Billy Cart Derby
A traditional Cub Scout competition
BILLY CART — A child’s four-wheeled go-cart. Billy comes from billy goat. In the past the term applied to a small cart, often two-wheeled, that was pulled by a goat. These billycarts were used for such purposes as home deliveries, and they were also used in races. The term was then applied to any homemade go-cart. First recorded 1923. In some places these are known as push-carts.
Objective: Cub Scouts prepare their own carts (handcraft), with leader or parental assistance. Cubs then compete over the course of an afternoon through a variety of fun and skill based challenges. The main objective is to have fun!
Where: You need a reasonably large area for this event such as a Scout Camp or School Ground. Wet conditions can cause problems if the ground becomes muddy as ‘pram wheels’ sink into the mud; try for an area with a firm base.
Who can participate? All registered Cubs. Teams of 3 to 4. All participants must be between 7.5 and 11 years of age on the day of the event.
Cost: Will depend on the venue but would be between $10 to $15 per cart. A pin or cloth badgecan be included in the cost.
Prizes: 1st place (Trophy, garland, champagne-lemonade), 2nd place (Trophy), 3rd place (Trophy). All children entering will recieve a small trophy or cloth badge.
What to Wear: Dressing up for a theme is great!!. Wear your Group Scarf.
Weather: A Billy Cart Derby should be canceleed/postponed on a day of extreme weather conditions. Use you pack Leaders to call around and notify Cub families.
Miscellaneous Information:
- Each Billy Cart will have a team of 3 or 4 children and will recieve a number and a score card. (It is better to have the teams worked out by the Packs before the day).
- All carts should arrive by 10:30 a.m. for scrutineering, and the driver’s briefing
- Drivers must wear a helmet, no helmet no start
- Each Team is encouraged to bring their Team flag and have it mounted on their cart.
- Each Team must have a cart. If you don’t have one you must borrow one.
LEADERS OR OTHER ADULTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO FOLLOW THEIR TEAMS THROUGH THE ACTIVITY AREAS. REMEMBER THIS IS A CHALLENGE FOR YOUR TEAMS TO DEMONSTRATE TEAMWORK AND KNOWLEDGE NOT YOURS.
Proposed Schedule:
10:30 am Check-In
10:45 am Opening Ceremony
11:00 am Events will start
12 pm Morning events will end
12 – 1 pm Lunch**
1pm Afternoon events begin
3:30 pm Afternoon events end
Score cards are due
4:30pm Closing Ceremony and awards
Lunch:
** The lunch stop will be a minimum of one (1) hour. It is important that the team has a substantial hot meal.
Building the cart
Each competing Team will need its own cart. . We recommend that each Team be between 3 and 6 people. The cart itself cannot be a store-bought. See diagrams for a picture of a sample “Billy Cart”.
For more information
- Cub Scout Push-Cart [PDF] Plans for the 4-wheel vehicle used in a Cub Scout Billy Cart derby.
- Prairie Schooner
- Carolls Timber Billycart
Bases/Stunts
The bases are staffed by a number of dedicated Scouters, and their families (spouses, children).
The Billy Cart Derby in previous years has run very smoothly with a minimum of fuss, but we do need at least 9, preferably 10 events to keep all Cub Scouts busy for the afternoon.
– Chelsea District Scout Association (198?) “How do the Organisers Organise the Organisers to make the Organisation Seem Simply Simple“
If there are fewer bases (eg. 6) it is best to run through the bases 2 or 3 times.
BILLY CART DERBY BASES
00. Check-in & Flag Break, followed by Driver briefing
01. Hill Climb
02. Pit Stop
03. Slalom
04. Blind Drive
05. Obstacle Course
06. Drag Start
07. Rally Cross
08. Fun Thing
09. Driver Command
10. Fluid Carry
11. Scavenger Hunt**. Flour Bomb Fight
KING OF THE PADDOCK
King of the Paddock scored as follows:- 20 pts for flag
20 pts for Billy Cart
20 pts for Costume
20 pts max for scavenger hunt
300* pts for Stations (10 stations @30 pts) – Teams are scored for behaviour, enthusiasm and the activity.
For more information… [PDF]
Well done, but can you actually put on some reasonably attractive looking billycarts on the site? GET SOME REAL DESIGNS, MAYBE?!
thankyou
Jak
please go out to places and get more billy carts pics plz
the billy cart u have now sucks