Bob used to be a loner, keeping to himself and thinking "my own thoughts"--until he meets Joe, a "sincere and real" young man who befriends Bob, and several other local boys, and together they form a group of happy young teens. Joe eventually wins a trip to the state capital by turning in the winning essay on Junior Citizenship in a contest, and Bob and the other boys learn of the rewards of friendship--which are, apparently, that all the hard work you put in on a project results in someone else getting a trip to the state capitol.