THE AMERICAN LEGION Department of Florida 2015 - 2016 CHAIRMAN'S MANUAL Table of Contents Foreword ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Director's Message ........................................................................................................................................ 3 District Chairmen List ................................................................................................................................... 4 What is Boys State? ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Important Dates to Remember ...................................................................................................................... 6 Overview of Chairman Responsibilities ....................................................................................................... 7 Delegate Fee.................................................................................................................................................. 8 Quota and Over-Quotas ................................................................................................................................ 9 Submitting Post Checks .............................................................................................................................. 10 Selection Process ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Potential Boys Stater Application .......................................................................................................... 12-13 Conducting Interviews ................................................................................................................................ 14 Suggested Interview Questions ................................................................................................................... 15 District Activities ........................................................................................................................................ 16 Registration Packet ..................................................................................................................................... 16 New Policy and Procedures ........................................................................................................................ 17 Scholarships ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Boys State Session Paperwork ............................................................................................................... 18-30 1 FOREWORD In order to continue the tradition of excellence at the Florida American Legion Boys State program for 73 years, there are certain procedures and criteria in the selection process that need to be followed. Cooperation and communication with other chair’s in your District and with your District Chair will make your job easier and ensure an excellent program for 2015 - 2016. You are the key to the selection of the highest quality delegates to ensure a successful Boys State session. This manual is an effort to answer all your questions. It explains the criteria and procedures for selecting your Boys State delegates. Please read and use the information in this manual. By using this manual and selecting the quality of young men we are looking for, it will bring a greater understanding of Americanism to the young people of our communities and continue to make Boys State "the premier youth leadership program in Florida." 2 Frank Sardinha, III Director 561.262.9190 [email protected] Dear Post Boys State Chair: Let me take this opportunity to thank you for accepting the Chairmanship for your post. You have accepted the responsibility of helping to select the State of Florida’s best and brightest. In order to assure we have the most capable Boys Stater your responsibility is essential. The success of the Florida American Legion Boys State program is directly related to how you operate in your position. Cooperation and communication make sure the program runs smoothly. The District Chairmen, and you, must communicate continuously with all of these communications being passed up to the Department level. Meeting all deadlines is critical! It seems every year there are a few who assume they will be called as a reminder to either send their money or registration cards. No reminder will be sent. Know the deadlines and meet the deadlines. Do not assume your inattention to any detail will be considered an emergency on our part. The Samsung Scholarship Program should be emphasized. The Samsung Scholarship is only for those delegates whose parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent were veterans who served during a period of war. Please assist them in determining if they are eligible and encourage your delegates to fill out the application if they are. This year, the Samsung Scholarship application will be paperless – more information will be forthcoming as you select your delegates. Another Scholarship opportunity is the “Two plus Two” where recipients attend two years at Tallahassee Community College followed by two years at Florida State University. This Scholarship includes an award of a scholarship at Tallahassee Community College and one hundred dollars per semester for the purchase of books. Following the completion of an Associates’ degree at TCC, the recipient will receive a scholarship to Florida State University and two hundred fifty dollars per academic year for the purchase of books. This year’s program will run June 19-25, 2016. We look forward to seeing all your delegates in Tallahassee for Florida’s Premier Youth Leadership Program. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support. Frank Sardinha, III Director 3 2015-2016 DISTRICT BOYS STATE CHAIRMAN Boys State Director 12th District Frank Sardinha, III 5th District Vello Vilgats 561.262.9190 Edward Krass 321.480.9063 [email protected] 904.583.4704 [email protected] floridaboysstate@ Department Chairman gmail.com 13th District George Wehrli Randy Eck 386.397.9366 6th District 239.218.5355 DeptBoysState@ Phil Hearlson [email protected] legionmail.org 352.307.8119 [email protected] 14th District 1st District Larry Sheets John Edens, Sr. 7th District 305.467.7713 850.492.7082 Roger King JudgAdvocate@ commander@ 863.709.5522 legionmail.org americanlegion240.org [email protected] 15th District 2nd District 8th District Dave DeLong Homer Frailey Robert Walker 813.835.8665 405.535.8250 941.474.5673 adjamleg139@ h.frailey67@ [email protected] tampabay.rr.com comcast.net th 9 District 16th District 3rd District Richard Maggiore John Bell George Wehrli 954.351.9039 727.360.1423 386.397.9366 trickydick53@ 16thdistrict@ DeptBoysState@ bellsouth.net legionmail.org legionmail.org th 11 District 17th District th 4 District Robert Miller, Jr. Robert Coulliette Joseph Amenta, Sr. 561.324.0267 386.684.4602 352.369.8419 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 4 WHAT IS BOYS STATE? American Legion Boys State is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for U.S. high school students. A participatory program in which students become part of the operation of local, county, and state government, Boys State was founded in 1935 to counter the socialism-inspired Young Pioneer Camps. The program was the idea of two Illinois Legionnaires, Hayes Kennedy and Harold Card, who organized the first Boys State at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. American Legion Auxiliary sponsors a separate but similar program for young women called Girls State. At Boys State, participants learn the rights, privileges and responsibilities of franchised citizens. The training is objective and centers on the structure of city, county, and state governments operated by students elected to various offices. Instruction will also be presented on the law and court system, parliamentary procedure, and Florida political History. At Florida Boys State, citizens will gain hands-on experience on leadership by taking part in the political process through role-play civic exercises. Citizens of Florida Boys State not only will be required to review knowledge already acquired concerning the political machinery of the state of Florida, but they will find themselves running for office as real candidates do in the everyday world. Citizens will be organized into a mythical city, county, and state from where they choose their own officials in accordance with regular election procedures. From there, they learn the duties of the various city, county, and state officers, and they introduce and argue their own bills in a Legislature. The entire program is non-partisan. Problems will be considered without reference to any existing political party and will be free from propaganda to enable the boys to understand some of the responsibilities they will encounter when they become adults. The selection and assignment of the boys to the political parties is in no way connected with the existing political parties in Florida. The Florida Boys State uses mythical parties called “Nationalists” and “Federalists” where none of the principles characterized by any of the existing parties will be adopted by Florida Boys State. 5 IMPORTANT