Boothbay Region High School and the American Legion Post #36 are pleased to announce the junior class delegates chosen to attend the 2017 Dirigo Boys and Girls State conferences being held from June 18 through June 23. With nine students attending the conferences, this is the largest group of participants that BRHS has ever sent

The following students will be attending Girls State at Husson University in Bangor: ReAnna Heino, Lillian Sherburne, Summer Chamberlin, Page Brown and Jacklyn McLoon.

Boys State will be held at Thomas College in Waterville, with the following students attending: Nicholas Simpson, Cameron Crocker, Kyle Ames and Connor Demmons.

Deb Couture, Americanism Officer with the American Legion Department of Maine, explains “the purpose of [Girls and] Boys State conferences is to provide Maine high school juniors with the opportunity to participate in a program that supplements their high school courses in government and its functions. In this program, students role-play as they learn to campaign for local, county and state offices and then organize and carry out the functions of the state government.”

The program overview from the conference website (www.boysandgirlsstate.org) goes on to explain that participants will not only develop and understanding of how local and state government work, but will also develop leadership skills and an understanding and appreciation for their rights as citizens of this country. The website states, “as a participant in the program you will run for office, learn public speaking, create and enforce laws and actively participate in all phases of creating a working government in this exciting and fun summer program.”

The faculty at Boothbay Region High School nominated the nine students based on criteria such as leadership, honesty, good citizenship, cooperativeness, scholarship, and service to school.

The American Legion Charles E. Sherman, Jr. Post #36 and their donors will cover the cost of attendance for all nine delegates. The American Legion Post #36 extends sincere and heartfelt thanks to the numerous sponsors from the greater Boothbay Region who contributed to fundraising efforts this year. The faculty at BRHS is also genuinely grateful that Post #36 was able to create such a wonderful amount of support within the community in order to support all nine delegates.