But, as Cub Scouts, the pack members are no strangers to the joys of civic service.

The boys are preparing care packages for 80 American soldiers in Iraq, using sundry items donated from local stores and purchased with money raised at a cake auction held last May. In the nature of sprightly 7- to 10-year-old boys, the scouts are energetically but earnestly moving through an assembly line of toothpaste, shoe inserts, shampoo and candy. And they are learning about far more than the best way to package dry goods for overseas shipment.

"We want the boys to think of the soldiers, and realize that they are over there defending our country," Cub Scout Pack 207 chairwoman Nancy Nylund says.

Although the items the troop has collected for the packages are commodities many Americans take for granted, Nylund says, they become luxuries to someone stationed in a desert miles away from a grocery store.

But in the end, the packages will mean more to the soldiers than cleaner hair and fresher breath. Just ask parent and veteran Steven Schildhaur.

"I spent time in the service, so I was on the other end of those care packages," he says. "I know what it means for soldiers. The items themselves don't mean as much as someone taking the time to remember the soldiers. It goes a long way for morale."

The Pack's care packing was sparked by a newspaper article Nylund read last January about the Santa Clara County chapter of the Blue Star Moms—a group of mothers who have children stationed in Iraq.

Nylund thought assembling care packages for the Blue Star Moms' children would be a meaningful activity to undertake from a community service aspect and the values it could instill in the children.

"Sometimes we have a tendency to shelter children," Nylund says. "But children need to understand that there are people out there to protect them. And some have uncles or siblings or other relatives that are in the war, or who have been in a war."

One scout who has a veteran relative is 10-year-old Tyler Whitmarsh. Tyler's great-uncle, he says, was a prisoner of war for seven years in Vietnam. Putting together the care packages has significance for the scout, who is preternaturally aware of the risks facing the soldiers in Iraq.

"That's why I care about the soldiers," Tyler says. "I know what could happen to them."

And although Tyler says he enjoys some of the more playful aspects of scouting, like playing with his friends and earning the colorful badges that decorate his uniform, the budding philanthropist says benevolent activity holds a special place in his heart.

"It's fun doing community service because I know I'm helping people," Tyler says. "I like feeling like I have helped other people."

And helping others is an integral part of being a Cub Scout, Nylund says. Each December, the scouts make bag lunches to donate to a local homeless shelter. The recipients of the boys' charity receive some much-needed food, and the boys are served an unforgettable life lesson—don't take comforts like shelter and food for granted.

"When the kids actually go to the shelter, they really get it," Nylund says. "They get pretty quiet while absorbing it all in. With children, they have to see it and do it to really understand something."

And, by directly interacting with people living at the shelter, the scouts can see firsthand the impact they are having on the lives of others.

"The people at the shelter are really kind," Nylund says. "They thank the boys and show their appreciation."

According to former Cub Scout and current Pack 207 den master Bill Pelletier, nurturing the moral compasses of its participants is one of the primary goals of scouting.

"The Cub Scouts teaches a lot about morals, religion, God, country, character and community," he says, adding that the Cub Scouts are non-denominational and open to every religion. "These days, a lot of kids don't have a good moral background."

But, even with an emphasis on ethics and community service, the Cub Scouts is certainly no monastery. Learning to navigate the great outdoors is another important component in the program. After all, the Boy Scout motto is "Be prepared."

"Scouting is such a great program," Nylund says. "It teaches the boys things that aren't taught in school, like how to start and cook over a fire."

Through their activities, the boys in Pack 207 have learned the fundamentals of first aid and swimming, launched rockets, traveled to Yosemite and—living out what may be most preteen boys' fantasy—a night on the USS Hornet and a submarine. And, of course, the boys get to experience the fun of just plain hanging out with their friends at weekly meetings.

Pack 207 alumnus and Willow Glen resident Greg Yoder recalls fondly his days as a Cub Scout.

"[I remember] the camaraderie of good people," he says. "As a general rule, good people are in scouting."

Thirty-five years after migrating from the pack, Yoder says he is still friends with his former den mates.

"You really make lifelong friends," he says. "One of my best friends is a guy I met in Cub Scouts."

He also relishes his memories of participating in the Pinewood Derby, a long-standing Cub Scout tradition that Pack 207 still follows. In the derby, scouts construct miniature cars from pieces of wood and race them down a 50-foot-long track—usually, Yoder adds, with ample help from parents.

"You could sure tell whose dad made his versus the boys who did it themselves," he says, laughing.

Yoder served as a den master in Pack 207 when his two sons, Derek and Dustin, were Cub Scouts. And, although his sons have grown out of their old uniforms, the president of Ray Silva Insurance Associates says scouting and Pack 207 have provided lasting memories.

"Scouting did two things for me," he says. "It kept me out of trouble by giving me something productive to do and pointing me in the right direction. And it showed me how to improve life skills and be a good citizen."

Today, 50 future good citizens in seven dens make up the pack, which has been in Willow Glen for 49 years. The boys range from first to fifth grade, and are assigned a rank based on their age—Tigers, Wolves, Bears and Webelos, or "We Be Loyal Scouts."

With eight to 10 energetic boys in each den, a competent and composed den master is key.

"Being a den leader is like planning a birthday party every week," Nylund, a former den leader, says, laughing. "You have to have the meetings prepared, and you have to have a backup plan. I have a lot of respect for den leaders. It takes a lot of time."

But exerting the effort and energy required to keep a group of young boys on task is worth it in the long run, Nylund insists.

"Look at all the children you touch," she says, gesturing to a cheerful group of boys munching on pizza after all the care packages have been assembled. "It's better than Playstation. You are helping kids exercise their hearts and minds."