Welcome to the Bay Area Council

Contact Us

Bay Area Council, BSA Council Shoulder Patch

Bay Area Council, Boy Scouts of America #574
3020 53rd Street
Galveston, TX 77551
P: 409-744-5206
F: 409-744-7850

Council Service Center
& Scout Shop hours: Monday thru Friday ~ 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

About Us

One of the most important documents in the history of Brazoria and Galveston Counties is preserved not in a museum or a library but in the Galveston Island headquarters of the Bay Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Dated March 28, 1919, the document is a report from the Galveston Rotary Club to its officers and members with a recommendation to form a Boy Scout movement in Galveston. The three-page document still survives to this day and is now commonly referred to as the Bay Area Council Charter. As early as 1920, the Daily News, the oldest newspaper in Texas, carried a regular column called "The Scout Roundup."

On August 14, 1962, Mrs. Mary Moody Northen donated a check for $100,000 to the council to build a new headquarters (where we are still housed today.) She made the donation in honor of her late husband, Edwin C. Northen, a longtime Scouter who was active in the council. Today, the council serves more than 8,000 youth through the leadership of more than 2,000 adult volunteers.

2021 Executive Committee

James Ware – President

Fred Raschke – Immediate Past President

Mike Henderson – Council Commissioner

Myles Shelton – Treasurer

Ron Rand – VP Administration

Richard Yoes – VP Membership/Relationships

Roger Boyer – VP Program

Art Orscheln – VP Properties

Charlie Tinsley – Scout Executive/CEO

2021 Executive Board

Kim Barker

Greg Bond

Kermit Brence

Judge Jeff Brown

James “Chezo” Cesarini

Brent Cockerham

Joe Dervay

Scott Dick

Mark Fridye

Jim Galbraith

Michael Griffin

Charles “Fritz” Kuebler

Donna Lang

Cory Moss

Brian Roark

Juli Salzman

Jason Tieman

Tommy Toups

John Wright

Walt Wundrow

Professional Staff

Scout Executive - Charlie Tinsley
Scouting debut: October 17, 1985
BAC debut: February 16, 2017
Hometown: Hermanville, MS
Coolest Desk Item: Big green potted plant.
Favorite Movie: Tears of the Sun.
Favorite TV Show: Scorpion.
Favorite Band: Earth, Wind & Fire.
Favorite Scouting Moment: Wood Badge beading.
About Me: Enjoy working to build successful staff and volunteer teams.
Email: charlie.tinsley@scouting.org
Phone: 409-744-5206 ext. 2802

Field Director - Kelly Meacham
Scouting debut: August 15, 2006
BAC debut: 2018
Hometown: Marietta, GA
Coolest Desk Item: Actual desktop that you can see.
Favorite Movie: The Natural.
Favorite TV Show: Sense 8
Favorite Band: The Stone Roses (currently).
Favorite Scouting Moment: My son’s Eagle Court of Honor.
About Me: Eagle Scout. Work hard, play hard.
Email: kelly.meacham@scouting.org
Phone: 706 766-4755

Support Staff

Accountant - Diandra "Dee" Ongso
BAC debut: 2007
Hometown: Indonesia
College: Bina Nusantara University
Coolest Desk Item: My kid’s art work, radio and family pictures.
Favorite Movie: Star Wars, Marvel Movies, and James Bond movies.
Favorite TV Show: The Crown and Sherlock Homes.
Favorite Band: U2, Imagine Dragon & The Chainsmokers.
Favorite Scouting Moment: When I joined BAC and my son joined Scouting.
About Me: Love my family, photography, traveling, yoga and biking.
Email: diandra.ongso@scouting.org
Phone: 409-744-5206 ext. 2803

Office Assistant - Sonya Harvey
BAC debut: 2013
Hometown: Galveston
College: UTSA
Coolest Desk Item: Order of the Arrow kazoo.
Favorite Movie: Cool Hand Luke.
Favorite TV Show: War Documentaries and anything with Bear Grylls.
Favorite Band: Luke the Drifter.
Favorite Scouting Moment: Getting postcards from Scouts.
About Me: Love family, pen pals, finding lost graves, road trips, campfires, and playing guitar around campfires.
Email: sonya.harvey@scouting.org
Phone: office 409-744-5206 ext. 2801

Camp Karankawa Staff

Camp Ranger - DK Hopwood
BAC debut: 2018
Hometown: Brazoria
College: Brazosport College
Coolest Desk Item: If I had a desk it would be something cool.
Favorite Movie: Forrest Gump.
Favorite TV Show: Chicago Fire.
Favorite Band: 3 Doors Down.
Favorite Scouting Moment: Philmont.
About Me: I'm an Eagle Scout. I come from a Scouting family. I love making people laugh. Come out to camp to learn more.
Email: donald.hopwood@scouting.org
Phone: 979-248-4330