TICKBUSTER PATCH PROGRAM

 

Leader Information:

                This program attempts to increase awareness and help prevent Lyme disease through education.  Prevention, early identification and treatment in the early stages remain our best lines of defense against Lyme disease.  You may borrow Tick Talk, a video for ages 5-9 or Lyme Disease The Case of the Great Imitator, a video for ages 9- adult from the Council Office.  Contact the Westchester County or Putnam County Dept. of Health for further information or call the American Lyme Disease Foundation 914-934-8860.

 

 

 

 

Requirements:

 

Jr.            See a film, read a book, invite a speaker or attend a talk on Lyme disease and answer the following questions: How did Lyme Disease get its name?  What is its medical name?  How do you get Lyme disease?  What are some of the symptoms of Lyme disease?

 

Br & Jr    List as many ways as you can to prevent Lyme disease.

 

Br            Create a story, starting with girls going camping or on a hike in the woods. Have each girl in your troop add a piece to the adventure.  Make sure you include Lyme disease awareness.

 

Br & Jr    Create a picture book showing where ticks live, the season most Lyme disease cases occur, how ticks get on people, the size of a tick in relation to its surroundings and the Lyme disease hot-line-number.

 

Br & Jr    Plan a hiking trip with your troop.  From magazines, clip the proper clothing and other gear to wear and take for a safe hike.  Paste your clippings on a sheet of construction paper and labe your collage “A Lyme Disease Free Hiking Trip”.

 

Br & Jr    Identify and list as many hosts as you can on which ticks choose to live.

 

Br & Jr    Act out what you would do if you saw a member of your troop or family with a tick on their skin.

 

Jr             Describe the branch of medicine that deals with the existence and control of diseases.  List some diseases with which it deals.  From the following words, choose one to discuss with your troop:  nymph, penicillin, prognosis, organism, spirochete, diagnosis, neurological.

 

Jr             List the different kinds of ticks found in our area.

 

Jr             Describe the stages of a tick

 

Br & Jr    Talk with your troop about how you can prevent pets from getting Lyme disease.

 

Br & Jr    Be an advocate for preventing Lyme disease.  Create poster or bumper stickers that express your message on how to prevent Lyme disease. OR Talk to a group about Lyme disease awareness and all that you have learned. OR Set up a troop display and hand out literature on Lyme disease awareness and prevention at a shopping center or mall.

 

Br & Jr    Sign the Tickbuster Pledge

 

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TICKBUSTER PEDGE

 

I am going to do all that I can to keep from being bitten by ticks while enjoying outdoor activities.  That  is why I make the following pledge:

 

1.        I will wear the right kinds of clothes when I go out to play.  This means, whenever possible, wearing

light-colored long pants tucked inside my socks and a long-sleeved shirt.  This will help me see any ticks that might get on my clothes.

 

2.     I will use a tick repellent containing DEET before I go out to play.  I understand that repellent is sprayed

on our clothes, not on our skin.

 

3.        I will try to avoid wooded or grassy places where ticks may be found.

 

4.        If I do play in areas where I may be exposed to ticks, I will frequently check myself for ticks.

 

5.        I understand that household pets can also get Lyme disease.  I will be careful after handling pets to check for ticks.

 

6.        If I find a tick on me, I will tell my parents or a trusted adult.  They can use fine tweezers, grasping as close to the skin as possible, removing it, and then washing the bite with alcohol.  Then they can put the tick in a jar and bring it or send it to the county health department.  The health department will tell my family whether or not the tick that bit me is a deer tick.

 

7.        If a rash appears within 30 days or if the health department has identified the tick that bit me as a deer tick, my parents will contact my doctor.

 

8.        Following these simple safety tips will help to protect me from Lyme disease.  I understand these tips apply to everyone, not just young people.

 

9.        If my parents and I have any questions about Lyme disease, we can call the Westchester or Putnam County Lyme  Hot-Lines.

 

I have read this pledge and talked it over with my parents.  I will share this information with a friend or a brother or sister.

 

 

__________________________________              _________________________________________

Signature of Girl Scout                                               Signature of Girl Scout Leader

 

Leaders: Make appropriate number of copies for each member of your troop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPLICATION FOR TICKBUSTER PATCH

 

Date_____________________

# of patches requested___________________

Cost per patch ( contact GSWP)

Total cost of troop order_________________

 

Leader’s Name_______________________________________  Phone___________________________

 

Address_____________________________________________________________________________

 

Troop #_____________________  Level_____________________________

 

Which part of requirement # 12 did you complete?

 

                Briefly evaluate this program: