Tejas Girl Scout Council

The Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. is an organization devoted to furthering the development of girls and young women as productive citizens and individuals. Based on the principles set forth by the Girl Guides Association of England, Juliette Gordon Low brought Girl Scouting to the United States in 1912. Although Mrs. Low's first troop was organized in Savannah, Georgia and had only 18 girl members, news of her Girl Scouting program quickly registered. By the time the Dallas Girl Scout Council was established in 1920, there were over 50,000 Girl Scouts registered nationally.

Inspired by Mrs. Low's Girl Scouting principles and program, Mr. Elmer Scott and members of the Business and Professional Women's Club of Dallas dedicated themselves to building a Girl Scout program for Dallas, Texas. By 1922, the Dallas Girl Scout Council had grown from two troops to 18 troops with 500 girls registered. In 1923, they became a member of the Dallas Community Chest, now known as the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, and received a charter from the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. The Dallas Girl Scout Council was flourishing and by 1963 had merged with the Chisholm Trail Council to form the Tejas Girl Scout Council, Inc. In 1970, Tejas welcomed nine additional counties into their council to create a total of twenty counties represented and over 14,000 Girl Scout members.

In order to keep up with this growth, the council had to expand their staff, office space, and campsites several times. With generous donations from Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Alexander, Mr. and Mrs. Dick Price and Mr. W.W. Caruth, together with funds from the Dallas Community Chest, the Tejas Girl Scout Council was able to build a Service/Training Center at 4411 Skillman, their third and present location.

Since outdoor camping is an integral part of the Girl Scout program, much time, effort and money were spent in developing campsites. Currently, the council maintains three campsites: Camp Whispering Cedars (formerly Camp Kiwanis), in use since 1924; Camp Rocky Point, established in 1952; and Beaver Creek Ranch, 1244 acres, purchased in 1969, ultimately encompassing three distinct camps, including Camp Bette Perot. Acquisition and development costs have been funded by cookie sales receipts and charitable grants, including major support from Mr. Ross Perot, the Hoblitzelle Foundation, and The Florence Foundation, all of Dallas, Texas.

From the guide to the Tejas Girl Scout Council records Mss0049 and Mss0049x., 1922-1987, (DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University)