The 1st Sault Ste. Marie Scouts group held its annual Scouts Canada Kub Kar Rally at Station Mall Saturday afternoon.
The event involved young local Scouts - cheered on by family members and friends - sending their tiny, handcrafted Kub Kars down a 30-foot-long aluminum racetrack in head-to-head races.
Beaver Scouts from five to seven years old and Cub Scouts from eight to 10 participated.
“The Beavers have what are called Beaver buggies with a little beaver silhouette on them. The Cubs each received a block of wood earlier in the spring and created a variety of different vehicles that we call Kub Kars,” said Neil McLean, 1st Sault Ste. Marie Scouts group commissioner.
The cars are supplied by Scouts Canada.
“We actually weigh the Kub Kars. We add enough weight to bring them up to five ounces. The heavier they are, the better they are, but they can’t be any more than five ounces,” McLean said.
Trophies and Station Mall gift cards went to the winners in Saturday’s event.
“We've tried to hold the race every year in Station Mall. It’s a promotional event for us,” McLean said.
The 1st Sault Ste. Marie Scouts group has held the event for over 40 years though it was put on temporary hold during the COVID-19 pandemic.
McLean estimated there were approximately 20 Cubs and 20 Scouts taking part in this year’s Kub Kar Rally.
“We’ve got 14 leaders with the 1st Sault Ste. Marie Scouts group, but we're always looking for more leaders. We can't get more participation from youth without the leaders,” McLean said.
The youngest Scouts are Beavers, followed by Cubs, Venturers and Rovers.
Though Saturday’s Kub Kar Rally was an indoor event, Scouts Canada focuses heavily on getting children and teens involved in outdoor activities and skills such as map reading and hiking.
“Our Cub group will be going to Sudbury for the first weekend in May for a Cubbery. All the activities are outside,” McLean said.
He emphasized the positive effect that Scouts can have on young people cannot be overstated.
“An older gentleman told me that he was in the Korean War. There were 50 or 60 in his unit. He said the 20 that survived had all been in scouting. They learned survival skills through Scouts. That's what got them through. If you stick with scouting until you finish high school you will have earned and developed skills that will take you throughout your life,” McLean said.
Parents interested in finding out more about Scouts Canada can do so by going to the organization’s website.