Clint's Den Leader knew more. Mary volunteered to assist at Den meetings. Her reliable help (and Joe's) enabled the Leader to provide the Cub Scouts with the varied, interesting program that the BSA intended.

When the den needed a flag pole, Joe fashioned one from cast iron, complete with stand. It was just tall enough to handle the size flag the den used at its meetings. With their own flag pole and stand, Den 3 was able to practice several times before taking their turn in the flag ceremony at a Pack meeting.

Whenever the occasion called for it, Mary would provide dessert in the form of a cake specially decorated in a Cub Scout theme. One time Joe brought watermelons to the meeting and everyone got to try their skill at seed spitting.

Mary arranged for the Den to meet a local man who just happened to have been President Truman's dentist when he lived in Independence, Missouri. In a room filled with Presidential memorabilia, the elderly man sat with the Den and showed them things, and told them tales, of his 80+ years of life. He kept about a dozen buffalo on his ranch. The den was invited to ride with the ranch hands on the flat bed truck at feeding time. Strict safety rules were established so no one would be in danger. The Cub Scouts got an experience they could never duplicate.

When the Cub Scouts became Webelos, the Den Leader's husband took over as Webelos Leader. Joe became the Assistant leader. The four adults continued to discuss the Den program and work together to keep it interesting and to keep it advancing.

Joe did two particularly memorable things during his time as a Webelos Leader. First, he took the Webelos to his sheet metal shop and helped them make tool carriers and several other items which were proudly displayed at the next Pack meeting. Then, one hot afternoon at camp, he instigated the water balloon attack on the Webelos Den Leader. This kindness was returned at a Pack meeting during the holiday season when the Webelos Leader instigated the ol' pet-reindeer-who-did-tricks-but-was-not-yet-potty-trained skit using Joe as the person over whom the tricks were performed.

As graduation approached, at their last Den meeting the Webelos gave Joe a blue shirt with this message: You never wore a uniform, so we decided to thank you by making you an honorary Webelos. Here is your shirt and your neckerchief.

At their last Pack meeting as a Den, Webelos Den 2 had a new member. His shirt had no patches, but, he wore it proudly with his Webelos neckerchief. He was a little taller than the rest. However, when he sat with them on the floor, and shouted their den yell with them whenever one of their group was recognized, you really couldn't tell that he (or his wife) made any difference. But, the Den Leader knew.

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Is there something you should do for someone today?