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Boys Nation

Annual forum for boys run by the American Legion From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Boys Nation
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Boys Nation is an annual forum concerning civic training, government, leadership, and Americanism that is run by the American Legion.[2] One hundred Boys Nation Senators are chosen from a pool of over 20,000 Boys State participants, making it one of the most selective educational programs in the United States.[3][4]

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Members of the 2017 Boys Nation meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House[1]

Each year, two delegates in the summer after their junior year of high school are selected from each of the fifty American Legion Boys State programs in the United States (Hawaii does not host a Boys State however Washington DC does).[2][4] These delegates attend a week-long event in Washington, DC funded by scholarships.

In 2020, the New York Post published an article citing Boys Nation and Boys State as summer camps that groom future presidents and governors.[5]

The event endeavors to teach delegates about the processes of the Federal government of the United States by establishing a mock Senate and organizing mock elections of a Boys Nation Senate President Pro Tempore, Senate Secretary, Vice President, and President. Senators also attend lectures and forums, and visit governmental institutions and historical sites. Tom Brokaw and former president Bill Clinton were previous Boys Nation senators.[6] It is a tradition for the student senators to take a private tour of the White House and be received by the current president. Boys Nation senators also ordinarily receive private tours of the United States Supreme Court, the Congress, the Pentagon, and the State Department, several senators have also met with the incumbent president, including Donald Trump in 2017.[7]

Students assume the role of a United States Senator, representing their respective (Boys) State. They write and introduce bills and debate in the senate chambers. Delegates are split into political parties and draft a party platform as well as perform usual party duties like nominations for president and vice-president, along with elected party leadership.[4] For 2025's session, Luke Lawson was elected president.

The American Legion Auxiliary runs a similar event called Girls Nation.[8]

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List of Boys Nation Senators

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Notable alumni

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See also

References

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