Palisadians Attend Boy’s and Girl’s State

Annually, top high school students are selected to attend Boy’s State and Girl’s State, a participatory government program held in all states. Students travel to a state college campus, where they are arbitrarily placed in fictional towns and asked to elect city officials. Next they run for mock positions in imaginary counties and finally the state.

Those selected for the program must be juniors in high school, have a 3.0 grade point average or higher, be engaged in leadership or athletics at their school and be recommended by counselors or teachers.

This year, Palisades High School student Tara Vahdani was chosen to attend Girl’s State held at McKenna College in Claremont in June, which was hosted by the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State. The program, which began in 1943, is pattered after Boy’s State, which is run by the American Legion.

“When I went to the registration table, I discovered that my city was De Anza, and my county Larkin,” said Shauna Satnick (University High). “Previously, I have traveled with students with similar academic ability or interests as mine, and there have been clique issues or uneasiness, but at Girl’s State, no matter where I turned, sat or who I talked to, there was always a friendly face.”

Boy’s State representatives were Max Babcock, Sam Siegel, Jared Crofts, Joseph Stull and Tucker Reynolds (Palisades High School); Ethan Lee, Alex Graham and Brett Elder (Loyola); and Matt Klein (Harvard Westlake).

“It’s the week that changes a lifetime,” said Scott Erikson, Boy’s State Commissioner Area 6, about the program that dates back to 1935. “All came back with great experiences. I would like to see more kids go to Boy’s State.” Post 283 sent 38 delegates from this area including students from Malibu, Hollywood, Crispi, Venice and Grenada Hills.

The boy’s program was held at Cal Sate Sacramento in June with nearly 1,000 high-school age youths participating.

“The highlight of Boy’s State for me was working as city treasurer for Jordan,” said Babcock, who also plays water polo for PaliHi. “I had to figure out how to balance our city budget, collect revenues, pay out remunerations and collect money for our group picture.

“Learning by doing is better than sitting in a classroom,” Babcock added. “This was a unique experience that I will truly never forget.”

Reynolds, who has participated in leadership at PaliHi and will be the student body president next year, was asked how Boy’s State compares with his school government experience.

“At Pali, I’ve been working with some of my friends for years, but at Boy’s State, I had to step out of my comfort zone and learn how to work with people I’d never met before,” Reynolds said. “Also, you are put into real life situations and expected to work everything out yourself. This differs from PaliHi in a way, because we work with the administration and have Mr. Lee, our advisor, leading the way for us. In Sacramento, if I wanted to make a law in my city or sue someone, I would have to learn how to do it with my peers.”

Elder, who had no idea what to expect from Boy’s State, dived right in by first running for treasurer in his city, but lost. “I then ran for assemblyman for my city and won,” he said. “I had to attend meetings with other assemblymen from other cities where we debated and passed bills for all of Boy’s State to follow.”

After City elections at Boy’s State, next came county positions. Reynolds was elected superintendent of schools. “One of my jobs was setting up and helping out at Boy’s State’s college fair night,” he said. “It was great because while I was helping set up, I had the opportunity to talk to different administrators visiting from various colleges.”

The Boy’s State program was the idea of two Illinois Legionnaires, Hayes Kennedy and Harold Card, who organized the first Boy’s State at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, so that participants could learn the rights, privileges and responsibilities of franchised citizens. The training is objective and centers on the structure of city, county and state governments.

Then two representatives from each of the 49 Boy’s States (except Hawaii, which does not participate) are chosen to represent their state at Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., where they meet their national legislators.

Reynolds summed up his experience: “I was surrounded by incredibly smart, talented people who shared many of the same interests as I did. It was an experience of a lifetime, and I’m so thankful that the American Legion gave me this opportunity.”