All parties using River Valleys facilities are required to follow all council kitchen standards.
Standards
- Failure to comply with these standards will jeopardize the ability to rent River Valleys facilities in the future.
- Groups running individual girl events (ex: not attending as a troop) are prohibited from preparing food for paid participants in non-commercial kitchens on River Valleys properties. The following kitchens are classified as commercial:
- Lakamaga dining hall
- Elk River dining hall
- Singing Hills dining hall
- Northwoods Thunderbird Lodge dining hall
- A troop or other small group staying overnight in a cabin, tent, or troop house may use the kitchen in the space they have rented to prepare food for their group following all Girl Scout safety guidelines found in Safety Activity Checkpoints, the River Valleys Girls Cook In self-study training, and any applicable safety activity checkpoints.
- Small overnight groups of 30 or fewer, including those associated with a paid program, are allowed to prepare meals for themselves using any River Valleys facility kitchen, as long as no paid participants are included.
- Troops attending troop based events, such as service unit events and encampments, may plan and prepare food for themselves in non-commercial kitchens on River Valleys properties.
- Any group preparing food in a commercial camp kitchen, or small overnight groups associated with a paid program, are required to have a kitchen manager trained in food safety, and are required to follow all food safety standards and practices outlined in the River Valleys Kitchen Manual and Cooking Guidelines document.
- Outdoor campfire cooking by girls as an activity is allowed, but no food may be prepped (ex: cutting or heating) indoors. Food may be divided and portioned out to send to individual units for outdoor cooking.
- Catered food is allowed, as well as bag lunches brought by campers from home.
- Pre-packaged snacks are allowed.