History

Troop 530 was formally chartered with the Boy Scouts of America, Portland Area Council, in June 1952 by the Tualatin Parent Teacher Association. It was the first Troop to serve this community. The original charter shows seven adults and five youth; one adult and eleven youth were added the later that year. The meeting place was Tualatin Grange School on Boones Ferry Road.

In 1952, the population of Tualatin was only about 200. The city itself consisted of a few stores and businesses serving the surrounding farms. The small population was spread out across the area. Today, 25,000 people make Tualatin their home, and several Boy Scout Troops and Cub Scout Packs serve the community. Troop 530 has met in most of the school facilities in the community including Byrom, Hazelbrook, and Bridgeport.

The charter organization is key to any Scouting unit. All Scouting units are owned and operated by charter organizations. The organization may be a church, school, business, service club, or civic organization. Troop 530 has benefited from the strong support of several charter organizations over the years. The first was the Tualatin Parent Teachers Association from 1952-57. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3452 sponsored the troop from 1958-1979, and the troop met for some years at the VFW Hall. Since 1980, the troop has been sponsored by the Tualatin Lions Club.

Troop 530 has focused its scouting program over the years on the basic elements of camping, service, leadership, and advancement. The Troop has an active camping program including monthly outings and an annual, week long residence summer camp. The troop makes use of all the Council summer camp facilities and some facilities of other councils. These included St Helens in the early years, and now include Camp Baldwin, Meriwether, Cooper, and Pioneer, as well as Camp Baker. The troop also has a long history of extended backpacking, canoeing, and cycling trips to provide additional challenges for Scouts. From 1967-71, the troop completed the entire Pacific Crest Trail within Oregon. Other 50 mile backpack trips were completed in the Wallowas. Olympic National Park, Sisters Wilderness, and the Oregon Coast. Several extended float trips on the Willamette River have been made.

Troop 530 Scouts are regular participants in community service projects. The troop helped plant trees in the Woodrose Nature Park after diseased mature trees were removed. The troop helped the community clean up after the 1996 flood. A variety of Troop 530 Eagle Scout service projects have benefited the community over the years.

The troop focuses on development of youth leadership to carry out the troop program. Key in this effort is the Senior Patrol Leader, who leads the weekly troop meetings, the monthly outings, and the Patrol Leaders Council, with the advice and support of the Scoutmaster/Asst. Scoutmasters.