The Agenda for the Day
As Monday begins, the citizens and Missouri Boys State is in full swing. After their typical morning routine, everyone reports to their chosen School of Instruction, followed by a city meeting with their newly elected Mayor presiding.
The morning is full of governmental activities with citizens participating in all aspects of local government.
The state-wide political parties begin to form their platforms for the upcoming state-wide elections. |
On Monday afternoon, the county parties begin to take shape and set their platforms and positions on a wide variety of issues.
An additional Schools of Instruction period takes place -- this is also the time where the KMBS-TV, KMBS-Radio, and the MBS Today Newspaper writing stories and taping news broadcasts for publication.
The first athletic period takes place. This is an opportunity for the citizens to compete against their fellow cities in a variety of activities. |
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Everyday Flow Begins to Set In for the Citizens
Each of the 16 city Mayors are now leading the city meetings and each branch of government beginning to form, the citizens are beginning to see the government they are building start to function and operate.
As government begins to take shape, typical problems and issues are arising and being brought to the floor of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Utilizing the power of the media, these representatives and senators hold press conferences with three media outlets attending. This allows more in-depth media coverage of issues concerning the citizens of Missouri Boys State. |
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James Carville Speaks to Missouri Boys State
On Monday evening, CNN commentator James Carville would take the stage and accept the 2012 George W. Lehr Memorial Chair Speaker.
 During his presentation, one point of major encouragement he gave was to encourage everyone to no longer fear failure.
He asked the citizens what they believed was the one thing great leaders had in common: determination. As members of society, one should never stop trying to achieve their dreams, no matter what happens.
Throughout his entire address Carville would repeat the necessity of letting go of the fear to fail. One example he highlighted was Abraham Lincoln -- one of the most successful leaders in U.S. history, yet at the same time the greatest failure as well.
Carville referred to Lincoln as a true leader in his unwillingness to give up amidst abject failure. James Carville would end his speech with a paragraph from one of Teddy Roosevelt’s speeches on citizenship.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
-- President Theodore Roosevelt
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Upon the citizens returning to their city areas, a County Political Rally was held as an opportunity for those running for County Office. Elections would be held immediately following breakfast in the morning.
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 Cajun Spices Up Boys State
By Thomas Spencer
Boys State Citizen
Blair City
Missouri Boys State citizens
filed into Hendricks Hall Monday night to hear James Carville’s riveting speech about the
values of thinking big and working through failure. The speaker’s arrival was preluded by a
video which demonstrated that
imitation is the best form of flattery. The speech centered on an
important message that a career
marred by failure can still result
in success through the value of
perseverance.
James Carville has a vast
experience in the world of
political consulting and campaign management. He served
on Bill Clinton’s historic campaign in 1992, as well as a number of bids for political office
in places as distant as Israel,
Ecuador, Greece, Nigeria and
the Ukraine. With credentials
such as these, Carville had a lot
to offer on the subject of campaigning. Never shy with his
opinion, he launched into an
animated presentation for the
MBS citizens.
Carville’s direct approach
was refreshing to the citizens at
MBS and they responded well
to his blunt sense of humor. He
encouraged all those in attendance to think big regardless of
the world around them. On the
topic of following one’s dreams
Carville said, “You may not
achieve ‘em, but you can dream ‘em.” This philosophy was greeted with thunderous applause
like many of his quips from the
evening. The famed consultant
also offered perspective on the
difficulties faced in modern
times. Offering realism in leadership and defeat was a vital
point last night.
A focus was also placed upon
some of his hopes and philosophies for modern politics. Carville said he wanted to create a
nation of producers rather than
one of consumers. He said that
an investment in education
serves as an investment in the
future. Carville firmly believes
that the value of an education
will always outstrip the costs, but
he would like to see the price of
higher education become more
manageable. During the question and answer period he also
explored the difference between
a centrist and a moderate. He
implored the MBS citizens to
avoid centrism and stand strong
for individual values.
A great deal of the presentation focused on the young men
at MBS, but on the topic of Carville’s own failures he said, “I’ve
had a lot of losses in my life. I
didn’t even get my first win until
I was in my 40s.” A career like
Carville’s is a testament to his
message of success with failure.
He urged MBS political candidates to remember a crucial
piece of wisdom, “There are two
types of politicians, those who
say that they have lost and those
who say they’ve never lost, we
call those liars,” he said. |
Additional Photos
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Did you know...
James Carville is the 24th Annual George W. Lehr Memorial Chair speaker. The Chair recognition was created to honor late Missouri State Auditor George W. Lehr, who was a Boys State participant in his youth and a tireless supporter of Missouri Boys State.
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