Every year, at the beginning of each shift, a group of drummers arrives at the pioneer camp, which meets the sun with cheerful drum roll. Valka Begunov, who has not yet become a pioneer, meets with the drummers the dawn. The drum of one of the drummers falls off a cliff into the river, and Valka jumps into the water to get it. On the morning line, a squad of drummers takes Valka into pioneers.
Valka begins the new school year at another school. Before the start of the school year, the boy, together with the kids, builds a city of sand in the yard. Vitka Voloshchuk on a bicycle destroys it. Despite the fact that Vitka is older, and Valka does not know how to fight, he enters the battle and wins. Now they are not afraid of the bully, and the kids are sure that Valka will protect them.
One of the kids, Andryushka, learns Valkin's secret: the boy draws, especially he likes to draw sailboats. The boy is afraid that, having learned about this hobby, they will not understand him, ridicule him, therefore he hides his album with drawings from everyone. Once the teacher of geography Oksana Nikolaevna is interested in his passion for sailing.
A classmate Sasha accidentally sees Valkin album and finds the drawings wonderful. In response, Sashka reveals his secret to Valke: he assembled a telescope.
On the weekend, the collection of scrap metal is scheduled. Valka refuses to come, despite Sasha’s persuasion and the fact that their class may lose the competition. Valka participates on an equal basis with everyone in public affairs, but he considers the collection of scrap metal and a visit to the school choir to be nonsense.
A class counselor reports that due to bad weather, the collection of scrap metal is canceled, but after lessons the squad council will discuss preparations for the New Year's Eve.
At a drawing lesson, Valka takes out an album from his portfolio and sees that instead of the school he brought his own, with the ships. The boy hides it back and says that he forgot the album at home. Drawing teacher Yuri Efimovich sees the album and takes it. He agrees not to look at the drawings, but demands from Valka a diary. There is no diary either, and the teacher writes a note to Valkin's parents so that they come to school. Sasha takes it to pass. Valka for the whole class calls him a traitor. The teacher kicks him out of class.
Returning after a call to the classroom, Valka sees his classmate Zinka Lagutina leafing through the album, which the teacher left on his desk, and takes it by force.
The head teacher Anna Borisovna enters the classroom and sees the zinkovannaya Zinka. She asks what is the matter, and Valka is rude to her. After the lessons, Anna Borisovna arranges a class meeting, at which Valka reports: she is not involved in scrap metal collection, she is rude to teachers. Some guys are trying to protect Valka, but Anna Borisovna does not listen to them.
In the evening, Valka arrives at a meeting of the squad council, where, in addition to the New Year, they will analyze his behavior.In the squad council, he knows only Zinka and Oleg Rakitin, a former classmate. Rakitin tries to defend Valka by blaming Zinka, but Anna Borisovna again does not want to listen and exposes Valka as a bully. The chairman of the meeting proposes to exclude Valka from the pioneers. Counselor supports this proposal. Only the smallest member of the council, fourth-grader Seryozha, votes against. Valka recalls how he was accepted into the pioneers under the rumble of drums. Those present at the council demand that Valka take off his tie, but he runs out of the room and sees his classmates standing under the door. Valka realizes that he pleads guilty by this escape, but still runs away, clutching his tie.
For help, Valka comes to the teacher of geography Oksana Nikolaevna. Her younger brother, the very Seryozha, who refused to vote, opens the door to Valke and says that Oksana Nikolaevna is not at home. Valka refuses to wait for her, he is ashamed that he has come to complain.
Near the house, Valka is called by Andryushka. One of the kids broke his lip and he needs help. So that the baby is not scolded at home, Valka brings him to him and stops the blood.
Sasha comes to Valka. He undertook to hand over the note so that no one else would volunteer. On the street, Yuri Yefimovich approached Sasha and took the note. Sasha tells Valke that his classmates stood up for him before the counselor. In parting, the boys shake hands.
On the street Valka finds a fragment of a note by Yuri Efimovich. Andrei invites him to draw a ship, so that it is easier to build, and to be a captain for the kids. Valka promises and, despite the mental pain, gives an honest pioneer.And at home, an album with an unfinished drawing awaits him, his joyful little star that shines ahead.
