You may have heard the story of the blind men in India who were asked to describe an elephant using only their sense of touch. The first, grabbing the elephant’s leg said, “it feels like a tree,” another holding the trunk stated, “it feels like a snake,” while a third grasping the tail defined it “like a rope.” Delegates from Boys State often come home with descriptions, which, depending on their perspective and focus may be equally disparate.
- Despite what you may have heard, Boys State is NOT a leadership seminar although delegates have an excellent opportunity to lead during the week.
- It is NOT a sports camp but delegates do have the chance to compete athletically with many of Oklahoma’s premier athletes during recreation periods.
- It is NOT a government course, even though instruction in state and local government is provided for college credit if the delegate chooses.
- Boys State is NOT military or religious training, but the subjects of patriotism and faith are an important, integral part of the Boys State Experience.
What then is Boys State? It is none of the above because it is all of the above. The motto of the sponsoring American Legion, “For God and Country” serves as a backbone that supports our intensive week-long discovery of the essence of civic duty, citizenship and understanding of the American way of life from a participatory perspective. The delegate will not only learn how the American System of government and politics works theoretically, but also in a hands-on laboratory setting. He will experience all of this as one of Oklahoma’s 700 “best and brightest” high school seniors to be. It has been described as, and is “The week that shapes a lifetime”