PARIS – Choosing delegates to Boys State is a difficult task for the local American Legion representatives.

They can only pick from the junior class in high school and then the boys have to be recommended by a teacher or guidance counselor. The boys then meet with legion representatives, learn about the program and decide if they want to participate for a week.

Joe Bernard, former commander of the Anderson-Staples American Legion Post in Oxford, had an original list of 16 people and by Friday he had pared that down to four.

He’s getting close to selecting the two his post will send.

Jim Taylor, with the Foster Carroll American Legion Post 72 said his post will send four of the five people he has left on his list.

“This is the 56th year we’ve been sending kids to Boys State,” said Bernard. “We’ve been sending them since Boys State started.

“One of our boy’s father went to Boys State with Gov. (John) Baldacci.”

Bernard said his post, like the others, concentrates on sending kids from the area the post serves.

Bernard and Taylor said when the list is pared to the point where a final decision has to be made they end up drawing the names out of a hat.

“That’s the only fair way,” Taylor said. “I can’t tell one kid he can’t go because someone was better than him. At this point, they’re all great kids.”

Boys State has been held for a week each summer for the past 55 years.

Taylor said Boys State focuses on participation and personal experience for boys to learn how government works.

Boys are assigned to either the Nationalist Party or the Federalist Party when they first arrive at Boys State, which will be held at Maine Maritime Academy from June 15 to 20.

Boys will become involved in politics at the precinct level, the city, county, judicial circuit, senatorial or legislative district as well as the state level.

The adult volunteer staff there allows the participants to form and operate their government without strict control or excessive supervision.

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