The Heart-O-Texas Good Sam chapter was chartered on September 23, 1976. There were ten rigs consisting of 21 individuals who comprised the original membership. 17 additional rigs and 35 new members were added over the next six years.
The chapter's first outing was held at Bastrop State Park in November, 1976 with three rigs in attendance. This original gathering was cut short because of cold weather. In January, 1977, the color "Red" was chosen at the chapter's primary color and is the color of the chapter's vests. Membership was initially limited to 25 rigs.
Most of the original charter members belonged to the same church.
The general region for the chapter centers around the San Marcos area with members coming from many of the surrounding towns. A complete list of current members is contained on the Current Members List.
The chapter meets once each month for a three day campout, usually Friday through Sunday morning. A typical campout consists of a socializing on Friday with dining out at a local restaurant. There is a Saturday morning breakfast, provided by the campout hosts, followed by the business meeting. A potluck is held at noon with leftovers available for supper. With a few exceptions for special outings (such as the Memorial Day weekend were the meeting is held in Grapeland, TX and immediately preceding the Annual Bluegrass Musical Festival), most campouts are held within a 100 mile radius of San Marcos. When held over a weekend the meeting is culminated with devotional services on Sunday morning, consisting of prayer, hymns, a Scriptural message conducted by the host and Holy Communion.
