History of Alamo Area Council

Historical Timeline

Some major events in the history of the Alamo Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.

1910
Feb. 8: W.D. Boyce incorporates the Boy Scouts of America.

June 21: Temporary national headquarters opens at YMCA office in New York.

Oct. 7: First chartered Boy Scout troop forms in San Antonio.

1911
Jan. 2: National Council office is established at 200 Fifth Avenue in New York.

President Taft addresses the Boy Scouts of America annual meeting at the White House.

1912
May 16: First Scout council organized in San Antonio.

May 24: Group takes the name Alamo Council at a meeting at the St. Anthony Hotel. It is the first Boy Scout council in Texas.

1916
June 15: Congress authorizes a Scout uniform similar to the Army, Navy or Marine uniform.

1928
The Alamo Area Council, which includes programs in Bexar and Atascosa counties, changes its name to the Alamo Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Kerr, Kendall, Live Oak, Bandera, Bee, McMullen, Karnes and Wilson counties are added.

1935
The Alamo Area Council expands to include Comal, Guadalupe, Frio, LaSalle and Medina counties, a total of 15 counties.

1956
Captain Eddie Rickenbacker donates 775 acres to the council. The council purchases an additional 1,894 acres to form what is now know as Bear Creek Scout Reservation.

1958
McGimsey Scout Park opens in San Antonio.

1970
The Alamo Area Council moves into Service Center on Northwest Military Highway.

1972
Bee and Live Oak counties become part of the Gulf Coast Council, B.S.A. headquartered in Corpus Christi, leaving the Alamo Area Council with 13 counties.

1977
By now, the Scout Country Fair is an established tradition for the Alamo Area Council.

2000
Council completes $9.5 million campaign raising over $10.1 million. The campaign is chaired by Roger Hemminghaus, chairman of Ultramar Diamond Shamrock. The council scout executive Ponce Duran. The campaign rebuilt McGimsey Scout Park, Bear Creek Scout Reservation and the Council Service Center. In addition endowment dollars are raised for Scoutreach programs.