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Boys State was founded by the Department of
Illinois in 1935 and it was subsequently adopted
as a mandated activity of the National
Americanism Commission. Through the years this
program has blossomed to where it is today and
all 50 states participate with a total
enrollment of approximately 28,000 outstanding
young leaders.
Boys State is a program of experience and
education for high school juniors. It is, in
effect, a government unit in which each boy
participates in the operation of local, county
and state government.
At a Boys State, boys become acquainted with the
rights and privileges of a citizen and they are
instilled with a deep sense of the duties and
obligations which citizenship entails. This
training is objective and practical with city,
county and state governments being operated by
elected and appointed officials duly placed in
office by the citizens
of a Boys State.
Only juniors in high school are eligible to be
citizens of Boys State. Usually a college or
university serves as the site for Boys State.
Each boy is sponsored by a Legion Post. Upon
arrival at a Boys State, each boy is assigned to
a mock political party and to a city and county.
The citizens of each city and county nominate
members of their parties to be candidates for
the various city and county offices.
Legislative, Administrative and Judicial
programs are developed to hold the interest
of all citizens. State legislative sessions,
court trials, law and police schools, evening
assemblies all involving these young citizens
are popular activities in a typical
Boys State.
Our Post has been participating in this program
for many years and we are able through your dues
to send four boys to the Boys State Program. The
Department of Florida Boys State is held at
Florida State University, Tallahassee with an
enrolment
of 500 boys. The program does not stop there as
two and only two boys are selected
to go to Boys Nation in Washington D.C. Our Post
has a proud distinction to have
sent 3 boys during different years to Boys
Nation.
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