Question about Boys State

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PlanAhead

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DS is a homeschooled junior (attending his CVW as I write this!). I learned about Boys State through this forum. When I contacted the Registrar he told me they were interested in reaching out to our homeschool community to recruit kids for Boys State. DS had his interview a couple of weeks ago, and we were told that he is an alternate. I am highly doubtful that anyone would drop out at this point, making it unlikey for DS to attend.

My question is whether saying he was an alternate holds any weight toward his WCS. Is it simply a yes/no question on the candidate application as to whether he attended, or is there room for him to indicate that he had been selected as an alternate?

Our local American Legion has never selected a homeschooled student for Boys State. To be honest, I'm not sure if they understood how to distinguish his leadership experience from the more typical traditional high school student. So, for example, if a high school principal nominates "Johnny", who is the class president, plays on the lacrosse team, has a 4.0, etc., how does that correlate with "Homeschooled Jimmy" who is the Color Guard Commander for his Sea Cadet Division, the Alpha Company Commander, plays intramural sports because the public schools don't allow him to play on their teams, and has a 4.1 while dual-enrolled at the local community college? In other words, it's not really apples-to-apples, and by the selection committee's own words, they were "reaching out" to the homeschool community since this is new territory to them. DS tried to represent this information in his interview, but since I don't know how it went, I'm not sure if he succeeded.

But that's okay, I'm used to it. I'm more wondering if it helps DS at all that he was an alternate.
 
The USNA application itself only offers yes/no responses to the question about Boys State. However, the multiple essays your son will write for USNA and his MOC may provide the opportunity to address his selection as an alternate.
 
If it's not too late, I would go back to the American Legion and ask them if slots for Boy's State is limited due to funding. It may be that they can only send X number due to financial limitations. If funding is the issue, it may be that your DS could attend if you offered to raise the $$$ for him to go. Just a thought as I consider that "alternate" likely doesn't have any value compared to 'attended Boy's State'. Good luck!
 
PlanAhead said:
When I contacted the Registrar he told me they were interested in reaching out to our homeschool community to recruit kids for Boys State. DS had his interview a couple of weeks ago, and we were told that he is an alternate. I am highly doubtful that anyone would drop out at this point, making it unlikey for DS to attend.
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This happened to my DS a few years ago. DS's high school had not done anything about Boys State for years. My DS brought it to the attention of the counseling office, and a broadcast announcement was made to the student body. As a result my DS was one of five finalists, but ultimately NOT chosen to attend....even though his efforts initiated the competition.

Nonetheless, it was something he was able to write about in his essays, but not anything he could check "yes" to.
 
Thank you for your responses!

I'll suggest to DS that he email the coordinator to see if he can pay his own way. I'm not sure if that'll work, but it's worth a shot.
 
parktrack said:
If it's not too late, I would go back to the American Legion and ask them if slots for Boy's State is limited due to funding. It may be that they can only send X number due to financial limitations. If funding is the issue, it may be that your DS could attend if you offered to raise the $$$ for him to go. Just a thought as I consider that "alternate" likely doesn't have any value compared to 'attended Boy's State'. Good luck!
Click to expand...

I second this! And if you don't have the funds to send him yourself (or your state doesn't allow this) I would check with your surrounding town's American Legions (I read this on SAF a few years ago!) Our American Legion didn't know about Boys State, so DS#1 went to the next town over (not 10 miles from our own American Legion) and they were extremely happy to sponsor him, even offered to drive him there.

Good luck!
 
Dial the gate and parktrack are 100% on it! Your American Legion can also find chapters within the state not sending anyone and you can fill their spot! We made a 'donation' to our chapter as they already had two kids slated to go.
 
Yes. Reach out to all the legions around you. If there is an open spot anywhere..... They will do whatever they can to get you in. It might be too late now. But it doesn't hurt to try
 
This has been a helpful thread as my son (rising junior) is interested in attending Boys State in Summer of 2018. Can anyone tell us when he should start contacting our local American Legion post? Is now too soon?
 
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I started contacting my post in November of 2015 and I attended in June of 2016. I went to Boys State MD so I'm not sure if it's the same but the only thing I needed from the school was a signature from my guidance counselor saying I had no bad conduct offenses in HS. I went to them, asked them to sign it and they did. Other than that it everything was purely through my local American Legion Post.
 
Each local American Legion post is a little different, but I would wait until fall. Most of them would be focusing preparing for Boys State 2017 at this point in time.
 
Our area filled up quickly and my DD ended up on the waitlist. The cost was already paid for. DD's Number was 50 on the wait list to be exact. The week before Girls State while she was at an NJROTC LA I called the sponsor and they actually had a spot open up. They said it was hers if she wanted it. So don't give up.
 
My son wants to know if he is able to go through the Boys State application process with multiple Legion posts. Would anyone know? Of course he is chosen by one post, he would notify the other posts.
 
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The Boys State coordinators for each post are all volunteers. I would try to be cognizant of their time and efforts before making the decision to make multiple applications.
 
From my limited experience, it seemed like it was coordinated around here at the county level. One coordinator for several posts throughout the county.
 
Our post has the school select two boys each year and sends us their names. I received the names a week ago for 2017.
 
DS attended by contacting the local Legion post. They had a bunch of gals attending Girl's state but no one attending Boy's State. We paid the fees and he was sponsored by the unit. Some units allow this, some don't. He always said it was a great experience.

BTW - we attended a Legion meeting in the following September. The Girl's all spoke about their experience. This was news to us and DS was unprepared but he spoke pretty well extemporaneously. At the quiet urging of one of the vets who pulled him aside, he opened with "When I first heard of Boy's and Girls State, I really wanted to attend Girl's state!". Got a roar from the crowd and I think that made the rest of it easy for him.
 
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