- Narrator: [narration as John 'John Boy' Walton, Jr. reading from his journal] Of all the people who visited Waltons Mountain during my growing to manhood years, I remember one especially. He was a man who brought new ideas to an old way of life. For a brief time his presence stirred the Walton household, and threatened the time-honored traditions of our quiet community.
- Porter Sims: [explaining his understanding of what a boondoggle is to John Boy Walton] John, not long ago some reporter was trying to describe a WPA project that didn't make much sense to him, so he... he called it a "boondoggle". You know what that really means? It's just a... an expression the pioneers used. It simply means anything that's made up out of leftover scraps.
- John 'John Boy' Walton Jr.: [trying to convince Porter Sims not to write a damaging exposé on Judge Baldwin] Mr. Sims, what you're doin' here may or may not be a "boondoggle". But I've known Miss Mamie and Miss Emily Baldwin ever since I was a little boy and they've been very kind to me. Now, their lives may not seem to you to be as real as yours and mine, and they may be made up of scraps of memories, and some recipe, and a little bit of fantasy. But their feelings are real, and when they feel hurt, and when they feel shame... that's real.