Capitol Area Council

Capitol Area Council is a 501(c)(3) and local council of the Scouting America, that serves Scouts and Scouting volunteers in 15 Central Texas counties surrounding Austin.^[1][2]

Capitol Area Council (#564)
Headquarters	The Frank Fickett Scout Training and Service Center 12500 North IH 25 Austin, Texas 78753
Location	Central Texas
Founded	1912
President	Marietta Scott
Council Commissioner	Mani Kuruvila
Scout Executive	Jon Yates
Affiliation	Scouting America
Website www.bsacac.org
Scouting portal

The council oversees programs in Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, DeWitt, Fayette, Gillespie, Gonzales, Hays, Lavaca, Lee, Llano, Mason, Travis, and Williamson counties.

History

The first Eagle Scout west of the Mississippi, was reported to be in Shiner, Texas.^[3][4]

The first troop in the Austin area was founded in 1911.^[5][6]Capitol Area Council was founded in 1912 as the Austin Council.^[7] In 1924, the name changed to the Austin – Travis County Council, then the Austin Area Council.^[8][9]

In 2011, the council headquarters moved from the intersection of US-290 and US-183 to its present location in North Austin.^[10][11] The new location has 3100 sq ft of staff offices, training & meeting facilities and a Scout Shop.^[12]

February 8, 2025, the 115th anniversary, of BSA, the national council changed its name to Scouting America. The Scout Oath, Law and program remain unchanged.^[13]

Camp Tom Wooten (1934–1983)

In 1934, 125 acres of land on the banks of Bull Creek near the Colorado River in west Austin, was bought and given to the council.^[14][15] The land was turned into Camp Tom Wooten, named after Tom D. Wooten, the son of Dr. Goodall Wooten, who made the purchase and donation.^[16][17] In 1998, the camp was sold and the funds were used to purchase Lost Pines Scout Reservation on Lake Bastrop from the Lower Colorado River Authority.^[18]

Organization

BSA Councils in Texas

The council is organized in to 12 districts that are aligned with Central Texas counties and local independent school district boundaries.^[19][20]

• Armadillo District
• Bee Cave District
• Blackland Prairie District
• Chisholm Trail District
• Colorado River District
• Hill Country District
• Live Oak District
• North Shore District
• Sacred Springs District
• San Gabriel District
• Thunderbird District
• Waterloo District

Camps

• Lost Pines Scout Reservation - Bastrop County, Texas^{[21][22][23][24]}
• Griffith League Scout Ranch - Bastrop County, Texas^[25]
• Camp Alma McHenry - near Giddings, Texas^[26][27]
• Camp Green Dickson - near Gonzales, Texas^[28]
• Smilin V Scout Ranch - Liberty Hill (Williamson County), Texas^[29]
• Roy D. Rivers Wilderness Camp - Near Smithville, Texas^[30]

Order of the Arrow - Tonkawa Lodge No. 99

Tonkawa Lodge #99
Totem	Thunderbird
Founded	1936
Lodge Chief	Colin D
Lodge Secretary	Logan W
Vice Chief of Inductions	Roman D
Vice Chief of Program	Owen M
Vice Chief of Publications	Vacant
Website https://www.tonkawa99.org/
Scouting portal

Tonkawa Lodge is the Order of the Arrow Lodge for Capitol Area Council. It was first chartered by the National Council on January 20, 1937, by Joe Lindsay Jr. and Joe Lindsay Sr., Tonkawa Lodge #99 started as Tejas Lodge but was later changed to Tonkawa in 1938 with lodge 72 already having the name.^[31] Tonkawa Lodge had one of its members become the Order of the Arrow National Chief in 2011, Jonathan "Bunker" Hillis.^[32][33][34] Currently Tonkawa Lodge #99 has 12 Chapters that are aligned and named with the Districts of the council.^[35]