Media & Press Inquiries  

The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated on February 8, 1910, and chartered by Congress in 1916, to provide an educational program for youth to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop personal fitness.

Although girls may participate in any level of our program, our organization is called the Boy Scouts of America. The organization is made up of the following programs: Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouts, Exploring, STEM Scouts.

The Capitol Area Council began in 1912 as the Austin Council. It has grown over time to serve 15 counties: Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, DeWitt, Fayette, Gillespie, Gonzales, Hays, Lavaca, Lee, Llano, Mason, Travis and Williamson.

The Capitol Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, is not affiliated in any way with the Capital Area Council of Governments.

The Capitol Area Council owns and maintains the following camping properties: Lost Pines Scout Reservation near Bastrop, Camp Tom Wooten (located within Lost Pines Scout Reservation) near Bastrop, Smilin V Scout Ranch near Liberty Hill, Griffith League Scout Ranch near Bastrop, Camp Green Dickson near Gonzales, Camp Alma McHenry near Giddings, Roy D. Rivers Wilderness Camp near Smithville.

The Capitol Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, does not receive any direct governmental funding.

The Capitol Area Council raises the money required to operate our Scouting programs each year through generous individual and corporate donations and grants. Our individual Scout units exercise the same fiscal self-reliance, raising money through the annual fall popcorn sale to fund their year-long programs.

While the Scout Oath and Law calls on Scouts to do their “Duty to God” and to be Reverent, the Scouting program is nonsectarian and promotes no specific religion. In fact, Scouts need not belong to any official religious institution; they could practice their beliefs privately at home. A Scout does have to ascribe to the Declaration of Religious Principle (contained in the membership application), and express belief in a higher power.

Cub Scouting serves boys or girls in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. Members are called Cub Scouts.

Scouts BSA serves boys or girls in middle school through high school. Members are called Scouts.

Eagle Scout is a rank earned through membership in the Scouts BSA program, and is not a separate program all its own.

Venturing serves young men and young women ages 14-to-20. Members are called Venturers.

Sea Scouting serves young men and young women ages 14-to-20. Members are called Sea Scouts.

Exploring serves young men and young women ages 14-to-20. Members are called Explorers.

STEM Scouting serves boys and girls in elementary and middle school. Members are called STEM Scouts.