By Lori BODNAR

The community is invited to experience culinary tastes while learning about different cultures around the world at the 39^th annual Girl Scout Tasting Bee on Sunday, April 6. The Tasting Bee will be at the Montrose Program Center at 2732 Montrose Ave. in Montrose from 1-4 p.m. Girl Scouts will have booths presenting a country’s food, culture and customs, as well as present information on what Girl Scouts or Girl Guides are like in that country.

There are 13 Girl Scout troops currently signed up to the Tasting Bee representing the countries of Belgium, Colombia, France, Italy, Germany, Mexico, South Korea, Israel, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The organizers created “passports” for attendees at the Tasting Bee. Girl Scouts choose countries from the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) to represent at the Tasting Bee.

Girl Scout Service Unit 407 and Troop 1611 are running the Tasting Bee event, with Susie Johnson as one of the organizers. 

Johnson said, “Troops are able to select any country that’s part of WAGGGS, which represents 10.8 million girls and young women from 153 countries! The international Tasting Bee gives girls the opportunity to see their place in the international community of WAGGGS and work together to create an educational and enlightening experience for others as they learn about countries. The community gets to enjoy this Girl Scout property donated in the 1930s and to celebrate Scouting, which brings us all together across the world.”

The hosting troops work together to choose a country they want to represent, the food tastes they will offer, the costumes and the booth decorations. 

“Each booth will show the flag, a large copy of the recipe for their selected dish, either a dressed doll or a picture of the uniform worn in the country represented, and a detailed poster of facts regarding their country, highlighting what they have learned about its culture, customs and food,” said Johnson.

The Tasting Bee offers ways for the Girl Scouts to celebrate WAGGGS World Thinking Day. 

“Because World Thinking Day occurs in the middle of our Girl Scout Cookie Season, the Tasting Bee has been our community’s way of celebrating and giving more Scouts the ability to participate,” explained Johnson.  

The Silver Trefoil adult Girl Scout group will highlight the WAGGGS world centers at the Girl Scout Tasting Bee. 

“Each year volunteer experts from the Silver Trefoils bring information about the WAGGGS world centers and set up a table at the Tasting Bee so Girl Scouts can learn from the Scouts who have visited most of the centers themselves and get inspired to travel the world,” said Johnson. “This year they’ve provided a slideshow with images from the sites to show real events at the WAGGGS centers during our Tasting Bee. The Order of the Silver Trefoil is a group of adult Girl Scouts from the legacy council of GS-Mount Wilson Vista, who have 25 or more years in Girl Scouting.” 

This year, Girl Scouts will win prizes by answering questions about their country and WAGGS.

“As a special treat this year we’ll have a ‘booth sleuth,’” said Johnson, “who will go to each booth and ask the Scouts to answer some basic questions that are provided in advance about the Girl Scouts WAGGGS and their country. Successful troops win a prize for their knowledge and preparation.”

The Girl Scouts Tasting Bee proceeds will go toward a trip to the WAGGGS World Centers Pax Lodge in England and the Chalet in Switzerland for the sponsoring troop. The Girl Scouts will have learned about WAGGGS during their preparation for the Tasting Bee and will see the World Centers on their trip.

The Girl Scout Tasting Bee on April 6 is a family-friendly event where Girl Scouts and other guests can enjoy cuisines from around the world and learn about different countries. The admission for Girl Scouts is $12 per Scout that includes 30 tastes and a patch. To enjoy the different kinds of food all over the world at the Girl Scout Tasting Bee, admission for guests is $10 for 30 tastes.