Boys & Girls State

The 2022 Boys & Girls State participants

Liam M.

Sophia B.

Lorelei L.

Aden L.

"My experience at Girls State 2018 was completely unpredictable. I had no idea what I was getting myself into as I walked up to the registration check-in table, once I entered the Stonehill campus. I was assigned to the Town of Liberty with 24 other girls, who were complete strangers at that time. I can honestly say by the end of the week we were anything but strangers. Girls State gives you the opportunity to bond with your town through daily town meetings where you are given scenarios and, as a group, you need to compromise and create one solution to the problem with everyone in agreement. Also, there are town elections where I ran for, and won, Town Assessor. At Girl’s State I had the option to join either a Law, Government, or Economics lecture. These classes were taught by actual professors, experienced professionals in those particular fields, or State counselors. I chose Economics to further my interest in Business, and I sincerely enjoyed the class. Girls and Boys State participants also chose from a variety of mini-courses they found interesting and entertaining. I chose conspiracy theories, where I can truthfully say I looked forward to going to everyday for good laughs and listening to interesting stories and perspectives. 

Girls were given free time everyday. My new friends and I would go to volleyball and went undefeated throughout the entire week. I could not have asked for a more interesting, engaging and entertaining week with such great people. From guest speakers, talent shows, running for office, to flag ceremonies, the inauguration of new offices, and town bonding, my week was nothing but educational, eye-opening, and enjoyable. Girls State was such a unique experience, where all of these girls from different backgrounds, different parts of Massachusetts, with different political beliefs could come together as a group, create solutions and form lasting friendships."

• Natalie B.

"Arriving at Girls State, walking into a room full of 24 other girls who had been assigned to the same group as me, was nerve-wracking. We spent those first few hours making posters about ourselves, our names, our Instagram handles, our favorite ice cream flavors, in a verifiably awkward silence. That was probably the last awkward silence I experienced for the entire week.

The friendships and experiences I had over the week are ones I will never forget. Every day was packed with new things to learn, new people to meet, and new ways to get involved. It was an enriching experience. The days consisted of general classes, political simulations, meals, and various other activities. Most of every day was spent with my townmates—people who, in spite of those first few hours of awkwardness, I became incredibly close with.

One of the best parts of the week was that I was elected by my town to serve has our rep in the Girl's State House of Representatives. Once a day during a class block we would assemble to read, write, and edit bills, culminating in a final day where we voted laws in or out to create our girls state official legislature. It was some of the most hands-on fun with civics I’ve ever had. 

I had an amazing week; if I could go back every year, I would. The friends I made and the experiences I had were beyond even my highest expectations. I will say this about Girl’s State: it’s what you make of it. I never met one girl who regretted running for some position or joining some activity, but I met many who regretted not doing those things. So if you’re lucky enough to be chosen for this awesome program, get out there and get involved, because you’ll find yourself having one of the best experiences of your life."

• Caroline M.

"For me, Boys State was truly a unique and life-changing experience. In this week-long educational program I learned and lived through America’s democracy, got educated on economics, law, and government, and most importantly created life-long friendships with juniors across the state.

The first day I arrived at Stonehill College--the campus where the program took place--I knew zero kids around me, and zero kids knew me. Unsurprisingly, when my group, or town got together for municipal meetings, the room was silent for the majority of the period. However, after the first day, our group had become a cohesive unit that was budding with ideas for the rest of the week. We had all gotten to know each other through the program. Many times, we--as a town--would debate controversial political topics such as gun restrictions and immigration. In doing so, our group was extremely respectful of each individual’s personal ideas and we would settle disputes through democratic means. As the week went on, each individual was assigned a specific role with his town. I, for example, was a member of the city council, but other roles included mayor, school committeeman, fire chief, and public works committeeman. In addition to those town roles, students also had the opportunity to run for state offices. Personally, I ran for tax auditor, and I was elected to represent my county, but I eventually lost in the second round of elections. The Boys State program does a great job of simulating real-life elections. The reality is that there is only one winner and it is extremely hard to come out victorious, and the same applies to Boys State. Out of all the kids that go to the program, only one can be governor, attorney general, tax auditor, etc.. Bottom line: there is no shame in losing.

In addition to political education learned from Boys State, students also have opportunities to learn about many other topics, ranging from economics to conspiracy theories. Every day, qualified speakers had lectures on specific topics. Students can then choose which topics they are most interested in. Personally I chose to learn about economics and “the pursuit of happiness”. Both courses were extremely interesting, thought-provoking, and educational.

Finally, my favorite part of the program was the athletics. Every day from 1 pm to 4:30 pm, Boys Staters could compete with their town against other towns in the program.  The organized sports included basketball, flag football, softball, soccer, tennis, and ultimate frisbee. Sports were another great way to meet other people from all over the state. Overall, Boys State was an incredible experience that taught me about leadership, courage, integrity, and respect."

• Harry K.

"Prior to attending Boy’s State, I wanted to know a little more about what the program entailed so I talked to people who have attended the program in prior years and also did some research on the internet. The things I was told and read were “you will meet great people”, “take challenging but interesting courses” and “have an unforgettable experiences.” Knowing that these are typical cliche sayings for a program like this, I was skeptical if it would live up to what I had been told. After taking part in the course, I can say with absolute confidence that Boy’s State is everything that people told me is would be. 

One of the main things I took away from Boy’s State was the people that I met. Living in a small state like Massachusetts, you can sometimes forget how large and how different certain areas are. There were people who I met who went to city high schools with over 4,000 kids and some went to rural schools with under 300 total students. Some who live on the beach and some who live 3 hours away and have never been to the Cape. The best part of the people you meet at Boy’s State is how everyone there has a desire to learn and listen. Discussing politics can be a very decisive topic, many times it is just two people yelling and name calling at one another. Boy State could not be more different. Though there are people from every part of the political spectrum, every political discussion I heard was civil, polite and had facts to back up claims, not just a contest who can yell their opinion the loudest. 

At Boy’s State, the educational aspects were incredible. We had daily lessons on politics and how government functions and were able to use those skills since every single Boy Stater has some role in their government, whether it was town or state. We also had the opportunity to choose a certain class to take. I took the law course and could not have happier with my decision. We were put in a large lecture hall style classroom and were listened to former justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court, Dennis Curran talk about what a future in law may entail. The lectures he gave us were very informative and I found them to be interesting.

Even though my time at Boy State was short, I was able to get multiple perspective on many people's lives, learned so much about governments have learned skills that I will carry on for the rest of my life."

• • Ethan K.

"Girls State was an amazing opportunity to make new friends, to learn about one’s civic duty, and to empower and be empowered by other girls. As one of the representatives for Walpole, I was placed in the City of Peace alongside a group of about 20 other girls from different towns across Massachusetts. As one of the cities within Massachusetts Girls State, we were given problems within our city which we had to solve through electing school committee members, a mayor, a city clerk, and other legitimate town officials. However, the elections and campaigns within our cities and state did not make my Girls State experience extraordinary, but rather, the other girls and mentors of Girls State made my week unforgettable. On a daily basis, my group members and I casually discussed and debated the current political climate and other topics surrounding government and history that made me especially thankful to have the opportunity be with girls whom shared similar interests. Not only were the girls themselves passionate about helping others but the bravery and commitment of the women of The American Legion Auxiliary was inspiring to everyone and they continue to be role models for members of Girls State. Ultimately, the energy that you put into Girls State will contribute to your outcome there. Going into Girls State with a positive and open attitude will lead to an incredible experience and you will walk away feeling refreshed with positivity and confident in the future."

• Hannah M.

"Representing Walpole High School at the 2016 Girls State program was an honor. My fellow delegates and I have learned so much about working with other people, our political system, and ourselves. 

The program was quite an unforgettable experience. Girls State presents young women with some truly inspiring role models, and facilitates relationships that could prove to be valuable connections for future politicians, lawyers, or humanities majors. For girls who have never had many inspiring female role models in their lives, Girls State is inspiring, and reinforces the idea that we can all be powerful members of a community and make a difference wherever we set our mind. 

My favorite part of Girls State were the mini-courses that were available for both boys and girls to take. My International Relations teacher, Erik, was very knowledgeable, had a great sense of humor, and always encouraged thoughtful discussion. I felt like I learned the most in his class, because the unique perspectives of both young men and women of all different backgrounds, as well as Erik’s experience, enhanced our discussions. I would certainly recommend attending these discussions, simply for their ability to broaden everyone’s horizons of thought." 

• Karishma P.

"I would like to thank Post 104 for sponsoring my participation in the Massachusetts Boys State Program.  At Boys State, all of the participants were separated into towns and cities, each consisting of a little more than twenty boys. In our twice daily municipal meetings, the members of my town and I ran through several different scenarios that the town was facing and discussed the best course of action to solve them. We elected a town moderator and selectman along with many other positions. The moderator not only lead our town meetings, but he also would take roll call before meals and lead the town to various events. As a member of the town finance committee, I worked with two other members of the committee along with the treasurer to create a budget for the town. Through all of the town meetings, I learned how people run a town government. Additionally, I learned about real issues and discussions that towns have about things such as low income housing, water shortages, school choice, and zoning. 

Additionally, each town elected two members to be in the state house of representatives and one member to be in the state senate. I was elected to the state senate where, fifteen other boys and I passed and debated several bills. Although most of the bills were lighthearted such as extending our curfew from 10:30 to 12, I learned how a Senate functions and passes laws.  Overall, attending Massachusetts Boys State was a memorable and amazing experience. It taught me many things that students do not often learn in schools and stressed how special our democracy is and how important it is to be an active citizen."

• Michael R.

"Going into Boys State I really had no idea what to expect: I knew the basics of what the week would focus on but did not expect the dynamic learning experience I was going to be graciously provided by The American Legion. One of my biggest fears going into the camp was that I would not be up to the task because I am not planning to become a career politician but instead want to be an engineer. As the week progressed, I realized that the focus of Boys State is not to force individuals to think a certain way, but to open up the minds of young men to the ideas of citizenship and to emphasize the importance of being an active participant in politics, even if that is just by voting in every election. 

As America is a Constitutional Republic, the citizens have the power to elect figures to represent the public to the best of their ability and, without proper education, poor decisions will be made at the hands of a majority of the uninformed. Apathy towards government is rampant and is one of the greatest threats to America because of the democratic values America stands for. One of the most important aspects of Boys State is the responsibility it puts on each individual to decide how invested he will be in the week and what he wants to take out of it. By placing the value of the education on each teenager, the young man is forced to either rise up to the challenge of citizenship or to cower and waste the opportunity he has been given. Overall, I am just thankful for the opportunity I had to reach out of my comfort zone and grow as an individual, while simultaneously making connections and memories that will last a lifetime."

• Michael T.