At the American Legion Post Ira Weaver Post 121 meeting on June 17, Caleb Sheffield and Erin Beggs offered an update on their time at Boys State and Girls State, respectively, giving members and veterans a well-rounded picture of the experience.
As part of the four pillars of the American Legion, the organization supports and educates local youth. Each year, Post 121 sponsors visits to Georgia Boys State, while the American Legion Auxiliary does the same for Georgia Girls State.
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Both serve as weeklong summer camps in Valdosta that teach high school juniors how government is “supposed to work.” Boys and girls learn through simulation, carrying out the responsibilities of civic leaders as “citizens” of their own government.
“It’s civics on steroids. It’s a really good program,” said Post 121 Cmdr. Mike Merritt after he and his wife, Post 121 Senior Vice Cmdr. Kathy Merritt, went down to find out about the program in a past year.
Civil Air Patrol Cadet Cmdr. Caleb Sheffield was this year’s choice for Boys State. He described his experience first, likening it to a military camp with the strict schedule, high physical demands such as running with Georgia State Patrol troopers every morning, and attending classes on government.
“Throughout the week, (I) just got to work with a great group of people,” Sheffield said.
Although Erin Beggs wondered aloud if Girls State was “sexist” with its lack of more physical tasks and additional hours to sleep, she overall enjoyed herself, calling it a “benefit and a privilege” to attend. Though different in some ways, her experience allowed her and others to learn more about the ins and outs of government functions.
“Girls State presents a scenario of a 51st state, where the girls were split into House and Senate sessions,” Beggs recalled. “The ultimate purpose was to teach how each layer of government works and effectively adhere to the needs of the people.”
“We budget for two kids, and I know the Auxiliary does, too,” Merritt explained during the meeting, revealing that the event usually accounts for up to 400 attendees. This year, there were about 220, and it’s a notable enough completion to catch eyes on college applications.
“When we checked kids in on Sunday to when they graduated on Saturday, it was a night and day difference. They were different people looking at things in different ways,” added Merritt.
The American Legion was founded on four pillars meant to encompass the values of the nation’s veterans and ways they can engage with their community.
The last but certainly not least of the pillars involves the support of children and youth, and bringing in the Boys and Girls State participants was a perfect way to highlight exactly how the local Legion and Auxiliary are helping their youngest community members.
On an unofficial level, the group’s June 17 monthly meeting served as a “children’s night,” seeing as alongside Sheffield and Beggs, scholarships from a generous donation were handed out to two young ladies with bright futures ahead of them, as previously reported.
Along with that, a representative of the Marine Corps League honored Kevin Merritt, son of Kathy and Mike, for his hard work helping the Legion, particularly during the yard sale at the Leon Davenport Veterans Building. Merritt managed to raise about $140 for the organization.
