Article Contributed on: 7/12/2008 8:48:14 PM
At 1 pm, June 8, a sea of young men, 142 to be exact, all having competed their junior year walked into the Belmont Resident Hall located on the CSU Campus - Pueblo to begin a week long intense course in civics. The theory of the American political system, place into operation, bring reality to how our form of government works. So, yes, it is boys living in a state. An imaginary state at that, but a state.
College credits are earned by attending this program, a program that was started in 1935 to combat the tide of communism and the lack of a formal civics class being taught in our schools. I bet that you can even remember that require semester civics class that had to be taken when you were a senior in high school, a class that left you wondering what they were really trying to teach, most slept through it.
This is an American Legion Program, a programs benefit for our youth. The American Legion, Department of Colorado Boys State Program pays the tuition which comes from many different sources, including individual American Legion Post, businesses and fraternal organizations. The only cost to the young men, their intelligence, their desires and the ability to place into practice what they are about to learn. Oh yes, and the 15 hours a day spent learning, which cost them a lot of sleep.
The Denver Elks Lodge gave $2,500 this year to the Department of Colorado in support of their program. Five hundred and fifty dollars was for the tuition fees to cover the cost of two boys from the Denver area to attend this course. While $1,950 was to be presented as college scholarships to the boys at the end of the week. Late year we gave tuition fees for two boys and two scholarships.
Information about these scholarships is not provided to the boys and they only learn about it at the end of program banquet. It is kept a secret, because we don't want a scholarship to be the motivating factors to achieving success.
We want winners because of their qualities of leadership, knowledge and self-esteem. We want it to be the ability to speak, the ability to instill cooperation and compromise to reach great party platforms. And, the ability to bring confidence into chaos, with the ability to motivate others to vote for them because they are the best candidate. Lastly they have to have a desire to succeed.
Each boy who enters boys state has about the same level of academy success in their schools. The one thing that they don't all have that is equal is initiative, motivation and leadership. And, believe me, that one boy, that you think has the lease chance to gaining success will probably be the one to reach the highest pinnacles of success in this program.
The winners of the scholarships are chosen by the boys themselves, but they don't realize it. The winners are the ones elected to the top four position in the Boys State Government.
On June 13, 2008, before their peers, special guest and their parents an audience totaling 500+ people, the lucky recipients were called forward, U.S. Senators
William Cartwright and
Joseph Dingman who received a $350 scholarship each and will represent Colorado at Boys Nation in July. Lt. Governor
Tony Gratto who received a $500 scholarship and Governor
Zach Gonzsales who received a $750 scholarship.
It was a privilege to represent Denver 17 at this years Boys State and the words of thanks from the boys makes you feel 10 foot tall.