equip and deploy the Derby Staff successfully if we don't have Advance, Committed, Communicating Volunteers.  Question:  "Yeah yeah yeah, sure, whatever.  Here's my question: we want to race at 11:00 on Saturday so we can sleep in some and get out early.  Can we have that time slot?"  Answer:  Not if you don't have Advance, Committed, Communicating Volunteers!!  Derby Time Slots will be allocated about two weeks before the Derby to Packs in this order:  Packs that have the highest proportion (compared to Pack Size) of Advance, Committed, Communicating Volunteers who are "getting it done" will get to pick their times first.  So if you want to pick your time slot, Volunteer!  Question:  OK, I get it.  What areas still need leadership, and how do I volunteer?  Answer:  Key Areas of Derby Daze Jobs that are essential to be filled include leadership of: Blue Track Trackmaster and Scoreboard (Computer); Yellow Track Scoreboard (Computer); Repair Shop Leader; Blue Track Master of Ceremonies; Publicity; Concessions (should be from 631, as Host Pack); Award Guru Guide (to help Packs with Pack Derby Award Ideas); Design Judging; Security / Crowd Control; First Aid; Derby Films (Live Video); Adult Derby Commissioner.  To volunteer to help, feel free to Add a Comment on the Pinewood Derby Page, or email the Derby Commissioner, or take this Point & Click Survey, and read the Plan, or your part of it, at the Pinewood Derby Page.

Darryl Felker of Pack 3353 writes:  "I assisted with cutting cars last year and would like to offer my services again to assist those units in need.  If there are any units needing assistance, they can call me on my cell at 404-314-9884 or e-mail me at dfelker@bellsouth.net." Thanks Darryl!  More help is needed, so if you can host a Pinewood Derby "Car Cutting" for more than your Pack, or find someone who is willing to do that (at Lowes, Home Depot, or another hardware store), please contact the Derby Commissioner so that we can advertise the events and help the Scouts make their cars (safely).  And the Pinewood Derby Page contains information about the February 24-25 Pinewood Derby Daze for South Fulton District Scouts.  To volunteer to help, feel free to email the Derby Commissioner, or take this Point & Click Survey.  To pull it off takes advance, committed, communicating volunteers who will lead different parts of the job, like those in the Plan on the Pinewood Derby Page or these excerpts of different jobs in the plan.

Scouting for Food involves Scouts across 11 counties in the Atlanta area who visit neighborhoods and schools and churches and businesses to distribute Publix shopping bags to those who will donate food.   Donors then fill these bags with food goods, and (depending on how you do your pick up) place them on their doorstep one week later for Scouts to come and pick them up, or return them to a donation point at a school, church or business.  Scouts then take these goods to local agencies that will use the food to help those in need.  Simple.  Good.   Sign up here.  Get cool patches for your Scouts.  Questions?  Contact Genelle Jefferson, our Scouting for Food Coordinator, at 404.964.5400.