Texas Southwest Council > About

About Us

The Texas Southwest Council is one of the historic Scouting councils in West Texas, with roots stretching back to the earliest Scouting units formed in the region during the 1910s. Scouting in this area began before local councils even existed, as early troops chartered directly with the National Council until West Texas councils were established in the 1920s. 

The first known troop in what is now the Texas Southwest Council was organized in 1911 in San Angelo, eventually growing to 106 boys. Troops followed in Sonora (1914), Brady and San Angelo (1916), and Del Rio (1921). By May 1922, six San Angelo troops existed, prompting the San Angelo Kiwanis Club to sponsor the organization of the Tom Green County Scout Council.

A push for a first‑class council with a paid executive was made in 1926, leading to the strengthening of the Concho Valley Council, while the Southwest Texas Council was organized that same year in Uvalde. Due to financial hardship during the Great Depression, Southwest Texas Council failed to recharter in 1933, and its units were folded into the Concho Valley Council in 1936.

On February 11, 2012, the Concho Valley Council Executive Board voted to rename the council to the Texas Southwest Council, reflecting the broader geography it serves.

Service Area & Legacy

The Texas Southwest Council has served 23½ counties across West and Southwest Texas—including Fort Stockton, San Angelo, Ballinger, Junction, Uvalde, Carrizo Springs, Eagle Pass, Del Rio, and Sanderson.

Across its history, the council has produced more than 3,500 Eagle Scouts, shaping leaders throughout its communities. 

The region holds deep Scouting roots, with many of the earliest Texas troops—some dating back to 1911—forming within what would become the council’s territory.

Scouting Structure & Programs

Like other councils within Scouting America, the Texas Southwest Council delivers traditional Scouting programs through chartered organizations such as churches, civic groups, and schools. Local volunteers lead units, while the council supports them through professional staff and volunteer committees. (General Scouting structure; no special citation needed.)

Traditional age‑based Scouting programs within the council include:

  • Cub Scouting (K–5th grade)
  • Scouts BSA (ages 11–17)
  • Venturing & Sea Scouting (ages 14–20)

These programs continue the long tradition of character development, citizenship training, and outdoor skills that have been hallmarks of West Texas Scouting since the 1910s.

A Council with Historic Significance

Scouting in West Texas holds a special place in statewide Scouting history:

  • Early troops in the region appear in some of the first documented Scout units in Texas.
  • San Angelo and Uvalde were among the cities where Scout councils were officially organized in 1926, marking important milestones in the expansion of Scouting across Texas.
  • West Texas volunteers, civic groups, and community partners have supported Scouting for over a century, contributing to some of the earliest council formations and summer camps.