Evening star., 1941-05-04
Schools and W Offer
Workshop Facilities
TO Derby Entrants
! Manual Arts Teachers
! Will Give Boys Advice
! On Building Coasters

4 Offers of workshop facilities foi
boys, who want to build coaster
racers TO compete In Washington's
fourth annual Soap Box Derby
have come from the District schools
And from the Y. M. c. A.
: Each year the hardships of col
aecting wheels, and enough lumber
and nails and other materials for
IN racer are made more difhcult by
the usual scarcity of tools in the
average family workshop in the
cellar.
! J. Elmer Zearfoss, head of the
manual arts department of the Dis
trict Schools, and Leonard w. De-
Cast, general secretary Of the z. M
C. A., have come up with offers
which should relieve the worries OF
prospective Derby drivers and their
haraSsed parents.
workshop facilities are made
available to race entrants, and the
manual arts teachers will lend their
counsel to coaster builders" Mr.
zearfoss wrote in a letter to The
Star. In the past our boys have
been worthy competitors and have
shown true sportsmanship.
Hope to Land Winner.
"We of the District public schools
hope not only to land winner in
the Washington race, but to bring
home the bacon from the national
finals at Akron, Ohio" he added.
Mr.. De Cast, who has been a
sponsor In all OF Washington's Derby
races, reiterated his enthusiasm for
the coaster race.
VI know of the wholesome effect
II has had upon the creative instinct
of boys, who have participated" he
said.
"As In the past, we shall be very
glad to make available our wood
working shop in the Boys Depart
fnent for any boy, who is unable to
use such facilities elsewhere. This
regardless of whether or not he is
o member of the association" he
said.
Many boys already have taken
advantage of the facilities of the
school woodshops-most Of them
preferring to assemble their cars at
home, and merely to bring parts
of the racers to the shops to use
the tools available there.
Derby to Be Held July IL.
The Derby will be held Saturday
July IL. AS it was last year the race
Is open to boys between the ages
of II to Is inclusive. The entrants
are required to build their oWr
gravity powered racers according tc
rules contained in the 194l offlcia
Soap Box Derby rule book
To obtain rule book, a boy must
20 to the Chevrolet dealer neares
his home accompanied by one of hi.
parents. There they sign the nee
essary registration forms. When the
registration is complete the boy
receives a rule book.
One OF the important rule changes
provides for a modification OF tht
strict minimum and maximum agt
limits for eligible boys. For ths
1e41 race q boy, who becomes II
years of age between June l, 194l
and August II, 1s41 may enter ant
compete. A 1o-year-old boy, who be-
comes IL years of age during thii
same period also may compete.
Last year more tnan $50 young
sters from Washington and nearb.
Maryland and Virginia raced owe
the Pennsylvania avenue Sc. hill
Many prizes were awarded to elm
nation heat winners and to th'
ultimate champion, Bill Jennings
AS Washington champion Bill wen
to Akron to compete in the nationa
finals for the grand prize OF q four
year college scholarship.
Many local prizes will be awardet
again this year, and once again tn
washington champion will have Al
opportunity to compete for a fire.
college education at the finals.
watch The Star for Derby NetDs.