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