Troop History
Celebrating years of Scouting Excellence!
The troop was first chartered on August 15, 1997 as Troop 276 by St. James Presbyterian Church on Orr’s Bridge Road, Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania with Michael Barone as the first Scoutmaster. In 2004, St. James invited Cub Scout Pack 279 to also join the church. When BSA announced in 2017 they would be welcoming girls to join their flag-ship program, Boy Scouts, St. James quickly decided to adopt the change and start a girl troop, Troop 279. In early 2019, the decision was made to re-number Troop 276 to Troop 279 to create greater unity and cohesion between all the units at St. James, making sure that all youth, boys and girls have a scouting home to enjoy all the benefits of the scouting program, from the rank of Lion all the way up to the rank of Eagle Scout.
Through the years, the Troop has cultivated many scouts into responsible young adults, many achieving Scouts, BSA highest rank, Eagle Scout. Troop 279 is very proud of its long list of youth reaching this prestigious rank. Please visit our Eagle Scouts Honor Roll page to learn more about the scouts from Troop 279 reaching the pinnacle of scouting.
Since established, Troop 279 and all the units charted by St. James Presbyterian have been adding to the rich history of the scouting movement. Click here to learn more about the history of scouting.
