1993-09-13 Public Hearings and Regular Meeting

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e . WHAT IS BOYS STATE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM. . . Boys State is a plan for teaching the functional aspects of citizenship. It is a program of education sponsored by The American Legion, Department of Texas. Its puwose is to teach the youth of today constructive attitudes toward the American form of government. Boys State attempts to show that a democracy needs an intelligent citizenry as well as a clean, honest, andimpanial administration responsive to the will of the people. The objective of the Boys State is to "educate our youth in the duties, privileges, rights, and responsibilities of American citizenship." It is. wholly a plan for training in the practical aspects of government. It is functional in that applications of the principles of democratic government are made in every way possible. The Constitution and the Statutes of the State of Texas are the patterns from which the fundamental law of The American. Legion Boys State has been developed. Boys State should be thought of as being a mythical 5 I st State with a constitution, statutes, and ordinances constructed by its citizens to govern themselves. A "LEARN BY DOING" APPROACH · · - Citizens of Boys State not only will be required to review knowledge already acquired concerning the political machinery of a commonwealth, but they will find themselves performing exactly the same functions as real officeholders in the everyday world. In Boys State, citizens organize their own city, county and state governments. They choose their own officials in accordance with regular election procedures. They learn the duties of the various city, county, and state officers, and they introduce and argue their own bills in a Legislature. Justice is administered by their own law enforcement agencies and courts. In Boys S tate, the young citizen has the opportunity to learn for himself that his government is just what he makes it. Here each boy "LEARNS TO DO BY DOING." The entire program is non-partisan. Problems will be considered without reference to any existing political party and will be free from propaganda. The sole purpose is to enable the boy to grasp the meaning of some of the responsibilities which he will be called upon to assume when he becomes an adult. It should be distinctly understood that the selection and assignment of these boys to parties is in no way connected with the existing political parties in Texas. The "political parties" in Boys State are called "Nationalists" and "Federalists." They are purely mythical and none of the principles typifying any of the existing parties will be adopted by the parties in Boys State. 14