Are you, or do you know, a Junior in high school interested in Government, Politics, Leadership, attendance at a Military Academy, College ROTC, or just looking for a challenging academic program? If so, then this is the experience for you!
Maryland Boys State is a week long practical exercise in Government that will have a positive influence on your life. The Department of Maryland, American Legion, one of 55 departments in 49 states, will conduct the Boys State Program for young men, who have completed their junior year in high school as of June of the current school year. The Department of Maryland has funded and conducted this program since 1947. The Boys State program is characterized by self imposed duties, responsibilities, rules, regulations, practices, and customs which are essential to the maintenance of an orderly society and government.
The purposes of the program are to teach the fundamentals of democracy, the rights of citizenship, and the functions of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of local, county, and state government. The objectives of the Department of Maryland, American Legion Boys State program are:
- To provide an opportunity to learn, understand and practice the basic principles of the representative form of government at the city and state levels.
- To arouse in young citizens the desire to maintain our form of government with its guaranteed freedoms.
- To teach young leaders to make decisions in line with reason.
- To develop civic leadership and interest in governmental affairs.
- To instill in the youth, the knowledge that American citizenship is a priceless possession with the responsibility to the same degree.
This program is sponsored and conducted by The American Legion Department of Maryland, and is a Veteran and Government Leader led program taught for the future generation of leaders.
The week comprises a diverse schedule of lectures in the private and public sectors over two days, writing a city charter, a practical political simulation in working bills by a committee and conducting a legislative session. There is a day trip to Annapolis to the House of Delegates and an evening barbecue. In the evenings, there are athletic events, band activities, a talent show, and continued party political actions. Boys State has a daily newspaper and a band. Throughout the week the parties conduct caucuses, nominations, and elections for city and state level positions and for two national positions as the Department of Maryland representatives to Boys Nation in Washington, DC.
Applications must be submitted by mid-April of each year. Apply online or for additional information or help finding a sponsor outside of this post, call 410-752-1405 or email boysstate@mdlegion.org. You can also email Post 39's Boys State Coordinator, Chas Slimowicz at boysstate@alpost39.org.
Once the applicant successfully completes the application, he will follow the steps as listed:
Step#1: Applicant prints the application and supporting documents (medical). He and the parents or legal guardian review the application especially the section requiring the health provider information and sign the application and medical forms.
Step #2: Applicant takes the application to his school counselor who reviews and signs the school certification sheet. Once completed, the counselor will coordinate a time and date for the interview with the American Legion point of contact. The interview must be scheduled and conducted no later than the first Friday in April. The applicant must prepare a personal resume and give it to the American Legion representative who will conduct the interview at the school. The personal resume form is attached. It is recommended that the applicant makes a personal copy of his application and personal resume for his/parents personal records.
Step #3: At the interview, the American Legion representative will review the application to determine if it is complete. If the application is not complete, the American Legion will conduct the interview. At the completion of the interview, the American Legion representative will inform the applicant if he is conditionally qualified pending funding or not. If the applicant is qualified but the application is not complete, the representative will return the application to the applicant and set a date that it must be completed and returned to the school. The Legion representatives will take all completed and qualified applications, so he can plan for funding of the qualified applicants. The American Legion representative will be responsible for submitting the applications and funding to the Department of Maryland. The representative will also inform each applicant that he will inform the applicant about the status of funding and attending the program. The American Legion representative will inform the counselor the status of the applicant(s).
Step #4: The American Legion representative will obtain funding from the sponsoring post and then inform the applicants about the funding and attending the Boys State program no later than mid-April. The representative will also inform the school counselor of the status of the funding for each applicant.
Step #5: The sponsoring American Legion post will submit the application(s) and check and any qualified application that is not funded by the sponsoring post to the Department of Maryland no later than the last Firday in April. The representative from the sponsoring post will update the applicants, parents or legal guardians, and the school counselor of the status of the application. I will also provide an update to applicants, parents, and counselor(s) by this date also.
Step 6: In late May or early June of each program year, Department of Maryland will send a Boys State packet to the applicant providing detailed information about the current year's program. This information is time and date to report to McDaniel College, clothing and equipment, political, party and dorm assignment. The representative from the sponsoring post will also provide a time, date and location that members of the Boys State staff will conduct a Boys State program orientation and a Q & A session for applicants and parents. This orientation is in the Northern Central District (Baltimore metro region) and is at night on a weekday night in early June.
Participants may apply for the Samsung Scholarship which amounted to $1,100 to last year’s recipient. There is an opportunity to receive up to $20,000 for a Samsung Scholarship if selected as a national recipient. More information and instruction to submit an application can be found at www.legion.org/samsung-scholarship-application.
ONLY ONLINE SUBMISSION OF THE APPLICATION will be considered and must be certified and signed by a required high school official before the completion of the end of school year. An applicant must submit proof of military eligibility by their parents, grandparents, great grand parents or legally adopted parent who served during the period of the war as required for the Samsung Scholarship. If the applicant needs a copy of the veteran’s DD Form 214 service form or proof of service, go to www.NARA.gov.
Selection and award of the Samsung Scholarship is announced at graduation. Graduates of the program are eligible to receive one of ten $500 Department of Maryland Scholarships that are awarded the in June following year.
Volunteer Legionnaires from the Department of Maryland posts are assigned to live in the cities with the young men and guide them through the various lectures and political exercises throughout the week. Internal security plus campus security is maintained in the dormitories that house the boys. The Legion has fully qualified EMS technicians available 24/7 to supervise the health of the participants. Carroll County Hospital is also available for health treatment and adjoins the McDaniel College campus. The program uses the college’s dining facilities for all meals. The local posts and the department fund the program.
No qualified young man has been turned down for lack of funding! If qualified, we will find funding for him to attend the program. For additional information, go to the Department of Maryland, American Legion web site: www.mdlegion.org and click on Programs then under Americanism, select Boys State.
The Boys State Program is a once in a lifetime experience that is an educational, leadership, and character-building experience for a week that shapes a lifetime!