Scouts and parents remove cars from the track after deciding who won the race.

In a surprising full-sweep win, new scout Julianna Miguez, daughter of State Senator Blake Miguez, took home the gold at Cub Scout Pack 463’s Pinewood Derby.

Following Julianna, Carson and his dad Jimmy Brignac took home second place, while Conner Copell earned third. 29 scouts raced in total, with seven sibling/parent racers following the main race.

Julianna’s father, Blake Miguez, participated in scouting as a young man, even returning from college to earn his Eagle Scout rank. Therefore, scouting has remained influential throughout his adult life. As a representative, he attended the award ceremony for the first female Eagle Scout in Louisiana, Zoie Schexnayder, in 2022. It inspired him to get his own daughter into Scouting, so after his campaign for state senate, he enrolled her in the program.

“It was like reliving my youth today, watching Julianna race for the first time. I am so proud of her. Scouting teaches our youth so many great things like love of God, country, family and respect for the law. I wanted my daughter to have the same positive experiences as I did through scouting,” Miguez said.

Chartered out of VFW Post 1982, Cub Scout Pack 463 has 53 kids from across Iberia Parish. Like most Cub Scout Packs around the country, the Pack accepts both elementary-aged boys and girls alike. Unlike other Cub Scout Packs, which only allow kids from their chartered school to participate, Pack 463 has taken over the Cub Scout responsibilities for the entire parish.

Prior to the pandemic, the Pack was chartered out of New Iberia Senior High School (NISH), and had almost 100 Scouts participating, but according to Scout Master Brock Daigle, COVID-19 took a serious toll on their participation numbers. They also lost their access to NISH as everything locked down, so VFW Post 1982 stepped in to give the Pack a home. The VFW Post also serves as the home of Boy Scout Troop 133, the Sea Cadets, and the Venturing Scouts.

Following the school year, scouting activities start in August and end in May. They start their popcorn fundraiser around September each year, which is their primary means for raising money and keeping the pack afloat. Although the popcorn is acquired from a separate company, the Scouts retain 70% of the money from sales to spend on essential items like belt buckles, neckerchiefs, and uniforms. The money doesn’t necessarily stay with the pack, as it is designated for each Scout’s personal account. When they crossover at the end of their time in Cub Scouts, the money follows them to their next Scout Troop.

The Pack utilizes a few other methods of raising money as well, including serving as color guard for parades and selling event parking spaces. Beyond raising money, the pack also organizes community charity events. In November, they host the Scouting for Food event, during which Scouts collect non-perishable and canned goods from their neighborhoods to donate to Solomon House. This year, Pack 463 collected an apt 463 pounds of non-perishable goods for the food charity.

In December, the pack collected and donated 200 towels and blankets to Angel Paws Adoption Center to help them deal with the cold-weather conditions. Coming in the spring, the pack will hold a baby-item drive to donate to the Unexpected Pregnancy Center.

The pack meets once a month at the VFW Post 1982 between August and May. They hold a variety of engaging events for scouts throughout the year, including the annual Cub Adventure held at Mt. Bayou, a “Superhero Academy”, a mobile reptile show, and even a Dutch oven cobbler cookoff. Anyone interested in scouting can contact Cub Master Brock Daigle at Scoutlife463@gmail.com.