On Monday, January 13, 2024, The Great Smoky Mountain Council celebrated beginning its 110 at Crescent Bend in the presence of several past and present scouts, both male and female.

There was a lot going on 110 years ago. America got its first stop sign. It was in Detroit where Henry Ford has just built his 1-millionth Model T. The first stone in the Lincoln Memorial was put in place. And Babe Ruth hit his first major league home run.

And the Scouts came to East Tennessee.

In the following century the Great Smoky Mountain Council has had a positive impact on literally hundreds of thousands of young men and women. It teaches values that have helped guide community leaders for all that time.

In the 110 years the Great Smoky Mountain Council has been in existence, the leaders and Eagle Scouts it has produced have made a huge difference for the nation. The group includes community leaders in business, health, government, artists, non-profits, education and many more.

Throughout 2025, the Council will hold a series of special events, highlighting some of those Scouts who have made a difference.

Among our areas best known Eagle Scouts: former Senator and Gov. Lamar Alexander; chair of Stowers Machinery Corporation Wes Stowers. And many more Scouts, including University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd, a Medal of Honor recipient, and Dr. Henry Green, who started the National Hospital Association and for whom Green Magnet Academy is named.

Gov. Lamar Alexander and Mike Cohen

“Today 7,500 youngsters are fortunate to have the privilege I once had to grow up in the Great Smoky Mountains and learn from Scouting the values that are important in private and public life,” said Alexander who served as governor, president of the University of Tennessee, US secretary of education and a three term U.S. senator.

The current president of the UT system, Randy Boyd, also cites Scouting as an influence on his life. “And later, as a Scoutmaster, I helped teach those values to another generation,” said Boyd.

The Council serves 21 counties and more than 7,500 youth. We were among the first Councils to begin accepting young women, although there are no co-ed troops – it is either young men or young women. Some 3,300 adults help guide these young people. The Council started what is now a national STEM education program and has a special focus and staff on reaching inner city youth.

  • The mission of the Great Smoky Mountain Council is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath & Law. We are responsible for ensuring the success of Scouting programs in 21 East Tennessee counties.
  • Scouting grows to positively impact more youth and families in East Tennessee. The Great Smoky Mountain Council served over 7,500 youth in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouts, Exploring, and STEM Scouts in 2024. We are proud to be one of the fastest growing councils of our size in the nation.
  • Scouting is Available to All Youth. 714 youth and 67 adults, or about 12% of our year end membership, have received financial assistance totaling over $56,000 for membership fees, camp and activity fees, uniforms, or books. Some of our units have paid leadership to ensure Scouting is available in all communities.
  • Diversity in Scouting is important. 17% of the council’s youth participation is made up of ethnically diverse members while our 21-county service area is only 12%.
  • Females in Scouting. While we have served females in our youth programs since 1969, they could join Cub Packs in 2018 and Scout Troops in 2018. Participation has continued to grow and in 2024, 23% of registered youth members were female.
  • Programs: The Council operated 5 total weeks of summer programs with 2,042 participants from across the country. Winter Camp serves over 300 youth with a week of merit badges, adventure and fellowship. Cub Scout family camps at Camp Buck Toms hosted over 1,350 attendees for shooting sports, camping and outdoor adventure.
  • Scouting is neighborhood centered. The council serves 204 Cub Scout Packs, Scouts BSA Troops, Venturing Crews, Sea Scout Ships, Exploring Posts and STEM Scout Labs annually chartered to churches, community organizations, and civic clubs. Scouting reaches families and youth where they live, work and play.
  • Eagle Scouts. The council had 111 Scouts who achieved the prestigious Eagle Scout Award in 2024, which included over 17,241 hours of community service. Eagle Scout Service projects have provided $631,352 of economic impact to East Tennessee through donated materials and volunteer labor.