Pinewood Derby Workshop Honors Late Scout Leader
A Personal Tragedy Felt By the Whole Community
In the days before Christmas, Cub Scout Pack 22 in Whitman, Massachusetts lost a long time Scout leader and volunteer to a long struggle with cancer. Scott Kent was a master cabinet and furniture maker, a union tradesman and, with those skills, he was a Scouter who loved Pinewood Derby.
He loved Pinewood Derby so much, that he started a Derby building workshop for the community, which has been held every year for more than a decade. This year’s workshop was bound to be bitter sweet in the memory of the man who started it all. Which is why Pack 22 decided to officially name the traditional, annual event after Scott Kent to honor their late Scoutmaster, friend and volunteer.
Mike Warner is the current Scoutmaster and a longtime friend of Mr. Kent and one of the Scouters behind setting up what is now a multi-city Pinewood Derby workshop event. Of the late Scout leader he said “he always organized the volunteers for the pinewood workshop. The kids would draw what they wanted and he would work with them on how they could achieve the finished cars.”
Honoring their Leader by Continuing His Legacy
The story of the Pinewood Derby Workshop and the man behind the legacy was featured in a local Massachusetts newspaper earlier this year which is where the Cub Hub picked up this story. What better way to honor the legacy and memory of a lifelong Scouting volunteer than by continuing his event in his name and honor.
From the article: “He was a friend to all,” Warner recalled about Kent. “He was the first guy to say, ‘What do you need and how can I help?’”
Talk about the hallmark of a true Scouter and an inspiring leader.
You can read the whole story at the Whitman Hanson Express to hear from current Cub Scouts and leaders, including Kent’s son, an Eagle Scout, and an assistant Scoutmaster himself in Whitman.
*All quotes in the story from the account in the Whitman Hanson Express
**photo credit: from the Facebook page of Cub Scouts in Whitman, taken at this year’s Pinewood Derby Workshop event.