Welcome to the Bay Area Council

About Us

Bay Area Council, BSA Council Shoulder Patch 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.

Contact Us

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

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

National BSA: 972-580-2000

Professional Staff

Charlie Tinsley - Scout Executive

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

Kelly Meacham - Field Director

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

Kristi Hamelmann - Registrar

BAC debut: August 2019
Hometown: Pearland
Coolest Desk Item: My big 4 inch paper clips.
Favorite Movie: Elf with Will Ferrell.
Favorite TV Show: Queen of the South, American Horror Story.
Favorite Band: A Perfect Circle, Tool, and Johnny Cash.
Favorite Scouting Moment: The day I started working for the Bay Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.
About Me: I am a mom and I love sewing, watching movies, going on outings with my children, and going on road trips.
Email: kristi.hamelmann@scouting.org
Phone: 409-744-5206 ext. 2804

Diandra Ongso - Accountant

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

Sonya Harvey - Webmaster

BAC debut: 2013
Hometown: Redding, CA
College: UTSA
Coolest Desk Item: Sunglasses.
Favorite Movie: Cool Hand Luke.
Favorite TV Show: The Walking Dead, and anything with Bear Grylls.
Favorite Band: The Clash, Johnny Cash.
Favorite Scouting Moment: When my nephew joined Scouting.
About Me: I love road trips, campfires, and playing guitar around campfires.
Email: sonya.harvey@scouting.org
Phone: office 409-744-5206 ext. 2801, cell 409-771-2531

Camp Karankawa Staff

DK Hopwood - Camp Ranger

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

2019 Executive Committee		2019 Executive Board
Walt Wundrow Mike Henderson Myles Shelton Brian Roark Jimmy Allen Fred Raschke James Ware Roger Boyer Mark Kuettel John Zendt Chris Robb Charlie Tinsley	President Commissioner Immediate Past President VP Membership VP Investments/National Rep. VP Development VP Administration VP Program VP Properties VP Board Development Treasurer Scout Executive/CEO	Bill Ansell Kim Barker Bo Bass Greg Bond Kermit Brence James Cesarini Brent Cockerham Judge Lonnie Cox Gabrielle Dedmon Joe Dervay Scott Dick Mark Fridye	Jim Galbraith Michael Griffin Art Orscheln Debbie Pennington Chris Pettitt Ron Rand Juli Salzman Matt Sebesta Marcus Stevenson Tommy Toups Jeane Weller