Scouting helps youth grow in character, self-esteem, and social adeptness in very specific ways:

• Learning and practicing leadership
• Prioritizing service to others
• Setting goals and developing plans to achieve them

If you believe more youth could use these traits and values, please consider becoming a member of the Tom Wooten Society.

What is the Tom Wooten Society?

• Dr. Goodall Wooten (1869-1942), physician and philanthropist
• Purchased site overlooking Bull Creek, gave land to Boy Scouts of Central Texas in 1934 to establish a camp
• Camp was named Tom D. Wooten Boy Scout Camp in honor of Wooten’s only son, an avid Scout, who died in his youth

• Organized in 2014, the Tom Wooten Society is made up of individuals recognizing the need for and value of Scouting who made three-year financial pledges of between $25,000 and $100,000
• Goal: enhance Scout programs and reduce staff time for fundraising, allowing them to focus on program delivery

• Benefits of being Wooten Society member:
  • Quarterly updates on how your gift is making a difference
  • Invitation to an annual donor Thank You event
  • Invitations to special events
  • Scouting will not make another ask of you during the term of your pledge

Interested in learning more? Please complete the form below.

Message from the Chair:

The last few years have been difficult, especially for children and teens. The combination of an uncertain future and a lack of outdoor activity resulted, according to many researchers, in a doubling of clinically diagnosed depression and anxiety symptoms among youth₁.

Even before 2020, any pediatrician or youth health expert would have told you at length about the benefits of children spending time outdoors₂, including increased fitness levels, social aptitude, and – especially – diminished stress₃. The increased reliance on virtual communication and decreased outdoor socializing necessitated by Covid-19 protocols have further reinforced the importance of these benefits and the activities that deliver them.

But the latest studies on youth mental health tell us a lack of getting outdoors isn’t enough to explain these challenges. However, researchers believe study₄ into how young people tolerate uncertainty may help us understand the bigger picture of what’s causing the dramatic increase in youth mental health problems.

And this, my friends, is where Scouting stands ready to make a difference.

Dealing with uncertainty is at the very heart of the Scout Motto, Be Prepared. Few if any other programs give young people experience with engaging and overcoming uncertainty, in roles ranging from leader to team member. Age-appropriate physical challenges test younger Scouts’ stamina and abilities, with positive adult role models providing supervision and support. Advanced problem-solving and group activities allow teens to plan, adapt, and – sometimes – fail, all while in a safe, judgement-free environment that prioritizes evaluation and growth.

Since 1910, the Boy Scouts of America has helped young people to maximize their potential and grow into successful citizens. Scouting now enters the dawn of a new era, ready to deliver the life-changing opportunities boys and girls from every background so desperately need.

Thank you for all you do for youth through Scouting.

1 Global prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents during Covid-19, Racine et al, August 9 2021, Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics

2 The longitudinal associations of physical activity, time spent outdoors in nature and symptoms of depression and anxiety during Covid-190 quarantine and social distancing in the United States, Department of Research and Evaluation, Young et al, 2021, Kaiser Permanente Southern California

3 Children’s Medical Center at Summerlin Hospital

4 Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the Covid-19 pandemic – United States, June 24-30 2020, Czeisler et al, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention