Good Sports: Boy Scouts Regatta Promotes Sportsmanship

There was no victory dance when Daniel Weighall grabbed first place at Sunday's Boy Scouts regatta. No boasting. No bragging.

Same went for when Matt Smith took second and Jake Boehm finished third.

Sportsmanship was the main lesson at event at the Northwood Firehouse, where about 100 people—mostly Boy Scouts and family— gathered for a barbecue and small wooden boat racing.

"That's the one thing we encourage in this," Club Master Marshall Speizer said.

The three-and-a-half-hour gathering was threatened all morning and early afternoon by overcast skies.

No matter. The Boy Scouts had plenty of fun propelling their boats by blowing into a straw down a 10-foot stainless steel seamed gutter, created by Robert Duncan, a former club master.

Weighall, 9, picked up his first win in four years. He and his father, Troy, spent about a week to carving and painting the boat, and Daniel Weighall said practice was the reason he won.

He admitted to being a little hesitant during the race.

"I felt good, but I was nervous," he said . "I was nervous all the way through."

"It was a lot of fun. I got to hang around with my friends and I got to race some of my friends."

Daniel Weighall's mother, Jenni, believed Boy Scouts has had a big impact on her son's life.

"He learns new skills," she said. "This year they learned to carve, which was kind of neat. He's gotten to go on some interesting trips to different places in the area, different historic areas. He's expanded his friendships."

Phillip Engel, 7, enjoyed watching the races. He especially liked cheering on his friends. All of them.

"I didn't say their names because I wanted both of them to win," said Phillip, whose 5-year-old sister, Kayla, took home first place in the sibling race.

Smith said the cheers helped build his confidence.

"Everyone was cheering for me," he said. "I felt really confident in myself."

Spiezer said the regatta was designed for family interaction.

"It was a good time for families to get to know one another," he said. "Our pack is a big family-oriented pack.

"It's a very big event and the kids love it. It keeps their interest throughout the year in scouting, as well. We want to do things, but we don't want to over do it. We want to do it just enough so that we hold their scouting interest."

Spiezer hoped for a bigger turnout, but said he understood why some didn't show up.

"It's a kind of crazy time, too," he said. "A lot of people are away on vacation. It's tough. …But a majority of the people showed up and a good time was had by all."

The Boy Scouts have several more events lined up for 2010. The club is organizing a community cleanup on Aug. 17. Also, it'll travel to Worthington State Forest in Columbia in late August before a car wash, scheduled for early September, and a popcorn fundraiser.

Days later, Spiezer was still giddy about the regatta's success.

"It's a super event," he said.