American Legion's "Boys State" program - What is it?

[KurtNYC]

Anybody attend one of these or know someone who did?

Their website says they started this program to counter the Young Pioneer Camps of the 1930s. They go on to state that Though Fascism no longer poses a threat in today's world, our way of life is still threatened

The schedule includes "Sunday: 6:30 a.m. Reveille
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Church Services, City meetings,Circulate petition for County Offices, Party Rallies
11:00 p.m. Lights Out

One of my relatives has signed up her son for this program. I'm not sure she knows what he will be getting into or maybe I am the one who doesn't know what this program is about. Should I be worried?

On edit, added link: http://www.calegion.org/html/boys_state.html#what

[liberal N proud]

1. I attended Boys State in 1976.

It is an excellent program for young men entering their senior year. You only get to go when nominated by an America Legion post.
The program is intended to teach government from every level.
Boys are broken out into Cities and Counties.
Each City elects a Mayor and City Council
Each County elects county officials in accordance with the host state
Then State Representatives and Senators are elected finally a Governor is elected.
It is supposed to be a model government and teach the methods used to run the city, state and country.
Thereis no hidden agenda to the program and I learned a lot from my experience.
I only wish I had returned following years as a counselor.
Thank you to all you Legionaries for the experience.

[KAMouflage]

2. Colorado Boy's State 1982

I attended this, mainly as a resume builder, before starting my senior year of high school. I knew going in that most of the participants would be to the right of the political spectrum. However, the ratio was even more unbalanced that I had imagined. So about five or six of us "liberals" took off the last day and went into Pueblo to watch "Rocky III."

I don't know how things have changed but I found it mostly a goof-off camp for testosterone-heavy senior boys. Nothing serious was done and the guy who won our "parties" nomination for "governor" did so by gluing his name to his chest in cotton balls and fleshing his abs for the audience.

[Bigmack]

3. American Legion.....

Hmmmmm....

If MoveOn.org ran a camp, I'd suspect it might be just a tiny bit left of center.

If the AL runs a camp.....

[theboss]

4. Great great program

A few of my friends did it between junior and senior year and one went to "Boy's Nation" as a state delegate. It goes on at the same time as "Girl's State" and I think they have some "mixers" together or something.

It's basically a camp that teaches how politics and government works. You create political parties, develop platforms, run candidates, etc. Then I believe you hold senate type meetings.

I also think they bring in government, business, and military leaders to speak. I think Chuck Yeager (what a man!) spoke at the WV Conference.

I think it is more "conservative" than some programs, but the Legion is running it. What did you expect. I did a Hugh O'Brien program during my sophomore year which is a more liberal, touchy-feely program. I liked it, but I can imagine some teenage boys being uncomfortable there. Cute girls though.

[mmonk]

5. Will this be our

Hitler youth?

[theboss]

10. Oy vey

It's a week at camp. Get a life.

[Democrats_win]

6. Clinton attended & met JFK. Probably something to praise, not condemn.

[scarlett1]

11. The Picture of Clinton with JFK was taken when

Bill was attending Boy's Nation, what the Winners of Boys State go to, there is a Girls State too.

[newportdadde]

7. It does feel a bit like your in the military

at least it did for me as our two adult leaders were Marines. We got up to the trumpet being played each morning, lights out with the trumpet at night. When we walked to lunch or other events we actually marched (left right left right) and did one the bootcamp chants... something like "Rubber ducky in my beer.. makes me happy makes me wanna..".

There are daily athletic competitions which count for points which then are used to determine the 'best city'.

Basically you get divided up into townships and pick an area of government you like to learn about. I picked the Legislature although you learn about many areas, my roommate went into the law area. You get some visits by local political leaders, ours was a RW guy at the time, and this was in 1994.

In the legislature class I felt like a noob during the classes. A lot of these kids go to government camps etc, they knew all the procedures etc.. I was just a dumb farm boy so I was use to bailing hay while they were doing summer prep school work.

After a day or two you have your township 'elections' this of course is a bunch of high school kids so the jocks, preppy types won the offices while the nerds slinked off. I became a fire Marshall for the floor I lived in because "everyone has to have some type of job"

There is a lot a LOT of Right-wingers at this thing when I did it. They were touting Rush, back when he was new and hot in 94 and I called him a 'fat ass idiot'. I then proceeded to get a talking to and a 'ticket' from an elected 'police officer' for language, which I had to go to the 'court' for. Seriously I'm not kidding, but my roommate was a lawyer so he argued my name was spelled wrong and it might not be me so I got off.

Pros:

1) I got to meet some great people from different races. My class at my rural school had 50 kids in it all white. My roommate was Hispanic, our town judge was a great guy who was black, one our Marine leaders was black as well as other ethnic backgrounds throughout our town. This was some good exposure for me.

2) It led me to get 1000 for college.

3) I was able to beat out the American Legion leader's grandson, two start football players and a very large farmers son(i.e. big political guy) to get the American Legion pick. All this without extra circular activities (i.e. too busying helping my own dad farm) etc I wrote the essay of my life that year.

4) Continue from #4 I watched as angry parents and grandparents independently raised the money to send their kids to Boy's State. The big farmer bullied his fertilizer vendor to send his son. The other kids got picked up by various 'clubs' etc. :)

5) I got my first real hardcore expose to RW thinking.

6) I got to see my roommate argue this case about election posters or something in front of the entire delegation from the state at the university auditorium.. pretty cool.

Cons:

1) Very testosterone driven.

2) No girls there at all, period. Not that I would have been able to talk to them anyway but the option would have been nice.

3) Large disproportion of conservatives vs liberals.. imagine 5 to 1 at best.

4) Lots of spoiled kids.

The good news I did get a scholarship out of it as I attended a state university it was 1000.00 for that first year non-renewable. I'll take the week of garbage for the grand.

[rsdsharp]

8. I was at Iowa Boy's State in 1971.

I'd never even heard of the thing when I received a call telling me I had been selected to participate -- along with 4 others from my town. I don't recall it as being right wing, but the political climate then was different than it is now, especially since every one of us was looking at the draft, and possiby Viet Nam, in less than two years. (It didn't happen, but we didn't know it then).

As far as it being military, I agree. On the first day, we were assembled in the parking lot of the National Guard base where we would be staying for the next week. We were given a quick orientation speech, during which we were assured that despite the fact that the program was sponsored by the American Legion, and held at a military base, it was in no way miltary. We were then ordered to assemble in columns of threes and march to our barracks! LOL.

I was fairly apolitical at the time, and didn't do much to participate in the politics. I spent most of my time playing softball and at the pool in the afternoons. (You were required to particpate in two sports -- one of which had to be swimming at the huge Camp Dodge pool.) Most of my memeories of the experience are largely ones of heat and boredom. That, and our barracks motto:

We're the men of Kraschel House,
we live in caves and ditches.
We scratch our cocks on jagged rocks!
We're rugged sonsabitches!

[RayOfHope]

9. I went to Girls State

same thing, only for females. As the first reply said, you have to be chosen/sponsored to go (you can't just sign up) and the purpose is to learn how government works. Nothing sinister about it when I went in 1989.

[Arkana]

12. Massachusetts Boys' State in 2002.

It was possibly one of the STRANGEST experiences I've ever had. The guy we elected governor ate a live goldfish on stage.

[mcar]

13. My son was selected for Florida Boys' State 2004

He had a wonderful experience, and met some great guys from around the state.

He ended up helping one of his "city-mates" be elected governor and got appointed secretary of state.

We are very liberal and he found it quite interesting to be around a real mix of political and religious persuasions.

He was totally unimpressed with Jeb, but very impressed with FL's emergency operations center (there was a mock hurricane during the week).

It's a great item to list on college applications -- considered a real honor.