Eighty years of friendship and they owe it all to Scouting. This group of Scouts has a story that’s been decades in the making – a story for the ages if you will. There’s no better testament to the lifelong friendships built in Scouting than this ‘Cub Scout den’ that’s been continuing their meetings since forming in 1936.

Beginning their Scouting experience at age nine, 11 boys from Highland Park’s Bradfield Elementary met and became friends in their Cub Scout den meeting. Little did they know, their Cub Scout get-togethers wouldn’t end at the traditional age of ten.

“We had such fun,” Eugene Vilfordi said of his Scouting memories to The Dallas Morning News. “And we learned a lot.”

While four of the 11 have passed, the remaining seven reminisced about all the great times and mischief they got into as boys. From tying knots and getting out in nature to stealing the pants from one of their buddies, these guys were, and continue to be, thick as thieves.

One of the reasons these men have remained so close? Their den mother Rita Bedford is likely the main cause. “I can’t say enough about her. She was kind of a mother confessor for us even after the Cub Scout days,” recalls Allen Penniman. “She led us and helped us develop.”

Whether it be the lessons you learn, the leaders that guide you, or the friendships you make, Scouting sticks with you. And despite the years that have passed, it’s safe to say these men are still Cub Scouts at heart.

To read more about this heart-warming story of friendship, check out the original article from The Dallas Morning News.