La Grange, IL, December 19, 2012: The Robert E Coulter, Jr., American Legion Post 1941 will host its Post Social Meeting at 7:30 p.m. The guest speaker will be Past Department Commander Art Rawers, who will be providing a presentation on Boy State. Legion posts select high-school juniors to attend the program. In most cases, individual expenses are paid by a sponsoring
post, a local business or another community-based organization. (American Legion Auxiliary sponsors a
separate but similar program for young women called Girls State.)
Did you know:
Illinois Boys State is proud to offer nine scholarships totaling over $15,000 each year to Boys State participants. All scholarships are based upon merit achieved during the Boys state program, with the exception of the Samsung
Scholarship as well as the essay and oration contests, which may be prepared ahead of time.
American Legion Boys State is among the most respected
and selective educational programs of government instruction for U.S. high-school students. A participatory program in which students become part of the operation of local, county and state government, Boys State was founded in 1935. The program was the idea of two Illinois Legionnaires, Hayes Kennedy and Harold Card, who organized the first Boys State at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.
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At Boys State, participants learn the rights, privileges
and responsibilities of franchised citizens. The training is objective and centers on the structure of city, county and state governments. Operated by students elected to various offices, Boys State activities include legislative
sessions, court proceedings, law-enforcement presentations, assemblies, bands, choruses and recreational programs.
Boys State programs currently exist in all Legion
departments except Hawaii. As separate corporations, Boys State programs vary in content and method of procedure, but each adheres to the same basic concept:
teaching government from the township to the state level.
