Scouts roll out chariot racing in Charlo
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CHARLO — The thundering horses are young boys in blue uniforms, and no one’s throwing spears from these chariots. But from the sound of the crowd in the Charlo School’s gym, the event is every bit as exciting as chariot races in the days of the Romans. Dozens of Cub Scouts from Western Montana’s Silvertip District competed in divisions from Webelos, the oldest of the Cub Scouts, to Bears, Wolves and Tiger Cubs, the youngest group.
“Chariot races are sort of a staple Cub Scout event, like the pinewood derby,” said organizer and Charlo pack master Tony Siech. “It goes way back.”
In fact, the races have been held almost as long as Cub Scouts have been around, and 2010 is the group’s 100-year anniversary.
Chariots are traditionally made from cardboard boxes with a wooden front and carpet or a towel tacked on underneath for better sliding power. A rider crouches in the “chariot” and hangs on for dear life while four runners pull him via ropes attached to the front board. Chariots must meet specific size requirements, and for safety’s sake, all riders are required to wear helmets.
For each heat, two chariots line up on opposite sides of the gym to prevent any wrecks, and they’re timed over a single lap. Scouts build and decorate their own team chariots, and the event is a great way to get kids interested in Scouting and motivated to participate in future chariot races, Polson Webelos leader Tara Carvey said.
In addition to the official Scout races, Siech planned several fun events to get the whole family involved, including a Viking race, where teams of two adult men carried a chariot on their shoulders as they raced around the gym wearing a horned helmet, waving a sword and giving their best Viking yells. Chariot bowling for Webelos added an extra challenge for the riders, who had to toss a bowling ball at a group of pins while whipping around a corner at top speed. Bears competed in a Mexican hat race, stopping at the halfway mark to dance around sombreros. Wolves had a horse challenge where they raced to the center of the gym, and stopped to feed — downing a bowl of oats and cup of water, all with no hands.
And in a special event for Scout moms, the “Driving Miss Daisy” race consisted of runners pulling a mother in a chariot, with the moms competing for the most theatrical performance.
Scouts won ribbons and badges for their efforts, as well as plenty of bragging rights.
Results
Tiger Cubs
1, Pack 100 (St. Ignatius)
2, Pack 40 (Ronan)
Wolves
1, Pack 40 (Ronan)
2, Pack 47 (Polson)
Bears
1, Pack 47 (Polson)
2, Pack 100 (St. Ignatius)
Webelos
1, Pack 47 (Polson)
2, Pack 40 (Ronan)
Special races:
Bowling: Webelos Pack 100 (St. Ignatius) followed by Pack 56 (Charlo)
Mexican Hat Dance: Bears 100 (St. Ignatius) followed by Wolves 47 (Polson)
Dainty Lady: Tigers 47 (Polson) followed by Tigers 40 (Ronan)
Another special award was give to Polson Pack 45, which had Wolves, bears and Webelos boys racing for a single Webelos team.
