The Greater St. Louis Area Council (GSLAC) of Scouting America was formed in 1911 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri. The council serves Scouts in the St. Louis Metro area, southeast Missouri, and southern and central Illinois.
The council had about 25,000 youth enrolled in its programs as of 2024.article on council planning to sell and relocate its headquarters
History
GSLAC was formed in 1911 as the Saint Louis Council, BSA.
In September 2016 the Lewis and Clark Council voted to merge with GSLAC, effective January 1, 2017. In September 2018, the Lincoln Trails Council voted to merge into GSLAC, and this took effect January 1, 2019.
Until 2021, GSLAC was part of the BSA's Central Region. With the adoption of National Service Territories in June 2021, GSLAC became a member of NST 5, now known as Council Service Territory 5.
In October 2025, the council service center relocated from the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis to suburban Town and Country.
Administration
The council employs Professional Scouters and support staff, who serve under the direction of the Scout executive. Each district in the council is served by a district executive or district associate. Larger districts are served by a district director and one or more district executives.
The council's program department is tasked with executing camping, STEM, training, advancement, and activity operations year-round. Each summer, seasonal camp staff are hired to run summer camp programs for Scouts BSA and Cub Scout youth members. GSLAC owns and operates six camp properties:
S-F Scout Ranch, Farmington, MO Beaumont Scout Reservation, High Ridge, MO Camp Lewallen, Silva, MO Camp Warren Levis, Godfrey, IL Camp Pine Ridge, Makanda, IL Rhodes-France Scout Reservation, Pana, IL The volunteer council executive board is made up of influential business and economic leaders from the council's territory and meets throughout the year, serving as the governing body for the organization.
In addition to its headquarters in Town and Country, the council also operates field service centers in Cape Girardeau, Herrin, and Decatur.
District Organization
GSLAC has 22 districts and a community outreach program. Each district serves to deliver Scouting programs in its assigned territory and is led by a professional staff member and volunteer committee. +DistrictAreas servedArrowheadAll of Macon, Moultrie, Shelby counties and part of Christian County in IllinoisBig MuddyAll of Alexander, Jackson, Johnson, Perry, Pulaski, and Union counties in IllinoisBlack GoldAll of Clay, Fayette, Jefferson, Marion, Washington, Wayne counties, and part of Clinton County in IllinoisBoone TrailsAll of Lincoln, St. Charles and Warren counties in MissouriCahokia MoundsMost of Madison and Bond counties in Illinois CherokeeAll of Dunklin, Pemiscot, Mississippi and New Madrid counties, and part of Scott and Stoddard counties in Missouri Community OutreachNo specific geographic area; serves Scouts in areas with limited volunteersEgyptianAll of Franklin, Hamilton, Saline and Williamson counties in IllinoisGravois TrailSouthern St. Louis County in MissouriIlliniPart of St. Clair and Madison counties in Illinois, primarily around East St. LouisKaskaskiaAll of Monroe and Randolph counties, and part of St. Clair County in IllinoisKeystoneCity of St. Louis, Missouri. Until 2020, Keystone was two districts: Grand Towers (north) and Thunderbird (south)New HorizonsWestern St. Louis County in MissouriNorth StarNorthern St. Louis County in MissouriOsageAll of Franklin and Crawford counties, and part of Warren County in MissouriOzark TrailblazersAll of Iron, Madison, Reynolds, St. Francis, and Ste. Genevieve counties, and part of Reynolds County in MissouriPathfinderCentral St. Louis County in MissouriPiasa BirdParts of Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin and Madison counties in IllinoisRedhawkAll of Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Effingham and Jasper counties, and part of Edgar County in IllinoisRiver TrailsAll of Jefferson County in MissouriShawneeAll of Bollinger, Cape Giradeau and Perry counties, and parts of Scott and Stoddard counties in MissouriSiouxAll of Butler, Carter, Ripley, and Wayne counties, and parts of Reynolds and Stoddard counties in MissouriSoaring EagleParts of Clinton and St. Clair counties in Illinois
Camps Beaumont Scout Reservation
The Beaumont Scout Reservation is of Scout property operated by GSLAC. It is located in High Ridge, Missouri.
History The property for Beaumont was acquired during the late 1940s. It was dedicated in 1954. The property was the beginning of the period of transition for the St. Louis Council that would continue to 1965 with the dedication of the S-F Scout Ranch and the sale of the Irondale Scout Reservation, Lion's Den, and Bereton Explorer Base. Beaumont's summer camp is known as Camp May. Camp May was opened as a Boy Scout Camp and served in that capacity until the mid-1980s when its summer programs were redesigned to primarily serve Cub Scouts.
Camps and facilities Within Beaumont, there are many campsites and camporee areas, as well hiking trails, climbing tower, low and high ropes course, rifle range, shotgun range, Scoutmaster's chapel, maintenance building and ranger's station, ranger homes, a mud cave, multiple cabins, and Sverdrup lodge.
Camp Grizzly and Cub World Camp Grizzly is a Cub Scout area which includes a program hall, multiple pavilions and campsites, an activity field, a council ring, and Cub World, which is a playground area that is geared towards Cub Scouts and their families. Cub world hosts many day camps each summer including Grizzly Camp, which is the council's day camp experience. Grizzly camp includes time at the pool, adult supervision, and a hot lunch every day.
Camp May Camp May is a Webelos camp that conducts Webelos week-long and Webelos Mini-camp each summer. Some of the facilities are used for other purposes in the off-season. Camp May contains numerous campsites, a pool and shower houses, a dining hall and education facility, a council ring, a trading post, an activity field, a gazebo, a Scoutcraft cabin, an archery a BB gun range, a rifle range, a shotgun range, a nature lodge, and a flag field. Camp May was originally a Boy Scout Camp when Beaumont first opened in 1954. It was founded to help relieve the over crowded Camps Irondale and Lions Den. With the purchase and popularity of S-F Scout Ranch, the council found themselves struggling to fill weeks of camp at Camp May. To solve the problem, the council needed to find another use for the camp during the summer. In the late 1970s a Cub Scout residential camp pilot program was launched at Camp May. It was so successful that soon Camp May was entirely dedicated to running the program. The Webelos programs offered include a full week and mini week experience. In the mid-1990s Camp May had up to 10 weeks of Cub Scout residential camp in operation during a single summer.
Emerson Center Wright Lodge, the original dining hall that had been built with the original purchase of the property, was closed for renovations in August 2004. The building was expanded making more room in the dining hall and adding more training space. The office and kitchen spaces were modernized to meet the present needs of the camp. The lodge reopened in June 2005 as the Beaumont Dining and Education Facility. At the council's annual meeting in 2009, it was announced that the building was to be renamed in honor of Emerson Electric Co, which had made a large donation to the council. In September 2009, the center was re-dedicated as the Emerson Center.
Nagel Explorer Base
Nagel Explorer Base is at the east of Beaumont and is primarily used for Exploring and Venturing programs It is also host's the council's horse camp for one week, annually. Its facilities include adirondacks, a program hall, a rifle range, shotgun range, a horse stable, a program field, a large program pavilion, a horse corral, and an equipment building.
S-F Scout Ranch
The S-F Scout Ranch or "S Bar F" or "The Ranch" as it is commonly known, is owned and operated by GSLAC. It is located in Knob Lick, Missouri, which is about south of Farmington, Missouri. The property sits in St. Francois County, Missouri and Madison County, Missouri. In its center sits Nim's Lake, and running through it is the Little St. Francis River.
History A large portion of the former of mine and farm lands owned by the Mine La Motte Company, later the Missouri Metals Corporation, was acquired by the St. Louis Area Council in 1961 through the efforts of the St. Joseph Lead Company and Mr. Elver A. Jones, and an initial gift of the Stix, Baer & Fuller Company by Mr. Arthur B. Baer. The name S-F was derived from the St. Louis department store Stix, Baer and Fuller due to their contribution to help buy the property. The property was dedicated during the Shawnee Lodge fall reunion on September 11, 1965, and opened for summer camp in 1966. The need for this Ranch became imminent as a result of the long range plan conducted by the council in 1959 and 1960. This plan, which encompassed a study of the traditional camp facilities of the council such as Camps Irondale, Lion's Den and Brereton, pointed out the need for an area that would be large enough for the council to grow on, and an area large enough to expand the program facilities on, and an area rich enough in history and tradition to offer the incentive for the Scouts of today and tomorrow. The property replaced the Irondale Scout Reservation in nearby Ironton, Missouri which had become too small to serve the needs of the growing Scout Council. Three of the four camps that operate on the property today were a part of the original dedication. Camp Gamble was dedicated on June 17, 1970.
Camp Famous Eagle
Camp Famous Eagle was the first camp to be built. It opened in the summer of 1966. It was named for Morton D. May who was the chairman of the committee to develop the ranch. May had been a huge force in developing the Beaumont Scout Reservation ten years earlier. Because of his efforts the camp at Beaumont was named Camp May. Due to this fact the camp at S-F took the name Camp Famous Eagle, Famous for Famous-Barr (part of the May Department Stores) and Eagle for Eagle Trading Stamps, an in-store promotions at the time. The Fe abbreviation for the camp is also an homage to Camp Irondale through the chemical symbol of iron. A dining hall facility was added to Camp Famous Eagle, opening for the 2015 summer camp season.
Camp Sakima
Camp Sakima was the second camp to be built, finishing in time for the first week of campers in the summer of 1966. Camp Sakima is named in recognition of Leif J. Sverdrup who headed the campaign to raise the funds for the Ranch to be built.
Camp Sakima was last open as a full camp in 2007. It has been used for the National Youth Leader Training (NYLT) program since 2008.
John S. Swift Base
The John S. Swift Base also opened in the summer of 1966. It was originally the only camp on the property with a dining hall. It was designed for a high adventure based camp to implement the year-long Exploring program, which would later become the Venturing Program. It is named for John S. Swift, who was the owner of Swift Printing Company. He believed in the value of the Scouting program so much that when approached by the committee to create the Ranch for funds, he happily donated the amount needed for the base.
Camp Theodore R. Gamble
Camp Gamble was dedicated on June 17, 1970. It was built to meet the need of more space for boy scouts that was a result of growing boy scout membership in the 1960s. It was named in memory of Theodore R Gamble who was serving as president of the Council when he died. He was also president of the Pet Milk Company.
Eugene D. Nims Lake