A Guide to Vegetarian Scouting
Michael Nardi created A Guide to Vegetarian Scouting Dissertation...in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Scouting. His purpose was to help the "Boy Scouts of America, its Councils, and Units retain Vegetarian Scouts, Venturers, and Scouters." Nardi said, "No Scout, Venturer, or Scouter should have to leave Scouting due to their dietary needs." Note: This item was prepared in Mr. Nardi's personal capacity and does not reflect the view of the Boy Scouts of America.
There is no national Boy Scout policy for vegetarian scouts. However, in the 12th Edition of the Boy Scout Handbook issued in 2009, the Boy Scouts of America added information on vegetarians to its Cooking chapter. The Boy Scout Handbook states that when planning meals for Scout camping trips, Scouts need to consider "special food needs." The Boy Scout Handbook also mentions that Scouts who are planning these meals should discuss any special food needs with their patrol members. "Vegetarians don't eat meat but have plenty of other options for good nutrition. Some religious groups avoid certain foods." Their cooking merit badge pamphlet states: "Consider the needs of vegetarians when creating menus. People who do not eat meat, fish, or poultry are considered vegetarians."
In his report, Mr. Nardi gave several illustrations of what is currently happening. For example, The Crossroads of America Council of Boy Scouts serves Central Indiana and has its headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. According to Mr. Lee Murdoch, Crossroads of America Council's Director of Outdoor Programs, "We work to accommodate all dietary requirements like Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, etc. as we are made aware of them by our unit leaders for our programs like summer camp." Ransburg Scout Reservation is the premier summer camp in the Crossroads of America Council. Its 2016 summer camp menu has vegetarian options listed for each meal. These include:
Vegetarian Options for Lunch - Cheese Pizza, Veggie Sloppy Joe, Vegetarian Meatball Sub, Black Bean Burger, Veggie Corn Dog, Chix Sandwich, Vegetarian Hot Dog, Veggie Chicken Nuggets, Grilled Cheese.
Vegetarian Options for Dinner - Lentil Loaf, Breaded Eggplant Cutlet, Veggie Chili Mac, Veggie Enchilada Casserole, Veggie Chicken Parmesan, Veggie Jambalaya, Stuffed Shells, Veggie Pork Noodles (Murdoch, 2016).
The UK Scout Association (formerly the British Boy Scouts) located in Gilwell Park, London, England, is the largest national scout organization in Europe. In their Diversity Guidelines for Event Organizers published in 2007, the UK Scout Association believes that "where possible individual needs should be met by making reasonable adjustments. This should include asking people if they have specific needs before they attend an event." Specific needs "covers medical, religious, dietary, and mobility needs as well as personal preferences." They believe that key points for consideration for events are dietary requirements, food, and the manner in which food is served. The UK Scout Association acknowledges that "there is a wide range of dietary requirements; some are personal preferences whilst others may be required for medical or religious reasons." They recommend that, if a Scout organization is "catering for a large number of people," and it does "not have information on individual needs," the Scout organization "should ensure that 50 percent of all food served is vegetarian or vegan. Different catering preferences should be served on separate plates, have separate serving utensils, and be clearly labeled" (UK Scout Association, 2007, p. 1-2).
To see Mr. Nardi's complete report, visit: www.vrg.org/nutshell/A_Guide_to_Vegetarian_Scouting.pdf
