PARIS – Dirigo Boys State will be held at the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine from Sunday through Friday, June 20 through 25.

Boys State delegates and alternates have been chosen by Foster-Carroll Post, American Legion, of South Paris.

They are Timothy Seames, Joshua Parsons, Eddie Bui, Gary Colello, Thomas Kothe, Kelvin Decato, Leif Kothe and Hagen Batstone.

All of the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School juniors are qualified to attend the program at the Maine Maritime Academy.

Six will attend as delegates and two are named as alternates, who will replace any of the delegates who cannot attend.

Developed in 1935, the American Legion Boys State is one of the Legion’s most successful programs. It is a summertime educational program that does not emphasize classroom lectures and textbook learning.

Instead, it focuses on participation and personal experience in a model state complete with governing bodies and elected public officials.

It is designed to mirror the structure and operation of its respective state government.

The purpose is to provide Maine high school juniors with the opportunity to participate in a program that supplements their courses in government and how it functions.

Students role-play as they learn to campaign for local, county and state offices and organize and carry out the functions of the state government.

Many town, city, county and state officials participate in the programs as speakers, counselors and guests.

At Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, the teachers name candidates.

The criteria are not limited to scholarship, but are aimed at more well rounded attributes, including involvement, interest and participation, as well as an eagerness to learn about government.

The names are then submitted to Foster-Carroll Post, where the final selection is made.

Foster-Carroll sponsors as many boys as it feels it can, but sponsorship is also open to those in the community who want to participate in the program.


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