"You're forcing me to go, Mom!" Tears stood in the boy's eyes. "I don't want to go!"

The mother held back a sigh. They had only recently moved to the town, and the boy hadn't met many new people. This week was registration for Boy Scouts, packs and dens full of a whole passel of boys just waiting to be met. "I think you would like it. And I only want you to try it for a little while before you decide not to do it."

"You just want me to go to meet people. I don't care if I meet any stinkin' people here."

"Just come with me to registration and I will say that we are just looking for information. You don't have to talk at all." Amazingly, the boy agreed, probably only because he saw his mother would not give in.
~~~~~~~~~~

Registration, it turned out, was not just registration. It was a Pack Event with several Dens, and they were watching a magic show in the school cafetorium. The boy's hopes for a quick in-and-out trip were dashed when a den mother who was obviously much better at remembering people than his own mother was met them at the door and called him by name. "There's two boys from your soccer team who are already here. Why don't you sit with them?" Not wanting to go in but too embarrassed to refuse, the boy sat next to his teammates and watched the show.

One of the last things he said to his mother that night was, "So, Mom, can I join Boy Scouts?"