Celebrating 70 Years!
Troop 483’s history dates back to January 5, 1954, when the troop was formed after Troop 481 had grown too large. The Methodist Men’s Club at the First Methodist Church of Glendora sponsored the troop, and at the very first meeting, only 13 scouts attended.
Initially, the troop held meetings at the Scout Hut in the Recreation Park, now known as Finkbiner Park. After 1955, we moved our meetings to the United Methodist Church of Glendora, our Charter Organization, and met there for the next 67 years! Our troop continued to grow with as many as 70+ registered scouts. The troop stayed healthy with 40 scouts despite the COVID pandemic in 2020-2021, when the troop had to meet online via Zoom and then in open spaces like Finkbiner Park. In 2022, the troop started meeting at our new Charter Organization, St. Dorothy’s Catholic Church. The United Methodist Church nationally asked churches not to sponsor BSA units. We honor our time with the Glendora UMC and thank them for their support over the years.
Troop 483 has been a part of various districts over the years, including the Monte Vista District, Big Dalton District, Mountain View District, and Valle Del Sol District, of the San Gabriel Valley Council, and is now in the San Gabriel Valley District, of the Greater Los Angeles Area Council.
Over the years Troop 483 has been a troop where scouts from dissolving troops found a new home. A couple of these troops were Troop 494 and Troop 482.
As of July 2024, we have a total of 171 Eagle Scouts! Our main goal is to help young men grow into responsible and capable adults, and we do this through various activities such as camping, hiking, community service projects, and opportunities for rank advancements.
The troop has a long history of summer high adventure trips, frequently backpacking in the high Sierras, including hikes up Mt Whitney and Yosemite’s Half Dome, and even hiking to Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon. Often this was a trip for older scouts, with the younger scouts attending a week at a Scout summer camp. And for a while the summer trips rotated between a Sierra backpacking trip, a car camping trip in the Sierras followed by river rafting on the American River, and a sailing trip on the scout tall ship Argus. More recently, the troop has begun including trips to BSA high adventure bases with backpacking at Philmont in New Mexico (2014, 2022, 2025), a wilderness canoe trip at the Northern Tier canoe base (2023), and sailing in the Bahamas at Sea Base (2024). In addition, our scouts have had the pleasure of attending some of the most desirable summer camps, including Camp Cherry Valley and Camp Fiesta Island.
Over the last 70 years, we have been blessed with an active committee, attentive parents, and dedicated Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters. We must recognize one of our most dedicated Scoutmasters, Gordon Rowley. Gordon served as the Troop’s longest-serving
Scoutmaster from 1980-1997, that’s seventeen years! And Gordon has some great stories to tell. Gordon continued to participate in Troop outings, flag retirements, the Glendora Trails Committee, and Eagle projects for scouts from many different troops for the next 20 years – Serving Troop 483 for almost 40 years! We are also thankful for Steve Salyards, another of our longest-serving members, who has served as Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster, and Committee Member for over 20 years! Steve served as Scoutmaster from 2010 to 2013, as an Assistant Scoutmaster from 2005 to 2009, and from 2013 to present, helping with troop high adventure trips, and as a Troop Eagle Advisor and Committee Member.
As mentioned, the troop currently has 171 Eagle Scouts, and many of those scouts had the opportunity over the years to carry banners in the Tournament of Roses Parade. One of our former committee chairs, Steve Marsh, an Eagle from this troop, talked about how members of the Tournament Troop later in the year participated in the ceremony awarding the national Distinguished Eagle Scout Award to Steven Spielberg.
In addition to the Eagles, Troop 483 has had one scout, Zack Becker, who earned the Bronz Hornaday Award. Another scout, Aiden Cong, served as the Order of the Arrow Lodge Chief, and Timothy Salyards served as the OA Section Secretary. They are among a handful that have been honored with the Vigil Honor in the Order of the Arrow. Among our adult leaders, four have been honored by the Council with the Silver Beaver Award – Gordon Rowley, Lisa Scott, Peter Wellington, and Steve Salyards. With the recent visits to the BSA High Adventure Bases, it is anticipated that a number of scouts and leaders will earn the Triple Crown of High Adventure with their trip to Philmont in the summer of 2025. Having been to Philmont previously, Steve Salyards earned it with the trip to Sea Base this past summer.
Troop 483 is more than just a troop; it’s a community of people who care about each other and have formed an unbreakable bond over the years. We are always excited to welcome new members and invite them to join in on the fun.