Girl Scouts - new patch!

Wow! That is great! This will definately educate a lot more people about the Peanut allergy. I wanted to be a girl scout a few years ago, but when my mom called, and told them about my PA, the girl scout leader said that she didn't be responsible for me if I had a reaction. Glad to see they're getting better!
Stay Safe! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img]

[This message has been edited by PAGirl (edited June 13, 2001).]

I'm really excited to hear this! Leah wants to be a girl scout next year, in first grade. I haven't been too enthused about the idea, mostly because I'm nervous about getting over scheduled. This news makes me more excited about Girl Scouts! Miriam

This is so great. My daughter just "bridged" from Brownies to Girl Scouts and I was considering doing a session of education about food allergies. (It's her brother that's has PA.) It's wonderful that there is now an official G.S. patch that can be earned to go along with the training/education! I'm very excited.

I think that this is a great step for the Girl Scouts, especially since I was one when I was little.

I just hope that they will take action on all the information they learn about food allergies especially peanuts and began producing "safe" cookies for everyone. I was going to buy cookies this year; however, the boxes did not have any allergy information in the ingredients listing. Therefore, I didn't buy anything because I didn't trust their labeling.

Has anyone experienced problems with their cookies? Any reactions?

Melanie

According to an acquaintance of mine who is an Executive Director for a GS area, the only safe cookies are Thin Mints.

I made a big to-do about the cookies when she visited my home, and I fed her Thin Mints, explaining our problems with allergies.

We just need to keep badgering the Scouts. Don't let them stop their awareness with just a patch. They need to have "safe" camps.

First: Good on the Girl Scouts for this!

As for the cookies, being PN/TN allergic I havn't been able to have their cookies in years. I used to love them and I can remember buying all the cookies (16 boxs?)from one GS who probably thought I was nuts [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

I really wish they'd bring back the safe cookies - I miss them.

Cheers,
J.J.

[This message has been edited by JJardine (edited June 15, 2001).]

rilira,

Thank you for posting this topic about the Girl Scout's new merit badge!

Cindy had e-mailed me an article titled [i]The Allergy Prison[/i] the other day and it mentions in there the new badge. My daughter is a Girl Scout (non-allergic) and when I showed her the article, she was jumping for joy! She said she has been *helping* her brother since we found out about his peanut allergy by not eating peanut butter around him or bringing it into the home and by telling her friends about his allergy.

Great job, Girl Scouts! Education, Education, Education!!!

------------------
Stay Safe.

This is a wonderful idea; kudos to the Girl Scouts. I think I will ask Girl Guides of Canada if they would consider something like this. It seems a natural fit with the Guide values of helping, sharing, cooperating, welcoming everyone, lending a hand, being prepared, etc.

Linda thank you for posting this.

I would like to see the information they study for the badge. In particular, how do they treat peanut allergies.

We looked at the cookies last year. Every box either contained peanuts except one, and it was manufactured in the same facility as peanut products.

Just wanted to bring this back up. I had a hard time locating this and finding info. on it. The patch is intended for juniors and up, not Brownies. I did find out, however, that if you want to, you can adapt the program for Brownies. I have made an outline that we are going to use with our Brownie troop. If anyone is interested, let me know.

Carolyn,

It is a rather extensive program. I would love to see how you adapted it for Brownies. I need to send away for the patches and get started. We are trying to coordinate working on it at the same time as the fall nut sale.

Linda

I would like to see the Brownie outline too. Can you post it? Can they get a Try It patch or such for it? And can you do it without making the girls with the allergies feel too "different"? I would love to learn from your experience.

Chicago, here it is.

Brownie Be a PAL Patch Program

1. Introduction to Food Allergies

2. Watch video,

Thanks, that was very helpful. I will do this with my Brownies soon.

I am so glad to see this get more "formal" recognition!

Wonderful, wonderful!! Thank you, Girl Scouts!

Raising the thread to promote this cool food allergy awareness program available via girl scouts!

For Claire (and everyone else) - Raising the thread to promote this cool food allergy awareness program available via girl scouts!

Anybody have recent info on food allergy patches for Brownies??

I just read this when I was on Foodallergy.org.
What a great thing. I was wishing they had something similar for Cub Scouts, but I wondered if the program could just be gender altered by the leader. The patch doesn't seem overly "girly"
what do you think?