Badger Boys State

1. Badger Boys State Web-Orientation Program Intended for prospective participants,parents, guidance counselors, educators, and sponsoring organizations.

2. Orientation Agenda Thank you for your interest in Badger Boys State! This presentation will touch on many aspectsof the program including… • The history and purpose of the Boys State program; • The general outline, schedule, and list of activities; • The sponsorship and selection process – how it works; • Why you might want to become involved and participate; • What participants should bring, and information for parents; • Viewing of the session slide show from 2004.

3. History The American Legion started the Boys State program in 1935 when Illinois chartered the first program. It was organized to counter the Fascist inspired Young Pioneer Camps of the time. Although times have changed, the American Legion still feels strongly that our nation’s young men and women should be knowledgeable about, and exposed to, the rights and privileges, the duties and the responsibilities of American citizenship. Currently, 49 states operate programs and although similar they differ due to their particular state and local governments. For each Boys State there is also an equivalent Girls State program sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary. Badger Boys State has been held on the Ripon College campusfor over 50 years while the Badger Girls State programhas been held at UW-Madison.

4. History Badger Boys State was established in 1939 andhas graduated nearly 58,000 young men through-out its history. It is currently one of the largestof the Boys State programswith roughly 900 young meneach year; it is also considered one of the best programs.The counselors and staff –all volunteers – were onceparticipants of BBS and returnbecause of their positiveexperience and their desire tocontribute to the program.

5. How Does It Work? BBS is an eight day long experience which literally creates a 51st state. The program brings together the best young men from throughout Wisconsin to create a hands-on, learning-by-doing environment. such an environment. The ideal behind the program’s structure is that the best way to learn something is to experience it first-hand – learning by doing.

6. Saturday ~ Day 1 Each young man arrives and is assignedto a city becoming a “citizen” of that cityfor the week. A number of cities makea county and in total the state. The first day is primarily to get settled in, meet one’s city, and start organizing by the two party political system with the assistance of the city counselor. The first days are very busy but rewarding.

7. Sunday ~ Day 2 The program begins to move quickly asthe candidates for city offices are selectedby each city political party and they thenbegin to campaign for their office.There are some instructional meetingsbut most work is donein the city and countywith counselorsassisting. The band/choir and color guardbegin rehearsals andthe daily paper beginsdistribution.

8. Monday ~ Day 3 City government isin the spotlight asthe city electionsare held and thenewly elected officials begin run-ning their cities.New laws or ord-inances are passed,city policemen areappointed to enforce them, and budgets arediscussed. The afternoon schedule has re-creation time and the evening is used by thecounty parties to determine party candidatesfor each county office.

9. Tuesday ~ Day 4 One of the daily morning activities is a instructional “school” for particular interests: ecology, law, peace officers, and leadership among others. The “schools” are not typical as they are morehands on such as leadership school picturedhere. The schools prepare citizens to run forsuch positions as law enforcement and tobecome judges in their county. The countyelections were also conducted on Tuesdayand the newly elected county officials weresworn in ~ two levels of government are nowfully functional. After an evening assemblywith a short BBS band concert and a guest speaker, the day is complete.

10. Wednesday ~ Day 5 Some of the most sought after positions at BBS are the state level offices – especially the office of governor. After petitioning for their party’s nomination, there is a primary election held within each party to determine the final slate of candidates for the general election. This primary is held on Wednesday and duringthe evening assembly (shownhere) the primary winners address all citizens to try gain and persuade their vote. Other daily activities continued asusual including county sportsteams competing, laws beingenforced and court cases beingheard.

11. Thursday ~ Day 6 Thursday is truly the high point of the week. Following the morning assembly the cities and counties continue their work on their budgets, law enforcement and court cases, and then thefinal election of the week. The electionboards conduct the general election, count the ballots, and the new BBS Governor isofficially elected. The Governor for BBS 2004 is WalterBond from Milwaukee. He is seen hereafter being sworn into office by The Honorable Ann Walsh Bradley of theWisconsin Supreme Court during theinaugural assembly.

12. Thursday ~ Day 6 The Inaugural Assembly is the mostformal event of the week because inaddition to swearing in the stateofficials, a number of distinguishedguests are on hand as well as friendsand family who are encouraged toattend. BBS has been privileged toreceive Wisconsin state officials eachyear. The Honorable Ann Walsh Bradley, Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court addresses the 2004 inaugural assembly.

13. Friday ~ Day 7 The newly elected state officials begin their work; the Governor makes his appointments, the Senate and Assembly prepare bills which they hope will become laws, and the Supreme Court Justices hear cases. A college fair is held in the morning, sports finish the week in the afternoon, and the BBS band and choir perform during the evening assembly.

14. Saturday ~ Day 8 Citizens perform their last duties as the mayor,county exec., sheriff, city clerk, or governorat BBS as they prepare to leave. One final fullassembly to reflect on the week, learn who theBoys Nation Senators are for 2004, present theathletic awards, hear thefinal reports from the stateofficials, receive a farewellfrom the American Legion,and then the final retire-ment of the colors. Session closed…! Arriving as strangers,departing as friends.

15. Citizen Testimonials At the end of each session, citizens are requested to provide feedback (both positive and negative) so that the program can be continually improved. Here are some examples of citizen feedback… • “The program has changed my life in more ways than one. The leadership qualities, lifelong friendships and love for country and state.” • “I had an excellent week here at Badger Boys State. My confidence in myself, my leadership, and public speaking skills have soared this week while being mayor. This is an excellent program and I hope that my kids will someday attend. Thanks.” • “This has been one of the best weeks of my life. To all the counselors, volunteer staff and the American Legion, thank you!”

16. Boys Nation Just as the Boys State programs provide young men the chance to experience state level government, the American Legion Boys Nation program provides that same experience at the federal level. Each Boys State program selects two exceptional young men from their program and they represent their state at BoysNation; held in Washington, D.C. in July.Boys Nation participants enjoy manyprivileges during the program includingmeeting the President of the United States.Boys Nation Senators are shown here asthey lay a wreath at the tomb of theunknown soldier at Arlington NationalCemetery.

17. Why Attend BBS? Perhaps you have been selected to attend BBS… Why should you attend instead of working or going to other camps or conferences? This can be a tough decision because summers can be very valuable. Here are a few reasons we feel BBS is a excellent experience - one not to pass up. • The experience is truly unique. The best young men from Wisconsin using an entire college campus for a hands-on program ~ the learning and growing potential is limited only by your imagination; • Due to the fact that the program is highly regarded by educators, attendance looks very favorable during college entrance, scholarship applications, and resumes; • Attendance makes you eligible for special scholarships through the American Legion and Ripon College; • Lifelong friendships are very often built during the program; • Thousands of others have attended and left with experiences of a life-time… perhaps the question is why wouldn’t you choose to attend?

18. Getting Involved Becoming involved is the very best way to get the most out of BBS – and to have the most fun. However, running for an elected office is not the only way to get involved. Here are some of the other ways to contribute during the week… • Daily newspaper: There is always a need for morewriters and artists to reporton any news from their city or county and to provide artwork for the front page. • Band / Jazz Ensemble: TheBBS band plays at almost every assembly and a jazz ensemble normally plays Friday evening. Bring your instruments! Occasionally string players participate as well.

19. Getting Involved • Choir: The choir performs during theinaugural assembly and often highlightssome soloists during some selections. • Color Guard: Each evening assemblybegins with the posting of the Americanflag. The color guard (or honor guard)posts the flag in a ceremonial andrespectful manner. • Athletics: There are many from whichto choose – soccer, volleyball, crosscountry, basketball, touch football, softball, open swimming, tennis, andweight lifting. Most are organizedby county teams and compete forbest county status.

20. What BBS Is Not Boys State can be a fantastic experience but it can also be a great disappointment if those attending expect the program to be something it is not. Boys State creates a learning, growing, maturing environment built around citizen interaction, patriotism, and realizing what citizenship can mean. Boys State is not… • An athletic summer camp; sports are played but are not the focus. • A summer camp to get away from the summer job and the parents for a week. • A week of passing time and hanging with other students your age; the week is active, rewarding, and as valuable as you choose to make it. Boys State can be an experience you will never forget …but make it for the right reasons.

21. Selection Process Once a qualified sponsoring organization has decided to sponsor someone from your school or organization, an eligible young man is then selected. Young men are eligible to attend if they… • … just completed their junior year in a Wisconsin high school; • … are a citizen of The United States; • … are good students, well adjusted, and show qualities of leadership in their school. The BBS selection process can vary greatly throughout the state but isoften made by the local school authorities. To learn more about the selection process in your area, please speak with your school guidance counselor or local American Legion Post.

22. 2005 Session • BBS will once again be held on the campus of Ripon College in Ripon. • The session is held between the following dates:~ Start: 1:00pm, Saturday June 11th.~ End: 11:00am, Saturday June 18th. Participants should plan on spending this entire time at BBS.No early departures are allowed without prior approval. • Citizens may drive themselves to BBS but they will not have use of their vehicle during the session. BBS operates a closed campus for security and safety reasons. • In case of injuries or illness, BBS has a doctor visit the campus each day and Ripon has a hospital if required. • Family and friends are welcome to attend the Thursday evening inaugural program beginning at 7:15pm in Storzer gymnasium.

23. What You Should Bring Citizens will be provided with all materials needed for the program, however, some personal items will be necessary and some additional suggestions may make the week more enjoyable. • Bring a pillow, sheets, blankets or a sleeping bag for the residence hall beds. Also bring personal items like tooth brush, soap, bath towel, contact lens supplies, phone calling card, an alarm clock, stamps, etc. • Most citizens benefit from bringing a electric fan as June can be very warm and most areas of the college are NOT air-conditioned. • Meals and supplies have been paid for by your sponsor but there are items that you may want to purchase so bring some money. These items may include snacks, city/activity pictures, book store items, shirts/shorts/caps and the like which are for sale throughout the week. • A more formal set of clothing is sometimes desired if running for state level offices, however, this is by no means expected or required.

24. What Not To Bring There are some items that you are better off not bringing to BBS. Some items you will not be allowed to use and some are not worth bringing. Please do not bring the following… • Television, DVD/VCR player, or video consoles of any type; • Excessive amounts of money or valuables. There is a bank that can hold valuables during the week but as a general rule, try to limit the valuables that you bring. • Campaign materials from outside BBS. Materials used for campaigning are closely monitored to ensure that no one has an unfair advantage. Materials from outside BBS will NOT be allowed. • Computers. There are no aspects of BBS which benefit from bringing your computer and the residence hall computer networks are normally unavailable during the week due to maintenance .

25. Graduates Some better known graduates of BBS are: • Wisconsin Governors Scott McCallum and Martin J. Schreiber • Dan Travanti; Actor • Al Jarreau; Jazz Singer • Gus Gnorski; Milwaukee TV6 Personality Some graduates of other Boys State programs are: • President Bill Clinton, Vice-President Dick Cheney, Michael Jordan, Tom Brokaw

26. 2004 Slideshow BBS 2004 session slideshow.Click on graphic above to view; 8 minute run-time.(Hit <ESC> after last slide to return)

27. Visit Our Web Site Our goal with our web site is to not only allow people to learn more about Badger Boys State but also as a resource for parents during the session and afterward for citizens. The more popular aspects of the site are… • Session Progress: This area of the site is updated each morning to reflect the happenings of the previous day. This provides a way for parents and friends to understand what is happening each day through photos and descriptions. • The winners for each elected office are posted on the site immediately after the elections are final; the duties of each office are also posted. • General information such as the schedule, emergency contact infor- mation, driving directions, and the mailing address are also posted. Please visit our web-site:http://www.BadgerBoysState.com/

28. How To Contact Us Again, thank you for your interest in Badger Boys State! If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know. We can be reached in the following ways: BBS Secretary: (608) 745-1090 BBS email: info@wilegion.org For more information, please visit our web-site:http://www.BadgerBoysState.com