Any Boys State Experience

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gooseblitz

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DS#3 just got his official Boys State paperwork today. PA holds this between Junior and Senior year. Does anyone have any experience with Boys State? His older brother was selected as well but they did not do their week away due to Covid. I'd be interested in any first-hand experience.
 
I am from Washington but it got cancelled so got to attend California Boys State. I would say try as hard as you can to go for a leadership position, I regret not putting in more effort because it really shows initiative. It might seem strange in the moment but it is worth it. I also made a lot of friends who I still talk to today.


Try and get a connection with an American legion, I was lucky because we were both from Washington so he reached out to be but we talked throughout the week and by the end of it, I had a great letter of rec from a former Navy Officer. Basically you get out what you put into it… one last thing, some of the guys made a go fund me for homeless in California and raised over 4K so another thing that really demonstrated their leadership and service.
 
My son went and had the best time. Met some future classmates at USNA there. Like minded, accomplished students. Didn’t really need the points for his application - but was one of the most valuable experiences he had in high school years.
 
My DS attended last year (his Junior year) it helps with SA and ROTC scholarship applications. He had a good time and got an intro into marching, room inspections, and military types of things.

The American Legion has some scholarships that might be of interest that can be applied for before Boys State.
 
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I attended NC Boys State back in 2019 and had a phenomenal time. Tarheel Boys State was more focused on legislative processes and less military bearing type activities. Many of the men I met are now 1/C MIDN (or equivalent) including myself. There are many positions to run for within parties or for the assembly in general. Lots of fun and an overall great experience.
 
beelarr said:
The American Legion has some scholarships that might be of interest that can be applied for before Boys State.
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Yes. Look into the scholarships. When my DS went, we did not know about the scholarships in time to apply. He would’ve been a candidate for one as a great-grandson of a Korean war veteran.
 
Boys State is an amazing opportunity to meet other outstanding young men from around your state. You learn so much from each other and make bonds that come back to you in several years. You get to see first-hand the legislative process and learn some leadership. There are phenomenal speakers that talk to you about their profession and it's eye-opening.

It's a great experience and I'd recommend it for anyone.
 
I recently attended both NJ Boys State and Boys Nation this past summer.

Both were amazing and vastly different experiences. It goes so far beyond the "points" that are added to an ROTC, SA, or regular college application. The two experiences took skills I thought I had developed well and transformed them even further. It instilled the values and importance of democracy & free/fair elections.

I think its efficacy can be attributed to the fact that delegates actually live in the lesson being taught about democracy—it's what's being done from when they wake up in the morning to when they sleep at night. At least in NJ, the experience is completely in the hands of the delegates. There's no political agenda pushed at all, and the ideas presented are those of that year's statesman. I saw conservative and progressive people get elected to all different sorts of spots at Boys State and Boys Nation. You all wear the same clothing all week, symbolic that everyone there is the same and that there's only one thing that matters in "performing" in elections or leadership: your ability.

Boys Nation is a whole different ball game in my opinion—somehow you get even less sleep than Boys State! Both of the PA delegates to Boys Nation last summer are awesome, and I believe may be returning on staff to PA Boys State. I still talk to both of them on a regular basis.

I'm returning as a counselor for my Boys State this year. It meant so much to me and I only hope that your DS has the same great experience.
 
DS (HS senior about to graduate) loved Boys State. He wouldn't have gone if his best friend hadn't gone the year before and insisted DS go. DS has 4yr scholarship, his best friend is about to finish plebe year at USNA.
 
My DS (HS Senior graduating this month) attended between his Jr and Sr year and absolutely loved it. He often says that "everyone there was like me" and he enjoyed making connections. The experience was beneficial to him and I would say one of his favorite things about high school.
 
I attended Girls State in the 90s. It is a fantastic opportunity with students who are usually engaged in their communities. It also looked great on scholarship applications. In my adult life, I've found that a fairly decent numbered of those in government positions of all types were Boys and Girls Staters.
 
I attended Boys State. It is HUGE on an application and should attend if given the opportunity. The Legionnaires, who were my advisors at BS wound up being the ones that ultimately interviewed me for my NROTC scholarship. It is also highly looked upon for Service Academies selection. And I had a blast, too. Don’t pass it up.
 
My DD attended Girls State last summer and LOVED it. Make sure he applies for the Samsung Scholarship - she was a national finalist and received her first college scholarship notification before her senior year started!!
 
njfilm23 said:
I recently attended both NJ Boys State and Boys Nation this past summer.

Both were amazing and vastly different experiences. It goes so far beyond the "points" that are added to an ROTC, SA, or regular college application. The two experiences took skills I thought I had developed well and transformed them even further. It instilled the values and importance of democracy & free/fair elections.

I think its efficacy can be attributed to the fact that delegates actually live in the lesson being taught about democracy—it's what's being done from when they wake up in the morning to when they sleep at night. At least in NJ, the experience is completely in the hands of the delegates. There's no political agenda pushed at all, and the ideas presented are those of that year's statesman. I saw conservative and progressive people get elected to all different sorts of spots at Boys State and Boys Nation. You all wear the same clothing all week, symbolic that everyone there is the same and that there's only one thing that matters in "performing" in elections or leadership: your ability.
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Great description from my standpoint as a former statesman, parent of a statesman, current Boys State Staff member and Boys State Trustee.
 
gooseblitz said:
PA holds this between Junior and Senior year. Does anyone have any experience with Boys State? His older brother was selected as well but they did not do their week away due to Covid. I'd be interested in any first-hand experience.
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All states do it after Junior year, it is a state by state program that adheres to a National framework which includes "Rising Senior" so that all of the delegates to Boys Nation are also rising seniors.
 
My DS is excited to do it this June (NY), he's only interested in ROTC, not SAs, he feels it will be a nice leadership extracurricular bonus for his college applications.
 
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