Boys State

NJROTC-CC

NJROTC-CC

5-Year Member
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DS is going to Boys State. He just notified me that he was told today that NJROTC Leadership Academy ("LA") is the same week as Boys State. He is going into his senior year of high school and was appointed the Battalion XO of his NJROTC unit. Normally, he would be expected to go to LA, but I told him that I think he will get a lot more our of Boys State. He will almost surely be doing NROTC in college and I think he has done plenty in NJROTC already. Boys State is a different experience. He is running for Senior Class Secretary too at the urging of his AP Government teacher.
 
NJROTC-CC said:
DS is going to Boys State. He just notified me that he was told today that NJROTC Leadership Academy ("LA") is the same week as Boys State. He is going into his senior year of high school and was appointed the Battalion XO of his NJROTC unit. Normally, he would be expected to go to LA, but I told him that I think he will get a lot more our of Boys State. He will almost surely be doing NROTC in college and I think he has done plenty in NJROTC already. Boys State is a different experience. He is running for Senior Class Secretary too at the urging of his AP Government teacher.
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I think you have valid points. Plus Boys State will broaden him by putting him in a room with non-ROTC kids yet he'll still have to deal with leadership and collaboration. Plus he'll get a good civics lesson and good experience for running for Class Sec.
Watch Boys State on Apple TV if you can.
 
I can't speak to what he would be missing at LA but I can only say I think Boys State changed a lot of things for our son. It brought him into a room with a lot of over achievers with lofty goals, which was NOT his high school experience. He met a lot of guys like him, and they forged a bond that continues today. When people say 'you get what you put into it' regarding Boys State, I believe it. He went in open minded at his counselor's urging, and he went in 100%. Ended up as governor and that sent him to Boys Nation where he met even more talented young men and women.

We firmly believe it is one of the things that ultimately led him to having great options.
 
Definitely go to Boys State! Our legion post was so excited to sponsor him since they hadn't sent any in quite a few years. Unfortunately, like pretty much everything else, it was cancelled last summer. Bummed that DS won't have that opportunity again.
 
Skipper07 said:
Find someone who did Boys State in your state and figure out what it is like. Mine was a waste of a week's worth of time.
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We are in one of the top 3 biggest states. Just meeting other young leaders from around the state has to be a good experience. The movie made it look worthwhile. DS needs to get away from doing TOO MUCH NJROTC
 
Anyone know what Boys State is like in NJ? I don't know anyone who has ever done it. I don't think it will be like the movie. NJ ain't Texas. I think my 9th grader would like it when the time comes.
 
Skipper07 said:
Find someone who did Boys State in your state and figure out what it is like. Mine was a waste of a week's worth of time.
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Yikes so sorry. I have heard that programs differ greatly per state. I will always be grateful to the Veterans who mentored our son as counselors at our Boys State and have continued to build that relationship to this day.
The group chats with his Boys State friends and Boys Nation continue. So many competed with each other for SA slots unknowingly. Many now are at their first choice and they keep a current chat open Re current events and their experiences. Invaluable for my kiddo.
 
NJDadofDSUSMA2024Hopeful said:
Anyone know what Boys State is like in NJ? I don't know anyone who has ever done it. I don't think it will be like the movie. NJ ain't Texas. I think my 9th grader would like it when the time comes.
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I vaguely remember there is a SAF contributor here who has ties to NJ Boys State. Hoping they dive in here.
My suggestion would be for your kiddo, not you to dress nicely and attend his local Legion meeting. Introduce himself. Express his interest and goals.
The Legion also does other things such as their annual Constitutional Oratorical contest that is an amazing challenge and opportunity. Our son competed two years and it really helped his confidence and public speaking skills. Not to mention making him very nice money in scholarship.
 
Can you reach out to PA or NY to see if he can get in there and if his local legion would still sponsor him?
 
NJROTC-CC said:
We are in one of the top 3 biggest states. Just meeting other young leaders from around the state has to be a good experience. The movie made it look worthwhile. DS needs to get away from doing TOO MUCH NJROTC
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Boy's State was totally outside my son's interest, and turned out he really got a lot out of it. Made a lot of connections there and wound up running into 2 or 3 during AIM even. My DD didn't get to do it as PA cancelled all last summer.
 
jaglvr said:
Can you reach out to PA or NY to see if he can get in there and if his local legion would still sponsor him?
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NJ Boys State is larger than either PA or NY and I think its actually bigger than the two combined.
We benchmark ourselves against the other programs and actually exchange staffers with some of them.
There are areas of NY that do not send anyone to NY Boys State while NJ takes from the entire state.

I am a graduate of the program and am now giving back by being an on-site staffer as well as a Trustee
of the program.
 
NJDadofDSUSMA2024Hopeful said:
Anyone know what Boys State is like in NJ? I don't know anyone who has ever done it. I don't think it will be like the movie. NJ ain't Texas. I think my 9th grader would like it when the time comes.
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What do you want to know? Have you looked at our website? Our statesmen learn and experience government at the local level, then
the county level and finally at the state level. In addition, we have seminars/speakers on a variety of careers including the military with
all of the service academies represented as well as a good sized college fair. We also have a sports/physical program as well as a
band which is usually pretty good. We're coming back from a COVID cancellation last year so this year will be a bit different but we
will be open and in person in 2021.
 
OldRetSWO said:
What do you want to know? Have you looked at our website? Our statesmen learn and experience government at the local level, then
the county level and finally at the state level. In addition, we have seminars/speakers on a variety of careers including the military with
all of the service academies represented as well as a good sized college fair. We also have a sports/physical program as well as a
band which is usually pretty good. We're coming back from a COVID cancellation last year so this year will be a bit different but we
will be open and in person in 2021.
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Thank you for the reply. I mainly wanted to know if it was a robust program in NJ as I had heard that it differs state by state. It sounds like it is and sounds very worthwhile. I think it would be a great fit for my son. Unlike his brother who is entering MSII in AROTC, I don't think he'll pursue the military but he is definitely interested in politics and has volunteered for campaigns.
Thanks again for the reply.
 
NJDadofDSUSMA2024Hopeful said:
Unlike his brother who is entering MSII in AROTC, I don't think he'll pursue the military but he is definitely interested in politics and has volunteered for campaigns.
Thanks again for the reply.
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It looks like a great program for the politically-minded. Not sure that is a quality that is important for military officers. I am dying to see how my DS reacts to it. He is not interested in politics per se, just service. He is currently running for Senior Class Treasurer. I don't know whether he will love it or hate it. I am not sure I would want him to turn into a political animal. LOL. We have a local orientation session at the local American Legion Chapter this Sunday at 1:00.
 
NJROTC-CC said:
It looks like a great program for the politically-minded. Not sure that is a quality that is important for military officers. I am dying to see how my DS reacts to it. He is not interested in politics per se, just service. He is currently running for Senior Class Treasurer. I don't know whether he will love it or hate it. I am not sure I would want him to turn into a political animal. LOL. We have a local orientation session at the local American Legion Chapter this Sunday at 1:00.
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Boys State, as I researched, is more than just politics. I creates leaders in general. From what my Boys State coordinator has told me, the boys run basically everything. From court cases to the actual elections. It makes you more confident not only in politics but also decision making, which is important for the military. I might be wrong, because I'm going this summer, but I think it's more than just politics. It also promotes patriotism like crazy haha
 
almondqqq said:
Boys State, as I researched, is more than just politics. I creates leaders in general. From what my Boys State coordinator has told me, the boys run basically everything. From court cases to the actual elections. It makes you more confident not only in politics but also decision making, which is important for the military. I might be wrong, because I'm going this summer, but I think it's more than just politics. It also promotes patriotism like crazy haha
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Did you see the movie? It looked like pure politics to me. Hey, I'm not knocking it. But watch the Movie and see if you have the same perception.
 
NJROTC-CC said:
Did you see the movie? It looked like pure politics to me. Hey, I'm not knocking it. But watch the Movie and see if you have the same perception.
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A. The movie is TEXAS Boys State which is not the same as others
B. The experience that you see documented has been edited and "storyfied" by the documentarians. When it first came out, others who were there commented that it was not the way that it was for them.
C. The Average kid is not politicking their way to be governor. For many, they are just citizens who are learning about citizenship and the mechanics of how the system works.
.
NOTE: the vast majority of our 100+ staffers are graduates of the program and very few are in politics. As for whether or not it is important to the military, we always have staffers provided to us from the Marine Corps, Army and National Guard. There are several Service Academy grads in our Senior Staff and we have a large and very well attended Service Academy info session.
 
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