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, Scouting 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 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 made the donation for a Service Center in honor of her late husband, Edwin C. Northen, a longtime Scouter who was active in the council. The center was located on 53rd Street in Galveston and provided services for the Scouting program for 64 years. In 2025, the property was sold by Bay Area Council to provide sustainability for our local Scouting.
On December 15, 2025, the Scout Service Center relocated into the historic home of Edwin C. and Mary Moody Northern located on 2902 Broadway in Galveston through the generosity of the Mary Moody Northern Foundation.
On January 16, 2026, the Bay Area Council's new Scout Executive joins the committed leadership of the Executive Board, Staff and Volunteers to serve all youth and families of Galveston and Brazoria Counties.
2026 Executive Committee
Derick Meadows President
Mark Fridye Commissioner
Lisa Stegman Scout Executive
Myles Shelton VP, Finance & Treasurer
James Ware VP, Development
Catheryne Hasley VP, Membership
Jill DeWitt VP, Program
Tim Kropp VP, Administration
Walt Wundrow VP, Properties
2026 Executive Board
Kim Barker
Roger Boyer
Terri Burchfield
James Cesarini
Brent Cockerham
Joe Dervay
Jill DeWitt
Mark Fridye
Jim Galbraith
Carlos Garza
Lance Goodwin
Catheryne Hasley
Rene Julien
Tim Kropp
Ryan Landon
Derick Meadows
Charles Mouton
Fred Raschke
Myles Shelton
Lisa Stegman
Tom Walko
James Ware
Walt Wundrow
2026 Honorary Board
Charles Doyle
Frank Resch
.png "Sign up for the eNewsletter!")
.png)
©2026.jpg)