ALA Boys/Girls State + Nation QnA

GoArmy2022

GoArmy2022

USMA 2022
Joined
Oct 29, 2017
Messages
445
If ANYONE has any questions about ALA Girls or Boys State or Nation, feel free to ask me. If I don't know the answer, I'll be happy to attempt to direct you to someone who does, as attending Girls Nation left me with 2 contacts for every state!

Please note that every ALA Boys/Girls State program is SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT about its processes (including applying) and some even vary from year to year. In the end, they are extremely similar and have the same goal for every attendee, but some have different ways of selecting Governor/Lt. Governor, sending attendees to Nation, splitting attendees up into groups and parties, hiring counselors etc...

Feel especially free to ask me about the leadership opportunities there. There are a TON of positions and responsibilities available for attendees, and you can choose what you'd like to run for for the most part!

Boys and Girls Nation are PRETTY SIMILAR and have few variation from year to year. I will be especially eager to answer questions about Girls Nation (I was the 2017 Army Chief of Staff at the program!).

What's worth WCS points? These are the options the class of 2022 application had:

Attending Boys/Girls State
Boys/Girls State Governor/Lt. Governor
Attending Boys/Girls Nation
Boys/Girls Nation President/VP

Please understand that you should not just go to an American Legion Auxiliary program just for points...it is more than a resume thing. I took great joy in attending New Mexico Girls State and representing them at Nation. Meeting peers whose views align with and significantly differ from yours is a fantastic part of life and is highlighted at these programs.

They will not cost you much, but that is because ALA covers the expenses...they want the best for the future leaders of their State and Country...with that in mind, apply only if you believe in what the program stands for and if you're willing to get out of your comfort zone!

You might not get much sleep, but I PROMISE you'll have fun! Also...my family has 6 boys including my 3 male pets...it was good to hang out with a bunch of intelligent girls for a while! If you're a guy and live with a bunch of girls, the same break might do you some good! :D
 
You mentioned that there's a bunch of different leadership positions that you can run for and take on at Boys/Girls State. If one was to be successfully elected to a position, say Governor, would they then be obligated to continue performing certain duties to the State program after the week is up? Or do the positions/responsibilities only last as long as the week long program? Sorry if my wording isn't the best.
 
Hi!
Thank you so much for posting this! I actually was wondering how, within your school, you got your counselor to nominate you. Girls State looks like such an amazing expierence and one that I definitely want to have. Also, perhaps you have a few tips that you believe made you seem like a better fit for Girls State than others?
Thank you so much!
 
ORD1812 said:
You mentioned that there's a bunch of different leadership positions that you can run for and take on at Boys/Girls State. If one was to be successfully elected to a position, say Governor, would they then be obligated to continue performing certain duties to the State program after the week is up? Or do the positions/responsibilities only last as long as the week long program? Sorry if my wording isn't the best.
Click to expand...

This is a great question! Again, please remember there is some variation for each program. Generally, though, Governor carries a lot more of the "speaking in front of everyone" type of responsibility than the Lt. Governor. If you're an outstanding speaker and can relate well to other attendees, this might be easier for you to achieve. At my program, two Governor and Lt. Governor candidates were elected, one from each party. These candidates ran as a ticket in party pairings (Nationalist Governor and Lt. Governor versus Federalist Governor and Lt. Governor). Each candidate gave a speech at our party convention. I was the chairwoman for the Federalist party and the party decided that our Governor candidate would speak for 5 minutes while our Lt. would speak for 3. Additionally, our Governor was required to speak at our final banquet while our Lt. was not. However, our Lt. played a pivotal role in our mock legislating sessions.

At our program, the Governor is required to come back as a counselor for at least one session. If you want to run for Governor, Lt., or Nation, make sure you ask your counselors about the tasks that being Governor entails. Also make sure you ask about positions that may impede upon your becoming Governor, provided that's what you want to do. My program made it against the rules to have a county position and be Governor/Lt. Governor, but holding a city and Gov/Lt. Gov at the same time was okay.

Also...don't swear in with your left hand! Ours was nervous and did it by mistake :D
 
L.wagg said:
Hi!
Thank you so much for posting this! I actually was wondering how, within your school, you got your counselor to nominate you. Girls State looks like such an amazing expierence and one that I definitely want to have. Also, perhaps you have a few tips that you believe made you seem like a better fit for Girls State than others?
Thank you so much!
Click to expand...

Another fantastic question! Nominations for ALA Girls/Boys State depend on the program. Sometimes, you can just go on the website and apply. Your school might even be listed as an option on the application, or sometimes there is an "other" option if your school isn't there or if you're homeschooled. If this isn't the case, ask your counselor as soon as possible if he/she can help. If your counselor has no idea, it's important to reach out to your state's ALA center. Even go there in person if you can...that says a lot about your character. They can give you some details about how to apply.

Okay, so fitting in at Girls State is pretty easy for most of the kids there...the type of kids that are at these programs vary a lot, no matter which one you attend! Some programs are more competitive (Texas, Cali, etc) because of large state populations and/or the way the application process is set up to filter people out. Some applications don't filter anyone out at all, and some programs don't even reach their limit for the number of kids they can take. My program was 100+ girls, and I'll give you some tips on how fit in with them.

1. Dress nicely

I went into Girls State thinking I underprepared. I didn't. Dressing nice (but not excessively) on your first day is a great way to attract positive attention. I got lots of "I like your dress" and "omg your outfit is so cute" comments on the first day because I wore my second-nicest thing (my nicest thing was a dress for the banquet at the end). Not to mention, counselors notice when you dress nicely. Staff will usually play a role in choosing who goes to Nation. Dressing well can give you a leg-up.

2. Be social, if you can

I am actually rather introverted, but I made myself talk to people at Girls State and learned a ton! Getting to know everyone is important, particularly learning names as soon as you possibly can. I met everyone I could on the very first day! Don't just hang in your dorm room all the time (unless the party's in there! :D)

3. Run for things!

I had my heart set on being the Mayor of my city when I learned what the responsibilities are. My city wound up electing me....with an overwhelming majority! I tried to do the best I can as far as letting them come up with just about everything--I asked for their feedback all the time and was happy when my city performed especially well, sweeping the city points throughout the week. They had no regrets about me! I was also my party's chairwoman. Our party rally was a smash hit, and tons of people from the Fed party got elected, including our Gov/Lt. Gov candidates! Make sure you know what everyone is good at so you know how to employ them and how they want to be employed. Things will turn out well for you if the individuals you're leading are confident by your side. Please note that running for things will come with much responsibility if you're elected. You have to be ready for it if you want to run, and you have to know what your responsibilities are! These two positions in particular aren't the ones you HAVE to run for if you want to put yourself out there. You will have tons of choices, and those positions in particular are for people with high interest, charisma, ability to multitask, and... you'll be handed a folder and told "do your job" without being told what your job is...lol

Good luck! Remember these tips when you're there! ;)
 
GoArmy2022 said:
If ANYONE has any questions about ALA Girls or Boys State or Nation, feel free to ask me. If I don't know the answer, I'll be happy to attempt to direct you to someone who does, as attending Girls Nation left me with 2 contacts for every state!

Please note that every ALA Boys/Girls State program is SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT about its processes (including applying) and some even vary from year to year. In the end, they are extremely similar and have the same goal for every attendee, but some have different ways of selecting Governor/Lt. Governor, sending attendees to Nation, splitting attendees up into groups and parties, hiring counselors etc...

Feel especially free to ask me about the leadership opportunities there. There are a TON of positions and responsibilities available for attendees, and you can choose what you'd like to run for for the most part!

Boys and Girls Nation are PRETTY SIMILAR and have few variation from year to year. I will be especially eager to answer questions about Girls Nation (I was the 2017 Army Chief of Staff at the program!).

What's worth WCS points? These are the options the class of 2022 application had:

Attending Boys/Girls State
Boys/Girls State Governor/Lt. Governor
Attending Boys/Girls Nation
Boys/Girls Nation President/VP

Please understand that you should not just go to an American Legion Auxiliary program just for points...it is more than a resume thing. I took great joy in attending New Mexico Girls State and representing them at Nation. Meeting peers whose views align with and significantly differ from yours is a fantastic part of life and is highlighted at these programs.

They will not cost you much, but that is because ALA covers the expenses...they want the best for the future leaders of their State and Country...with that in mind, apply only if you believe in what the program stands for and if you're willing to get out of your comfort zone!

You might not get much sleep, but I PROMISE you'll have fun! Also...my family has 6 boys including my 3 male pets...it was good to hang out with a bunch of intelligent girls for a while! If you're a guy and live with a bunch of girls, the same break might do you some good! :D
Click to expand...

Any tips on getting selected for Boys nation or the Gov/ Lt. Gov positions ?
 
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