The troop convened its first meeting at the Willow Glen United Methodist Church, and 50 years later it continues to meet there.

In honor of this milestone, the troop plans to celebrate in the church on March 2.

The theme is "Hiking through the Decades" and will feature a slide show, guest speakers and troop memorabilia.

Fifty years is a significant accomplishment for any troop, but this troop credits its success to its "boy-run" philosophy.

The senior youth leadership or the senior patrol leader leads a boy-run troop. This leader and his assistants plan all troop meetings and activities with minimal adult supervision. Adults intervene only when safety is a concern. Under this philosophy, the 35-member troop builds leadership skills through "learning, testing, review and recognition."

Senior patrol leader Jason Frits, 15, a sophomore at Lincoln High School, says, "This troop is based on achieving goals. Scouts learn leadership skills which make them confident."

Evan Quint, 12, has been a member for almost two years. As a scout, he says, he gets to do "a lot of interesting stuff." Keeping the scouts interested and motivated is a big concern for Jason, but he describes his leadership style as easygoing.

"I don't want the guys to feel like they're back in school," he says.

At a recent meeting, the troop was focused on beautifying the facility that has housed them for decades. The scouts repainted the church hall's side door, which had been defaced with graffiti.

Jason says this is an example of how the troop tries to give back to the church.

"Knowing the troop has had a home for their meetings and storage for the scout equipment for nearly 50 years indicates the strength of the charter and its support toward Troop 233," says troop committee member Nancy Nylund.

This consistent membership is one of the reasons the troop recently earned the National Quality Unit Award, which recognizes advancement, unit growth and retention on an annual basis.

Jason says that in the troop's 50-year history, he is most proud of the large number of boys achieving Eagle Scout status.

"I think the fact that we have 106 Eagle Scouts is the biggest accomplishment of this troop," he says.

Only four out of every 100 boys achieve Eagle Scout rank.

Jason's personal goal is to become an Eagle Scout. He already has an idea for a community service project in downtown Willow Glen.

According Ken Schott, executive director of the Mene Oto district, one of six Boy Scout districts in Santa Clara County, there is a correlation between the number of Eagle Scouts and the longevity of this troop.

"The reason this troop keeps producing Eagle Scouts is because it continues to stay involved," he says.

Lawrence Summers was the troop's scoutmaster in the 1980s.

"My uncle, Byron Favorite, started this troop, and the philosophy remains the same. We invest in the character of the boy," he says. And the investment pays off, Summers says.

"Years from now, boys will come back and tell us how their leadership skills have helped their careers," Summers says.

Jason, too, plans to stay involved as an assistant scoutmaster in the future.

"That way," he says, "even if I go away to college, I can come back and visit. And if I have kids of my own, I would definitely be involved in my son's troop. It's a wonderful program to put your kids through."