Thirteen-Year-Old Boy Scout Petitions Boy Scouts of America to Reinstate the Beekeeping Merit Badge

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Can a thirteen-year-old Boy Scout with a passion for beekeeping convince the Boy Scouts of America National Council to reverse a decision made 15 years ago?  Christopher Stowell of Skiatook, Okla., is hoping so!  For the past year, Stowell has been collecting signatures and letters in support of his petition to reinstate the Beekeeping merit badge, which was discontinued in 1995 for lack of interest.

"There is no lack of interest now," says Stowell, "because the bees are dying and they need all the help they can get."

In each of the past four years, more than one in three bee colonies have died nationwide.  Researchers are calling the mysterious bee disappearance Colony Collapse Disorder and have been unable to pinpoint the cause.  The crisis is particularly concerning because the hardworking honey bee pollinates one-third of all the colorful foods we eat like luscious raspberries, tasty pears and crunchy nuts.

A resourceful Stowell contacted the Haagen-Dazs brand and asked for help.  The brand has supported research into the honey bee crisis since it launched its Haagen-Dazs loves Honey Bees awareness campaign in 2008.  Because the Haagen-Dazs brand uses only all natural ingredients in its recipes, bees are essential in the creation of more than 50 percent of its ice cream flavors.

Haagen-Dazs asked visitors to its website, www.helpthehoneybees.com, as well as  www.experienceproject.com, to sign letters endorsing the reinstatement of the Boy Scout Beekeeping badge. More than 6,000 visitors enthusiastically responded and Haagen-Dazs delivered stacks of printed letters to Christopher.  He'll be sending them off to the council this month and the petition will be considered by the board of directors in October.

About Haagen-Dazs loves Honey Bees™

Alarmingly, over the last four winters, more than one in three bee colonies died nationwide.  Researchers are calling the mysterious bee disappearance Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).  Because the Haagen-Dazs brand uses only all-natural ingredients in its recipes, more than 50 percent of the brand's flavors are bee-built, meaning they use ingredients pollinated by the bees. In 2008, the Haagen-Dazs brand launched the HD loves HB campaign to create awareness of the honey bee crisis.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of HD loves HB labeled flavors fund sustainable pollination and CCD research at Pennsylvania State University and University of California, Davis, totaling $620,000 over three years.

About Haagen-Dazs

Crafted in 1960 by Reuben Mattus in his family's dairy, Haagen-Dazs is the original superpremium ice cream.  True to tradition, Haagen-Dazs is committed to using only all-natural ingredients in crafting the world's finest ice cream.  Truly made like no other, today Haagen-Dazs ice cream offers a full range of products from ice cream to sorbet, frozen yogurt and frozen snacks in more than 65 flavors.  Haagen-Dazs products are available around the globe for ice cream lovers to enjoy.  For more information, please visit www.Haagen-Dazs.com.

SOURCE Haagen-Dazs