During the opening credits of the fine new documentary Boys State, a litany of well-known alumni stream past: Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, Cory Booker, Samuel Alito, Rush Limbaugh. A week away at a camp designed to simulate our electoral and governmental system has helped more than a few budding careers.
Boys State and Girls State were founded in response to the Communist-affiliated Young Pioneers of America camps of the early 20th century. Sponsored by the American Legion, they gather rising seniors identified as leaders for an intensive week of mock elections and governance at all levels of municipal and state government. Two of those hundreds of Boys and Girls State participants will move on to Boys Nation and Girls Nation, where they act the part of US senators. Ever seen that photo of a teenage Clinton striding forward to shake JFK’s hand? That was at Boys Nation.
I attended North Carolina Boys State at Wake Forest University in the summer of 1991. My Harvard-bound roommate nominated me for mayor of our city and then for governor of the whole shebang. I became mayor but lost the primary race for governor. I was a second alternate for Boys Nation.
