Submitted by Post 0032 Boys State Chairman, Lloyd Brown
The Dillon American Legion, Post 0032 held a dinner on Thursday, February 3, 2022 to honor the young men who had attended the Palmetto Boys State Program at Anderson University last June.
The young men who attended the dinner were Aaron Hyatt from Latta High School, Christopher Daniel Shepherd from Dillon High School, Aristide Nizeyimana from Dillon High School and Andrew Brown from Dillon Christian School.
Boys State is the largest program sponsored by the American Legion, its main purpose is to educate our young men in the Democratic form of government that we have here in the United States. To be chosen to participate in this program the young men must have a good scholastic average, show leadership ability and be of good character. The School’s Counselors and the boys’ families were also invited to attend the celebration. Each of these young men were presented with a Certificate of Participation for attending the Boys State Program. While at Anderson University during the Boys State Week these young men got to meet some of South Carolina’s political Representatives. They also got to run for offices in a mock government from local to the state level positions. This opportunity gives the boys a chance to experience the hard work and sometimes the defeat of trying to get elected into a public office.
To be selected to be interviewed by the American Legion for a chance to go to Boys State at Anderson University, the boys must first be nominated by their teachers and counselor. A Committee from Dillon’s American Legion will interview the boys, this committee is usually made up of three or four Legion members.
The boys are asked to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, then they are given a test about the governmental system of their town, county, state and our federal government. Some of these questions are easy but some require the boys to have done research to be successful. Last year, we had one young man who only missed one answer out of all of the questions.
The boys that have the highest scores are the ones that get to be Delegates and go to Anderson University for a week. After the boys receive their Certificates of Participation, they are given a chance to tell about their experience at Boys State. For most of the boys, this is their first opportunity to be away from their family for a week with people they just met.
This adventure always turns out with all of the boys stating that this was the best week of their life and that they are so happy that they did it and that they made new friends that they will keep for life.
These young men are our future, maybe it will get better!