On January 26, the Wolf Den from Pack 1833 in Haymarket, VA held a Den activity in Michael’s Woodshop and created some nice trophies for their Pack’s upcoming pinewood derby race. The Wolves started with a safety briefing and were then given basic instructions for building the trophies. The Wolves were able to observe the set up and use of a number of pieces of shop equipment used by the leaders to make the initial cuts. They then had the opportunity to drill, sand and assemble the trophies. The Wolves not only had the opportunity to learn about shop safety and tool use, they also had some good hands-on experience and created some awesome trophies. It was a very fun evening!
Conveniently located at Camp William B. Snyder, Michael’s Woodshop is an incredible resource which may be reserved for use by all NCAC Units & Scouts. Michael’s Woodshop operates year-round wth opportunities for youth of all ages to participate in a variety of shop activities. Holding a Den project session is just one way to use the shop. Michael’s Woodshop also offers great Baloo the Builder and Webelos Build It workshops, Woodwork Merit Badge classes and has recently added several new Woodshop Specialty Classes. In addition, the shop is a great venue for hosting Eagle Scout and Summit Award projects as well as conservation projects and other unit activities.
Please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage for more information about the shop capabilities and upcoming events and for information about reserving the shop. If you have questions or would like additional information, please email the volunteer team at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com
The 2021 Potomac District Pinewood Derby is in the books! On Saturday June 12th, a total of 66 cars from Packs around the Potomac District raced and the event picked up two more Packs participating this year over the field from the 2020 event. The event was held again remotely, as it was for the first time last year, and streamed out via a private Youtube channel. The race can be rewatched for a finite period here: 
With the wave of a virtual checkered flag, Powhatan’s Pinewood Derby features great looking cars and suspenseful finishes – with first and second-place finishers just hundredths of a second apart!
After weeks of sanding, painting and assembling, the day finally came when Pack 7227 of St. Croix USVI was ready to race in March 2020. Scouts, parents and siblings lined the track as Scout Master Chris Mercer got every excited for the first race. With the help of several youth volunteers from Troop 7227 and Scout parents, the Cub Scouts were able to race their cars through the final elimination.
Michael’s Woodshop at Camp William B. Snyder just completed its second annual series of Pinewood Derby Days. During the 2019-20 season, Michael’s Woodshop held 13 Pack Sessions, 3 Den Sessions and 5 Open Registration Sessions during which Cub Scouts, Siblings (and a few parents) built 376 cars!
well-defined process to walk Cub Scouts through each step to build their car. The sessions begin with a safety briefing which is then followed by a series of work stations; re-drilling axel holes (if permitted), designing/design templates, cutting, sanding and adjusting the car weight. All necessary tools are provided and the work is supervised by a group of volunteer Shop Stewards. At the end of their work session, Cub Scouts leave the shop with paint-ready cars, axel polishing kits and huge smiles!
To get a better understanding of this event, please see the “View our Process” link on the Pinewood Derby Days webpage which has many good photos of Cub Scouts in action. As you will see, these sessions are engaging and are great fun for Cub Scouts, parents (and volunteers). We are already looking forward to the 2020-21 season!
Woodshop holds monthly Woodwork Merit Badge Sessions and a monthly Woodworking 101 Class, which is now open up to both Scouts and adults. The shop may also be reserved for Unit activities, District events, Eagle Scout projects and many other Scouting activities. The volunteer Shop Stewards are experienced woodworkers and are available to help you plan and carry out a successful event. For information about shop capabilities, upcoming events, reserving the shop or to learn more about volunteering, please visit the Camp Snyder website or email us at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com