Day to Day Activities - Saturday, June 11, 2011

This afternoon, nearly 1000 young men made their way onto the University of Central Missouri campus in Warrensburg.

Citizens started arriving shortly before 12:15, and the experience was off to an immediate start.

After registering, students went directly to their cities where they settled in and met
their counselors and fellow citizens.

In the city areas, citizens learned the fundamentals of the state governmental structures that they will be building through hands-on participation during the week.

Citizens will create a working political system with ward, city, county, and state governmental offices. This will include law enforcement, court systems, buisinesses, a state economy, and much more. They even have to pay "Boys State" taxes.

Boys State Director, Mike Plunkett, officially declared the 72nd session of Missouri Boys State underway with the sound of the gavel today. He discussed the privilege of being selected to attend. "Being selected as a Boys Stater sets you apart. It is more than just an honor or a line on your résumé. It creates in you the obligation to be a leader and face these challenges on behalf of your generation." Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of the citizens' leadership in the future. "The challenges we face are more complex and the balance of power in the world can shift more quickly than ever before. The need for leaders has never been more acute." Today marks the beginning of a week to shape a lifetime.

Following Opening Night Ceremonies of the 72nd session of Missouri Boys State former Missouri Governer Bob Holden delivered the keynote address at a special assembly in Hendricks Hall. Bob has been a long time friend of Missouri Boys State. He has volunteered with the program for 25 years and serves on the Board of Directors. Governor Holden is chairman of The Holden Group, LLC, where he advises public and private sector clients on business development and international trade strategies. He also serves as the vice chairman of the new Midwest U.S.-China Association where he works with all Midwestern governors to improve economic cooperation and stimulate business growth between the Midwestern states and China. Additionally, he leads the Governor Bob Holden Public Policy Forum @ Webster University. As a visiting professor, Governor Holden lectures on public policy and leadership throughout the worldwide Webster campus network. Governor Holden is also serving as a Dole Fellow at the Dole Institute on the campus of the University of Kansas. Following his prepared remarks, Governor Holden held a question and answer session with the citizens.

Focused instruction a highlight of program

WARRENSBURG • In addition to a core curriculum that all citizens of Boys State will study, focused instruction with professionals in each area of study provide Boys Staters additional insight. Following is a summary of each of the five areas:

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE AND CAMPAIGNING
This school teaches the process of getting elected and then examines how to serve once elected. We help citizens develop successful campaign strategies, create positive perceptions, deliver persuasive speeches, and produce persuasive media. Citizens in this area also will administer and analyze the results of public opinion polls on elections and issues significant to Boys State. The course is taught by the principals of a successful, national political consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.

LAW ENFORCEMENT
This area gives citizens a look at the day-today activities of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The school is taught by members of the Patrol, which has had a longtime affiliation with Boys State. Topics covered will include various aspects of crime prevention and the responsibilities of a law enforcement official. Citizens will be trained in arrest and trial procedures, which they will apply when elected or appointed to law enforcement jobs at Boys State. They also will be updated on the latest and most effective methods of police work used by the Highway Patrol.

LAW
Citizens are taught the basics of trial procedure, civil actions, criminal law, legal pleadings and the role of an attorney in general. Law students are required to pass a bar exam prior to practicing law at Boys State. Law School prepares citizens to hold offices which require a qualified attorney, such as Municipal Judge. The instructors of Boys State Law School are practicing attorneys and judges.

LEGISLATIVE
Taught by current and former members of the Missouri General Assembly, including the former governor of Missouri, Bob Holden, the Legislative School helps citizens gain a basic understanding of the workings of the House of Representatives and the State Senate, including how laws are passed. Citizens will also learn about the procedural and practical problems of the legislative process, including parliamentary procedure.

JOURNALISM
The citizens who attend this area serve as staff members of KMBS-TV and KMBS Radio, each of which has daily newscasts complete with commercials and promotional spots, and of MBS Record, which is published daily. The staffs of the newspaper, radio and television are completely responsible for the content of their stories, and may develop editorial positions with respect to candidacies and operations at Boys State. During the focused sessions, citizens discuss the responsibilities of reporters and the basics of covering news events; advertising; producing television broadcasts; and libel and slander. Special emphasis is placed on the role of the media in political campaigns. The counselors for the Media School have extensive experience in media and politics.

DEMOCRACY ACADEMY
This school combines aspects of all the other areas by looking at a real-life scenario from a local community perspective and watching how various governmental agencies would interact with the case.  Citizens who attend will learn about how public officials make tough decisions while contemplating their public image (Government Executive/Campaigning), how journalists inform the public about those decisions (Media), how police officers conduct investigations when a crime has allegedly been committed (Law Enforcement), how those investigations lead to court cases in the judicial system (Law), and how citizens can petition lawmakers to change policies to ensure similar mistakes are never made again (Legislative).  The Democracy Academy is best suited for citizens who want a general education instead of specialized training in any one area.