Boys State

Seandog

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Dec 4, 2019
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Hello everyone, I just got accepted into boys state, and my aunt is recommending I run for governor. My question is, is governor the only position that has weight on SA admission? Like if I ran for a smaller position and won would that be beneficial at all- or should I go “all in” for governor? If so, any tips on how I can win?
 
If you run for Governor, you will spend most of your time there campaigning and not get the opportunity to really see how government operates. If you run for House right off the bat and win, you will experience more government in action. Furthermore, if you lose the race for Governor, you walk away with a loss and not much more. This is the way I understand it, based on my son's experience (he went to House route and was glad he did).
 
my DS was a reporter and got to observe everything and had access everywhere unlike most of the participants. that being said he was not an active gov’t citizen due to the printing deadlines.... so choose carefully
 
Yes Governor is the only position that "holds weight", but just being a Boys Stater is very influential. I personally would not recommend that unless that is what you want to do. Me personally, I wanted to run for Governor however decided against it once I arrived. I was in the House of Reps and had a lot of fun and learned just as much about government.
Pro Tip: wear your Boy's State pin on your lapel during interviews, gives you a great talking point and allows you to flex your experiences. I used this trick in all my interviews to great effect!
 
Our son decided to run for several lower offices and was not successful. Then his roommate and counselor encouraged him to run for governor which he did. He campaigned, wrote speeches, re wrote speeches and then to his surprise he won the primary and then the general. He loved it, made so many friends. Then he applied for boys nation and was selected. Another amazing experience.
Do what feels right for you, and doing something that might be hard is not a bad idea. I think you grow the most when outside comfortable norms.
Our son was told before he went that he would get out of it what he put in, I totally agree with that.
And yes the Boys State lapel pin was noted during each interview. Have fun!
 
my DS was a reporter and got to observe everything and had access everywhere unlike most of the participants. that being said he was not an active gov’t citizen due to the printing deadlines.... so choose carefully

I second this. My son jumped on the first election available - press corps - and was elected. When I asked him "how was Boys State?" He said "I am not attending Boys State - I am covering Boys state (as media)." I think he regretted his hasty decision. He was trying to make sure he got elected to something but press corps at least in TX is a very different experience than what everyone else experienced.
 
DS ran for Governor, and lost. He did get a lot of cool experiences with the process though. He got to speak in front of hundreds of his peers while campaigning among many other things. He also helped another guy he became friends with run for Lt Governor (who won). They are good friends to this day and are both at WP.
Boys State is only as good as you make it. Some kids don’t participate much, others are very involved and get the most out of it. Choose to do things that interest you and fully immerse yourself in the experience, not for your resume, but for you.
it will be most rewarding !
 
I ran for governor, didn't win though :( ran on the wrong platform entirely... not that it keeps me up at night or anything ;)

One thing about running for governor: you'll spend lots of time campaigning and not with your city. Same with any position that takes you out of your city.
 
I ran for governor, didn't win though :( ran on the wrong platform entirely... not that it keeps me up at night or anything ;)

One thing about running for governor: you'll spend lots of time campaigning and not with your city. Same with any position that takes you out of your city.
I think each state must vary a bit. Our son was lucky enough to spend time with his city, Pershing, and they are all still really close. He didn't get much sleep that week, that is for sure. Running for office really does give you the opportunity to hone in on your public speaking skills, persuasive argument abilities etc. He came home with increased confidence, new friends and mentors, no voice and the need to sleep for a week. I am very much a fan of the American Legion and what it offers to youth in our communities. Heck, they paid his tuition and his tuition and flight to DC for Boys Nation. Incredible program in DC with many tours and speeches from influential and successful people.
 
Hello everyone, I just got accepted into boys state, and my aunt is recommending I run for governor. My question is, is governor the only position that has weight on SA admission? Like if I ran for a smaller position and won would that be beneficial at all- or should I go “all in” for governor? If so, any tips on how I can win?

Someone who starts out as a candidate for governor is probably not going to get very far. The program builds the government from the bottom up so the first thing is building the cities themselves. Getting elected to a responsible position or at least being a visible candidate LOCALLY is how most successful kids get their start. Move along and continue being involved in the races either as a candidate or party official as the government builds upward is how you become a viable candidate for the final big jobs. We are one of the largest programs - 900ish statesmen and it is tough to get known by the electorate.
Full disclosure: I am a staffer on site at NJ Boys State and am also a trustee of the overarching organization. I've been on site for it for a number of years now in addition to being a graduate of the program and the parent of a graduate (before I was a staffer).
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As a BGO and Congressional Interviewer, I am not looking for someone who was Governor as there really aren't many of them but what I do look for and ask is what DID you do at Boys State and I look for discussion about that.
 
I fully agree with everyone who commented to run for what you want. In my state, they choose two boys to attend Boys Nation, and it isn't always the governor. In my experience, the governor only received about a day and a half to actually use his power before the end of the program. I became the state party chairman after a couple of local wins, and it was a wonderful experience. I was the man in charge of the Federalists (one of two of Boys State's political parties). As party chairman, I was the leader, strategist, and hypeman for half of Boy's Staters. It was the job of myself and my cabinet to get as many candidates from our party elected as possible. I was also the moderator for state party conventions in an auditorium with over 100 boys. Imagine over 100 boys trying to agree on an extensive party platform! We raised money from our party and even hosted a full campaign rally and debate, with a ridiculous amount of props and decorations. As the cohost for a 300 person rally, I was amazed by the energy we could produce through organization and words! In the end, we won 5 out of 6 cabinet positions, losing only the Governorship (our candidate got demolished in the debate). This can be partially attributed to the extensive time we spent promoting party unity. I spoke at graduation and was awarded "The most outstanding Boys Stater" as voted by my peers. I am saying this to explain how running for what you're interested in, as opposed to what you think the SAs want to see, can work out for you in the end. While I can't check the box of Boys State Governor, I still have a story about my efforts and leadership at Boys State that I put on my application and talk about during my interviews. That is what I recommend for everyone else. Find what you're interested in at Boys State, put in 200% effort into that avenue, and don't look back!
 
Here, the two boys for Boys Nation are elected as "Senators" and the pic is totally up to the statesmen, not the staff. The Governor and Lt Governor are also elected so there are really four top spots plus two alternates for the Senators. The Governor does reign for about a day of the session itself but is called upon during the year to make appearances at Legion events like the annual convention as are the other top spots. We had one of the Senators (Boys Nation) in to speak at a recent County Meeting so they are definitely called upon here and there.
 
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