American Legion Auxiliary Keystone Girls State

American Legion Auxiliary KeystoneGirls State Unit Orientation PowerPoint

Why have a Unit Orientation • This PowerPoint is to help each and every Unit learn about the American Legion Auxiliary Keystone Girls State Program. • It is the Units responsibility to find and sponsor the young women for this program. So it only makes sense that each Unit needs to understand the program so that you may better select the citizens and inform them on their upcoming learning experience.

What is the Keystone Girls State Program • First and foremost the program is called • The American Legion Auxiliary Keystone Girls State. Please try to include the American Legion Auxiliary before the Keystone Girls State when you are talking about the program so that it is known as a program of the American Legion Auxiliary. • We work very hard and do great things as an organization and this program is no different. • For the sake of this PowerPoint I will be using ALA KGS for space and efficiency.

What is KGS • The ALA KGS Program is a nonpartisan participatory program that teaches young women responsible citizenship grounded in ethics, the principles of our nation’s founders and respect for God and Country. • High-school girls who have completed their junior year have the opportunity to spend an intensive week of firsthand learning, working together as self-governing citizens.

Continued • During the week long process, the young women learn about government and the rights of individuals; privileges and responsibilities of franchised citizens by forming fictitious cities that then form Girls State; electing public officials at the local, county and state level, and carrying out the duties of those offices. By the fact of the citizens personally interacting throughout the whole election process and completing the duties that each office entails helps to give them a better understanding of small town America and how one person can make a change within the world.

Eligibility • It is up to each Unit to choose your representative to attend the ALA KGS program. Your Unit may sponsor one girl or as many as your Unit so chooses. • The sponsorship fee for each girl is $200. If your Unit paid all of the Department obligations, it would include the $75 Girls State obligation, so your Unit would pay the difference of $125 for the sponsorship. • Once the girl is accepted by your Unit to attend and when she arrives at the program she is referred to as a Citizen. So I will be using this term throughout the PowerPoint.

Eligibility • Requirements to be considered as a participant of the ALA KGS program: • Unmarried female. • Has successfully completed her junior year of high school. • Has at least one more semester remaining before graduation.

Unit should Consider in Selection of Participants • Citizen should demonstrate: • Leadership • In school and out • Character • Scholarship • Loyalty • Service • In their school and community • Participants are to be selected on the basis of merit and ability. • Please inform your Units representative that the program is intensive and not a camp. It is a governmental instruction and leadership training program.

Your Unit • ALA Units should make every effort to sponsor eligible young women to participate in the ALA KGS program. • Your Units Chairman/President should inform school districts and individual public and private schools about the benefits of the program, explain eligibility requirements and distribute information and applications to the schools.

Your Unit • With this informational PowerPoint the Unit will also receive a letter to theUnit, as well as a letter to the Guidance counselor or Principle and an application. • This is the only information that the Unit itself needs to select the citizen.

The Citizen • Upon approval of your Unit, the application for the citizen will be sent in to Department. • After the citizen’s information is processed, she will receive a packet in the mail will all the documentation and information that she will need. • Medical Release Form • What to bring • Dress Code • Rules and Regulations • Basic ALA KGS info. • The Unit itself will not get this packet for all the information is for the citizen.

Items Unit Should Know • The program is held at Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pa. • The staff, counselors and citizen reside in a dorm hall for the duration of the week. • Staff is on the lowest floor with citizens on floors above. • Each city will have one Senior Counselor and one Junior Counselor. • On average there are 13-17 girls per city. • The citizen will be divided into Parties; Nationalist and Federalist. • These two parties have no affiliation to the Democrats and Republicans. They are just in place so the citizens develop an improved understanding of the two-party system of government.

Set-up • There are normally nine cities at KGS. • Three cities make up a county. • The three counties make up Keystone Girls State. • Floor Plan: • 1ST floor; lobby. • 2nd floor of the dorm will be staff floor. • 3rd floor of the dorm will be Red County. • 4th floor of the dorm will be White County. • 5th floor of the dorm will be Blue County.

Items Unit Should Know • Citizen are placed at random into cities and parties. Each citizen will share a dorm room with a citizen from the opposite party. • Citizens will not be in a room or even a city with a citizen from her same area. This is to help them to make new friends and bond within their own city. So please do not tell your sponsored girl/girls that they can be roommates. • The Citizens will know their assigned party before arrival.

What Happens When Citizen First Arrives • I am including this section because I know that some of the citizens want to know what happens when the first arrive for the start of the program. • They arrive at the Campus. Enter the dormitory into the lobby where registration is set-up. • They will go through the registration process: • Check-in • Review of Medical Release • Banquet Information • Etc..

Arrival • After the citizen has completed registration. • They will go to their assigned city and room. • Get settled in and unpack. • Review their ALA KGS binders; that are in their rooms • Meet their roommate. • Attend their first City meeting for their introduction to KGS. • Start of their intensive week of learning.

The Week • The week is extremely busy from morning till night. • Wake up call is at 6:00 am. Each day is packed full of sessions, elections, guest speakers and other activities. • Events throughout the week: • Debates • Senate Session • Whistle Stop Campaign • Training Sessions

Service Project • For one service project, the citizens pack backpacks for the OMK program. The girls enjoy this project.

Thank You for Your Time • Hopefully this PowerPoint has given your Unit a basic understanding of the ALA KGS program. • Thank you immensely for watching this PowerPoint.

Questions • If your Unit has any questions you may contact; Honor Rounsville, Keystone Girls State Chairman. • Email: bird1403@lycos.com • Mail: PO Box 41 Rew, Pa 16744 • Home Phone: (814) 465-3464 • Cell Phone: (814) 596-8671

American Legion Auxiliary Keystone Girls State