This week saw us participating in a much-awaited, fun, annual event – the Raingutter Regatta at our Cub Scout Pack meeting. This is one of the events in the year that the boys look forward to throughout the year. This is after all, a chance for them to show their talents at boat-making (well, not really but partly true) and at sailing (again, these are 7 inch long  model boats!). When they get their raingutter regatta kits, they open it as eagerly as they would a gift under the Christmas tree, even though they know exactly what it contains. This also gives them a chance to work with a parent to finish the boat and have a fun, friendly competition with the boys in their pack. This is one of the few pack events that the whole family turns out for and this means a great big wonderful get-together for all.
This year, my son was so eager to start, that in his great zeal to sand the boat(among the first steps), he almost changed the shape of the boat (it is made of the super soft balsa wood). I had to curb his enthusiasm! But there was no stopping him once he had started. Sanding accomplished, he went  on to paint the boat – he had already decided on the colors. Dad wanted a part in this and so helped him with placing the plastic rudder and metal keel (with the permission of the cub scout, of course). The sail was decorated with a bulldog and once his numbers were on that sail and the sail on the mast and the mast on the boat (remembered the song ‘There was a tree,…and the green grass grew all around’), the boat was all ready for the Regatta.
The evening of the Regatta came with a slight drizzle but since the event was indoors, that was OK and the next day being a holiday helped too. The smell of pizza and pocorn greeted us along with the sounds of fun! As the scouts tried out their boats in raingutters set outside for that purpose and everyone mingled while they ate their dinner, the final preparations for the race were completed. All the boats were registered after the trials and as the regatta captain took the boats inside, one scout shouted out,”Oh, they are taking our boats away. Will they be tortured at the hands of the pirates? Let us go rescue them!”
Finally, the races began. Since there were over 30 boys participating in the pack, the scouts in each den were pitted against each other first (Tigers, Wolves, Bears, and Webelos). They each ran two races and the first two from these races advanced to the next round. The excitement was palpable and cheers filled the air as the boys used their lung-power to race their boats to the finish lines on the raingutters! Fists punched the air as winners rejoiced, faces slumped (just for a second) for the others to immediately turn around and cheer the next round of boys and go look at the food counter for cookies and popcorn! It was a proud moment for me as my son made it to the semi-finals and one scout from our den (I am the den leader!) won the race (second year in a row!!).
The race over, it was cleanup time and much to the excitement of the boys, Pinewood Derby kits were handed out!! (this is a much more anticipated event which is in late January).
Here are a few photos:

 For more information on this, you can check out:
http://boyslife.org/hobbies-projects/projects/3921/make-the-ultimate-raingutter-regatta-racer/
http://www.raingutter-regatta.com/

Saturday Memes:
The photos here also go towards Saturday Snapshot. Saturday Snapshot is a meme hosted by Alyce at At Home with Books. All
you have to do is “post a photo that you (or a friend or
family member) have taken and then leave a direct link
to your post in the Mr. Linky on [her] blog. Photos can
be old or new, and be of anything as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give is up to you.” All she asks is that you don’t just post random photos that you find online. 

Six Word Saturday –Six Word Saturday
sponsored by Show My Face. It’s
quite simple–all you need to do is describe your life in six words. -:

Also participating in Quote It! this week hosted over at Freda’s Voice.
Rules are simple: Add as many quotes as you wish, from whom ever you wish. It can even be lyrics to a song. Just tell us who it is. Anonymous welcome too. And link back to Freda’s Voice.
“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” Dr.Seuss
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Dr Seuss 
“Dear Math, I’m tired of searching for your X.. She’s not coming back, get over it!”- Unknown