Frequently Asked Questions:

updated as questions come to our attention.

Allergy or anaphylaxis:

The outdoor setting of the jamboree has many risks (e.g., wasps, hornets, and other stinging insects) that could trigger anaphylactic reactions in individuals prone to reaction.  There is also the risk of exacerbating food allergies.

With approximately 45,000 participants, the provisions made for those with food allergies are minimal at best as you can well imagine the enormity of such a task. However, we have established some suggestions for each participant to manage their own allergies fairly easily. They are as follows:

• You will be able to go to the Jamboree web site, www.bsajamboree.org, at least three months before the Jamboree and view the proposed menu and make tentative selections from the several choices provided at each meal. (Ingredients for every menu item will not be posted – that would incur hundreds of pages of information. It is also not feasible or practical to have each ingredient tested for allergens.)
• The Food Services Chairman and Director give assurance in that they are striving to make this a peanut free Jamboree. With that said, there will be peanut butter available at the Jamboree, but none of the foods on the menu will be made with or have peanut oil or peanuts of any kind in them. They want to make sure it is understood that they cannot guarantee that other tree nuts will not be used during preparation or that cross-contamination of other nuts will not occur.
• If medications including an Epi-Pen have been prescribed for specific allergies, it is very important to carry this on your person at all times with at least one back-up in your tent.
• If allergies are so severe as to hinder the use of the food provided at the Jamboree, a participant may contact their council and with their approval, propose a plan that will allow the severely allergic individual to bring their own food. The council will be responsible for providing storage and maintenance of said food.
• Finally, it is our desire that if personal allergies are understood, effects are clear, and wise choices are made from the food offered it is possible to stay clear of any allergy problems at the Jamboree. However, it is important to realize that coming to the Jamboree with severe food allergies is a risk that we cannot take responsibility for. The correct action may be the decision to refrain from attending the Jamboree.

Allergy shots required for maintenance doses are acceptable for persons who have not had an anaphylactic reaction. You must bring all appropriate medications and be able to self-administer them.
Not having a proper supply of appropriate medication is considered medically unfit.