The green badge of preparedness

“Be prepared,” that’s the Girl Scout motto. And now, a Girl Scout can earn a new, government-approved patch when she lives up to that ideal.

Today, the Homeland Security Department and the Girl Scouts of the USA unveiled the “preparedness” patch and a corresponding program to encourage young women and their families to be prepared for emergencies like storms, pandemics or terrorist attacks.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who is a former Girl Scout, said:

This new preparedness patch will increase citizen preparedness and enhance our country’s readiness for disasters.”

To earn the patch a scout must identify and prepare for emergencies, learn about emergency warning systems and complete community service.

No word on whether a box each of Thin Mints and Tagalongs would be a required addition to any emergency preparation kit, but this FedLine blogger (who was sadly not a scout) would strongly support such a move.