Shape-n-Race 2012

This post is by my wonderful husband!

Kent and I have been involved in our Christian Service Brigade (CSB) group at our church for a few years.  Each year our CSB group hosts a Shape-N-Race event (pine car derby) and about 4 years ago that is how we got started in CSB.  I remember walking into a meeting a few weeks before the race in 2009 and not knowing a single person there.  I told them I was interested in the Shape-n-Race and they supplied me with a starter block.   I built a tank but didn't expect to win anything-we were just excited to participate.  To our great surprise, the tank ended up winning second or third place for speed and if I remember correctly it took first place in either the design or the craftsmanship categories.  Kent actually took home three ribbons and a trophy for third place overall.  We have since managed to take ribbons each year in design or craftsmanship, but no more trophies.

This year we built another car and Kent wanted it to look like a hot wheels Camaro race car.  Since Kent is not old enough to use my saws and other tools, I cut, shaped, and assembled the car and he was responsible to paint the car, which he did.  Fortunately, Kent's class this year only had three entrants, so each boy got a ribbon for each criteria.  Kent received first place for craftsmanship, second place for speed, and third place for design.  Each of the other boys also got one first place ribbon, one second place ribbon, and one third place ribbon.  When they announced Kent as the overall winner, my engineer brain went into action and I asked myself "how is it that by ribbon count, there is a three way tie, but somehow Kent has ended up with the overall win?"  Well, since I couldn't answer my own question, I went to one of the judges and asked him how they came to that conclusion.  The answer surprised me a little as I found out that the other two boys (which happen to be brothers) suggested to the judges that Kent receive the trophy.  My response: "that's what this group is about."  Where else would you find 6 and 7 year old boys that are willing to sacrifice something that they worked and competed for simply because they love their friend?