In 1930, Lemuel "Lem" Siddons, a saxophonist in a traveling band, dreams of becoming a lawyer. When the band's bus reaches the small town of Hickory, Lem suddenly decides to leave the band and settle down, finding a job as a clerk in the general store owned by John Everett Hughes. At the town civic meeting, Lem again notices Vida Downey, a
bank teller whom Lem had seen on his first day in town, and eventually attempts to woo away from her boyfriend Ralph Hastings. Lem notices Vida crosses off the YMCA and the 4-H from her list of three possible organizations to keep the town's boys off the streets, leaving only the Boy Scouts, and he decides to suggest and volunteer to become
Scoutmaster of the newly formed Troop 1. Some time later, Lem becomes an all-around natural leader with the Scout troop, even putting a plan to become a lawyer aside as he helps the town's boys mature into men. Meanwhile, the town's troublemaker boy, Edward "Whitey" White Jr., refuses to join the troop. One night, while Lem and Vida are on a date, they catch Whitey stealing from Hughes' store after it is closed for the night. Startled, Whitey falls and sprains his ankle, which Lem bandages using the techniques provided in the
Boy Scout Handbook. Impressed by Lem's work, Whitey secretly steals the book, which Lem allows, because he sees his past self reflected in Whitey. One night, Lem invites Whitey's father, Edward Sr., to attend parents' night at the Boy Scouts' meeting place located on the lake property of Hetty Seibert, the owner of the bank and Ralph's aunt. Edward arrives drunk and embarrasses Whitey, causing him to quit the troop. However, Edward dies later that very night of
alcohol poisoning, leaving Lem and Vida to adopt Whitey. Years later, in 1944, Lem is out with his troop when he is accidentally captured by the
United States Army, who are playing a
war game in the area. Lem is taken for a spy due to his Scouting equipment and is unable to prove he is a Scoutmaster after the military captain asks Lem to tie a
sheepshank, the only knot Lem never learned. Across the lake, Troop 1 fires their morning cannon, accidentally signaling the military to (wargames-style) attack the boys. The scouts take shelter in a staged base and successfully capture a tank with
explosive squibs, meant to resemble
land mines, thus freeing Lem from the captivity of the embarrassed military. Back at the lake, Lem and the troop discover that Ralph is taking Hetty to court over the lake property, claiming that she is mentally unstable and needs a conservator (called a guardian in the film) to manage her financial affairs. Lem, who never passed the bar, is nonetheless allowed, as an interested party, to ask Hetty some questions at the hearing under oath. His questions of her on the stand reveal that the property was once the location of her family cottage before it burned down in September 1918, two days after she learned that her sons were
killed in France. Hetty states that she allowed the troop to meet there, as the boys reminded her of her late sons at play. She also shows that she clearly understands what Ralph is trying to do and the financial trick he's planning on using the property for (as a tax haven). Ultimately, Hetty wins the case and the troop is allowed to keep the property. On September 1, 1945, Lem and Vida celebrate Hughes' birthday by listening to
Harry S. Truman announce the
end of the war over the radio. Whitey, who became a captain in the army, returns to Hickory to introduce Lem and Vida to his wife, Nora, an army nurse. In 1950, Hughes passes away, leaving the store to both Lem and Vida. Meanwhile, due to Lem's health, the Scout committee forces Lem to retire as Scoutmaster. In appreciation for his two decades of service, the entire town gives Lem a surprise celebration on October 2, 1950, with both current and former members of Troop 1 in attendance for the dedication of Hetty's property as Camp Siddons to honor Lem. ==Cast==