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Pack Meeting Theme · September

Raingutter Regatta

Every scout builds a small sailboat at home, then races it down a rain gutter full of water at the pack meeting. The only thing moving the boat is the scout blowing on the sail through a straw. Every scout goes home with a ribbon.

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Leader view. You are seeing everything families see, plus the setup and running notes marked Leaders. This is the overall plan for the theme, written so next year's leaders can pick it up cold. It is not a record of one night.

Building the boat

Build it at home before the meeting. The scout does the work, with an adult helping on the tricky parts.

  • Size comes first

    Width: no wider than 3⅜ inches at the widest point, so it floats down the gutter without rubbing the sides. Length: between 6½ and 7 inches from bow to stern. Mast: between 6 and 7 inches tall, measured from the deck to the top. These match the official kit. A boat outside these sizes cannot race, so measure before you paint. Boats are checked at the door.

  • Recycled materials are welcome

    You do not need to buy anything. Corks, plastic bottles, milk cartons, foam trays, craft sticks, and scrap wood all make good boats. Reusing what you have is part of the fun, and a Scout is thrifty.

  • Or use the official kit

    The Scout Shop sells a Raingutter Regatta trimaran kit with a hull, mast, and sail. It is linked below. Kit boats and recycled boats race together.

  • It needs a sail

    The sail is what catches the air from the straw, so every boat needs one. Paper, a plastic lid, or a piece of a cup all work.

  • No added weights, nothing that pushes the boat

    No motors, magnets, balloons, or weights. The scout's breath is the only engine.

  • Skip water-based paint

    It washes off in the gutter. Use permanent markers, acrylic paint that has fully dried, or stickers.

How the race works

  • Two boats, two gutters

    Two scouts race side by side. On the starter's call, each scout blows through a straw at the sail until the boat reaches the far end.

  • Straw only

    No hands on the boat once the race starts, and no pushing the boat with the straw. If a boat tips over, the scout can set it upright and keep going.

  • Dens race first

    Each den races on its own. The winner from each den goes on to the pack final.

  • Then the pack final

    The den winners race each other, every boat against every other boat once. The three scouts with the most wins take first, second, and third.

  • Prizes

    First place picks first from the big prizes, then second place, then third. Every scout who races gets a ribbon.

Getting ready at home

  • Practice blowing

    Fill a bathtub or a baking dish and practice with a straw. Steady breath aimed low on the sail works better than one big puff.

  • Test that it floats upright

    A boat that tips in the bathtub will tip in the gutter. Fix it at home, not at the starting line.

  • Bring a towel

    Scouts get splashed. That is normal.

Leaders

Before the meeting

Start a week or two ahead. Most of this cannot be fixed on the night.

  • The gutters are in the shed

    Pull them out at least a week early. Do not wait for race night to find out what shape they are in.

  • Check for repairs

    Fill each gutter with water and let it sit. Look for leaks at the end caps and seams, cracks, and anything that keeps it from sitting level. Reseal or replace before race night.

  • Send the size limits out early

    Put the three numbers in the announcement: 3⅜ inches wide at most, 6½ to 7 inches long, mast 6 to 7 inches tall. Size is the rule families miss most often, and recycled boats are the ones that run wide. Float a 3⅜ inch boat down each gutter to confirm it clears.

  • Buy straws

    Have a box of straws on hand, enough for every scout plus plenty of spares. One straw per scout, no sharing, and a fresh one if it hits the floor.

  • Ribbons and prizes

    One ribbon for every scout in the pack, plus a few extra for siblings and visitors. At least three big prizes for the top three to choose from.

  • Print the race sheets

    One sheet per den and one for the pack final, each on a clipboard with a pen. They are linked below.

Leaders

Setting up

  • Inside or outside

    Outside works well when the weather holds, and nobody worries about the floor. Wind will push the boats, so pick a sheltered spot. Inside, put tarps or towels under the gutters.

  • Keep a bucket of water by the gutters

    Scouts splash water out all night. Top the gutters up between heats so both lanes stay at the same level.

  • Level both lanes

    Set the gutters side by side on tables or sawhorses and check that neither one slopes. A sloped lane decides the race before it starts.

  • Check-in table

    Measure every boat as it arrives and write the scout's name on the den sheet. A card with the width and length marked on it is faster than a ruler. Keep tape, scissors, and spare sail material there for quick fixes on boats that are close.

  • A harbor for waiting boats

    Give each den a table where boats sit until they are called. See the next section.

Leaders

Running the race

  • Hands off while waiting

    Ask scouts not to fiddle with their boats while they wait. Masts snap and sails come loose in the line, not in the water. Boats stay on the harbor table until the scout is called.

  • Den races

    Each den leader runs their own den with the den sheet. Every scout races twice, then the two scouts with the most wins race for the den title. The sheet has the pairings.

  • Pack final

    The six den winners race a round robin: 15 races, each boat against every other boat once. The pack sheet lists the races in order with lanes already assigned so every scout gets a fair share of each lane.

  • If a den has no racer

    Cross that den's races off the pack sheet and run the rest as printed. Everyone still races everyone once.

  • Ties

    Tied on wins: the scout who won the race between the two places higher. Still tied: one race-off.

  • Awards

    Call up third, second, then first. First place picks from the big prizes first, then second, then third. Hand every scout a ribbon, by den, before anyone leaves.

  • Cleanup

    Empty the gutters outside, dry them, and put them back in the shed. Write down any new damage in the retrospective below.

Leaders

Cubmaster's notes: the Scout Law

Ideas for the Cubmaster's Minute. Pick one point, tie it to something you saw a scout do that night, and keep it to a minute.

Thrifty
Boats built from a cork and a milk carton raced right next to kit boats. Using what you already have is what thrifty means.
Trustworthy
Nobody was watching every straw. Keeping your hands off the boat when no one would notice is being trustworthy.
Cheerful
Only one boat wins each race. Shaking hands and smiling after a loss is harder than winning, and it matters more.
Kind and Courteous
Point out a scout who cheered for another den, or waited their turn without being asked.
Helpful
Name the scouts who carried gutters, refilled water, or mopped up without being asked.
Brave
It takes some courage to put something you built in front of the whole pack. Every scout who raced did that.

The full Scout Law is on the oath and law page.

Links and downloads

Leaders

Retrospective: for next year

What worked, what did not, and what this page is still missing.

Nothing written down yet.

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