Badger Boys State
Badger Boys State Full State Picture
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| Abbreviation | BBS |
|---|---|
| Motto | "Investing In Our Youth For a Stronger Wisconsin" |
| Formation | April 8, 1939 |
| Type | Not-For-Profit Corporation |
| Legal status | Active |
| Purpose | "To educate our youth in the duties, privileges, rights and responsibilities of American citizenship." |
| Headquarters | Portage, WI |
| Location | |
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Region served
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Wisconsin |
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Membership
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68,000 |
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Official language
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English |
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Chairman of the Board
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Russell Hanseter |
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Parent organization
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American Legion |
| Affiliations | American Legion Department of Wisconsin |
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Staff
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1 |
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Volunteers
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120 |
| Website | http://www.badgerboysstate.com |
Badger Boys State is a week-long youth program held each June to teach Wisconsin high-school students leadership and the workings of government. Forty-nine states (all except for Hawai'i) have a similar yet distinctive program for boys and a separate program for girls. The program hosts approximately 850 students (called citizens while attending the program) and over 100 volunteer staff members for 8 days on the Ripon College campus. During the week, a mock government is created as citizens elect leaders in 27 cities, 9 counties, and a "51st" state that encompasses the entire program.
Badger Boys State has helped in the growth and training of a number of notable members of society, including Wisconsin governors Scott Walker, Scott McCallum and Martin Schreiber. The staff and the American Legion seek to provide an educational experience to those who attend the program. Many citizens find the experience memorable and impactful
During the mid-1930s, an American Legion program known as Boys State was originated in Illinois. In October 1938, the State Executive Committee of the Wisconsin American Legion authorized Alonzo Cudworth Post No. 23, Milwaukee, to proceed with its plans for the organization of Badger Boys State.
Badger Boys State adopted a program based upon the experience of the Illinois Boys State which was sponsored by the Illinois American Legion and had been in operation since 1935. Four hundred eighty-four high school juniors attended the first session of Badger Boys State at St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin, June 16–23, 1939. The project proved very successful and was unanimously authorized to proceed as a state program by the Wisconsin American Legion Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The individuals responsible for founding the Badger Boys State program officially on April 8, 1939 were:
Due to the limited capacity of St. John's Military Academy, a survey of the various college facilities throughout the state was made in 1941 which resulted in moving Badger Boys State to its present location at Ripon College (Wisconsin). Ripon College's entire facilities are made available for the purpose of accommodating Badger Boys State.
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Wikipedia