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Four go to Boys State for Southwest
SOUTHWEST Nebraska-- The American Legion Posts of Indianola, Danbury, Lebanon and Bartley will sponsor local four boys at the American Legion Cornhusker Boys' State in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The students and sponsoring chapters of the American Legion are Brian Riley, the son of Ronda and Brent Riley, sponsored by Indianola American Legion Post 344; Austin Minard, the son of Rusty and Penny Minard, sponsored by Lebanon American Legion Post 313; Andrew Lepper, the son of Donald Lepper and Tammy Washa, sponsored by Danbury American Legion Post 276 and Jackson Porter, the son of June and Todd Porter, sponsored by the Bartley American Legion Post 245. All are students at Southwest High School.
They will join nearly 400 other high school juniors from across Nebraska participating in the American Legion Comhusker Boys' State, June 17, 2014, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln downtown campus.
The annual citizenship program, sponsored by the Nebraska American Legion, is designed to provide youths with a better understanding of how city, county and state governments operate.
Each boy is sponsored locally by an organization, such as an American Legion Post, or by some other patriotic, civic, fraternal or religious group in cooperation with the local American Legion Post.
American Legion Comhusker Boys' State is set up as a functional "51st state" and each boy learns how government subdivisions operate by actually doing the job.
Participants will campaign for offices, hold elections, take part in band and chorus, compete in athletics and be involved in other varied activities as part of the citizenship training program. They will set up their own state government and draft bills.
Special lectures and addresses will be delivered by experienced public officials and professional leaders including Gov. Dave Heineman and Supreme Court Chief Justice John M. Gerrard. Nationally acclaimed motivational speaker JoAnne Owens-Nauslar, is also scheduled to address the group.