Massachusetts Boys State

Have a great summer

2008-06-20T23:29:00.004-04:00

I can't explain to my non-Boys State friends why I choose to spend vacation time each summer teaching government and politics to high schools juniors. Not sure it makes much sense to me, either. Except, I get to see things like this several times each June. You don't get to see things like this just anywhere. I hope it explains it all better than I can.

Enjoy the summer, stay well, and catch up with us again in 2009.

Nasiatka Award Winner

2008-06-20T23:20:00.002-04:00

The Nasiatka Award (na-SHAHT-ka) is considered the highest award at Boys State, beyond any elected office. I've know many of the Legionnaires who have made Massachusetts Boys State what it is today. Joe Nasiatka, unfortunately, was before my time. Before all but Larry DiCara, I believe. The award in his name is given to the Boys Stater who best personifies the principles that the program tries to teach. I count about six Nasiatka Award winners among my closest friends. They all have the quality of being just simply great people.

This year's Nasiatka Award Winner.

Your counselors

2008-06-20T23:10:00.001-04:00

One of them, at least.

My Week at Boys State - Trevor Morini of T-3

2008-06-20T22:43:00.001-04:00

This week has been an interesting and historic week full of surprises. I never would have thought that I was going to be in a final election for a state-wide office. Although I did not win, it was a great experience and I was honored to have even made it that far. In my first speech I felt very nervous, which was very surprising to me, because I usually am fine speaking in front of a lot of people. But in my last speech, I decided that I wasn’t going to read word-for-word, and that seemed to work out a lot better for me; kind of Ironic, as I did not win this time, but I did last time.

Anyway, the historic part of the week was when Boys’ State and Girls’ State had a joint event for the first time ever! It was nice to see the ladies after four days of nothing but guys. But the most fun I had this week was either being in the race for Auditor (also very stressful) or writing for the Boys’ State daily newspaper, The Citizen.

GO T-3!

My Week at Boys State - Brian McCarthy of C-5

2008-06-20T22:42:00.001-04:00

This past week here at Boys’ State has definitely been an interesting one. My experiences have been plentiful and the fellows in C5 have turned out alright as well. The food’s been good, classes great, and I haven’t missed my Teddy Bear tooooo much. I had a great run in my campaign for Lt. Governor, and although I lost, I can definitely say that I had fun with it and learned something the entire course of events. There are some great people that attend and work at this program, and the lectures and speeches given by Mr. Larry DiCara have been nothing less than Grade A. There is truly something for everyone to do here, and the competitive spirit seen in sports and debates has all been in great fun. Friendships have been made, rivalries have been ignited between towns and cities, and mostly everyone has reveled in seeing the Celtics win one of their first championships in many a year. Mr. DiCara said something in his Government lecture the other day something along the lines of this: “It’s not the one with the most money or the most credentials, but the one who cares the most.” Regardless of party affiliation, Nationalist or Federalist, male or female (I still can’t find any girls here. I think they’ve been hiding) I think that everyone here cares at least a little bit. And if you only came here for unlimited hookups and free gift bags, then I’m sorry fellas. This is Brian McCarthy signing out. Stay classy Boy’s State.

Boys State Ends. . .

2008-06-20T12:15:00.003-04:00

It's noon on Friday and the kids are all on their way home. The blog team is also.

Later this evening, I'll go through whatever stray photos or video we have and post a few last items, and then we'll likely close this down for the year. It worked out really well, I think. Better than any of us expected. And, to that end, when we do it again for the 2009 Boys State Program, it would be helpful if you could add whatever comments, constructive criticism (because Boys State is very democratic), and suggestions you might have. This thread would be the place for that sort of thing, and we've removed any log-in requirements, so anyone can post. Anonymously, even.

Thanks to all those who followed over the course of the week. Our web traffic told us that more people were visiting this blog each day, so it forced us to put more work and time into it, all of which made it better for people at home and, it can't be understated, a better record of what we here at Boys State do.

Thanks again, and enjoy the summer months.

Troubadours

2008-06-20T10:05:00.002-04:00

We met Jesse earlier in the week over breakfast. Thursday night, we caught him roaming the hallway with his guitar and a group of jolly minstrels.

The real point here is that, when big, strong ROTC cadets sing soft love ballads, we shouldn’t make it easy for them to forget.

Problems with Google Video

2008-06-20T09:18:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately, Google hasn't fixed its video problems as definitely as we'd hope. I found that it's a fairly common problem, and I expect that video clips will suffer occasional problems freezing up. Until I can figure out a better and more permanent solution, please check back occasionally to see if the problem has been repaired.

This is disappointing.

EDIT: The video seems to play better if you click on the individual post title where the video is posted and open it into its own window.

You can help us. . .

2008-06-20T09:05:00.004-04:00

I don’t feel entirely comfortable taking the spotlight off this amazing group of 2008 Boys Staters even for a moment, but I would be missing an opportunity to promote a program that they all seem to enjoy, and one that I love, if I didn’t tell you who followed this blog that you can help. I choose my words carefully. It isn’t that you must; but, you can. And, if you know that and understand it, then I’ve done all the soliciting I feel comfortable doing.

You can speak with your high school principal, guidance counselor, teachers, or whoever else would be responsible for sending the next generation of Boys Staters to the program. You would be doing Boys State a tremendous service by sending a letter to your school and telling them how much your son enjoyed his week at Boys State.
You can, when you hear someone mention the name “Boys State,” go out of your way to speak of it fondly. Even for counselors and staff who have been with the program for years, explaining it to someone else is difficult. This blog may have done as good a job as any at explaining Boys State, but our best brochure for this Program is in the talent and success of the students who leave it.
You can apply to join staff; understanding, though, that it’s a week of vacation time where you’ll work hard and earn nothing but the satisfaction of participation.
And, finally, you can certainly donate to help us send the next generation of Boys Staters to the program. The Boys State Foundation in 1993, the year of its founding, sponsored two students to Boys State. In 2007, the Foundation sponsored 40. This year, the Foundation sponsored 72 boys to Boys State and 8 girls to Girls State. If Boys State was a good experience for your son, you can help with that next generation of students.

On the front page of the website (www.maboysstate.org) there is a “click to donate” button that leads you to PayPal. Or, you can send a check to: Massachusetts Boys State Foundation, 1185 Turnpike Street, Stoughton, MA 02072. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, so any donation you make qualifies as a charitable donation for income tax purposes.

Thank you.

Your Boys State Elected Officials

2008-06-20T08:18:00.011-04:00

Dimitri Clarke, Auditor

"I’m going to tell my brother to come. Force my brother to come, actually. . . . And when you go back to your high schools, you’re all seniors, everyone listens to you, tell your teachers, request your students to go to Boys State and Girls State because it was one of the best experiences of my junior year."

Ryan MacPherson, Treasurer

"Kids get so much bad press these days. You hear about drunk driving and all this stuff and I look out here and the 350 some-odd kids, and honestly I have no idea what they’re talking about because these are some of the most amazing individuals I have ever met in my life."

Greg Gaffney, Secretary of State

“I heard about this in my history class, and no one made a big remark to it, and I put my name down just to see what’s up. . . I like government and I like politics, but I never thought I’d be up here. Never.”

Matt Russell, Attorney General

“When the time comes for us to lead the way in politics, or medicine, or whatever we’re doing, we can do this, because we’re together, we’re united, we’re not cut across party lines. We’re going to change America. We’re going to do it, and it’s going to be amazing.“

Matthew Cipollone, Lt. Governor

“Considering I came here with no intent to run for anything, I feel honored to be here. When my friend first told me about it, I said ‘Sure, I’ll see how it is, and if things don’t go too well, I’ll just spend the whole time with (the two kids I came with)'. . . . I’ve spent less than 15 minutes with each of them.”

Douglas Dame, Governor

(speaking of his Boys State friends)” I stopped for a second and they to this moment don’t know why I just stopped and looked around for a minute. . . but I looked at them and thought to myself that, in that moment, I had made friends that I’m going to have for the rest of my life. . . That was my moment of realization.”

Adam Formica, United States Senator

“When I hear it from people my own age, it really sinks in, and I really do see that people do see the world in different ways. They think in different ways, and it’s really been me coming to that understanding. And the only successful way to deal with that is just letting your voice be heard, being respectful, being sincere.”

Jeffrey Pereira, United States Senator

“When we’re here. . . we just embrace each other. And, what make me feel most. . . what makes me feel so good, is when after I was done with my speeches, and you guys came up to me – it could be anybody – and you shook my hand and you said, “Hey Jeff, I loved what you said today.”

Photos from Inauguration

2008-06-19T23:23:00.005-04:00

We have quite a bit of video. Clips of each of our new Boys State Constitutional officers will be available shortly, but it's going to take a while to upload. In the mean time, here are just a few of the photos we shot.

We have quite a bit of video. Clips of each of our new Boys State Constitutional officers will be available shortly, but it's going to take a while to upload. In the mean time, here are just a few of the photos we shot.

Inauguration Night

2008-06-19T18:53:00.002-04:00

The Honorable Dennis J. Curran, Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court, will preside over Inauguration Night at Massachusetts Boys State, and will administer the oath of office to all of our newly elected Boys State officials. Each elected official will then address the Boys State citizenry one final time. We will be sure to take plenty of photos, as well as a clip or two of their speeches, all for posting later this evening.

Thursday night at Boys State is traditionally a social night for Boys Staters. No municipal or other business following Inauguration. Counselors collect money for pizza and soda and allow Boys Staters an ounce more of freedom in celebration of a productive and successful week.

In addition to Inauguration photos and video, we were able to catch an interview with Boys State Governor Doug Dame in the afternoon before his Candidates Forum speech and debate. If and when that finishes uploading, we'll post that up.

Inauguration runs from 8:00-10:00, so we will try to have something up by 11:00 or so.

2008 Massachusetts Boys State Elected Officers

2008-06-19T13:05:00.004-04:00

Adam Formica, United States Senator

Jeffrey Pereira, United States Senator

Douglas Dame, Governor

Matthew Cipollone, Lt. Governor

Matt Russell, Attorney General

Greg Gaffney, Secretary of State

Ryan MacPherson, Treasurer

Dimitri Clarke, Auditor

T-7 Wheels and Deals

2008-06-19T12:17:00.007-04:00

So, apparently, T-1 and T-4 have generator problems. Not sure exactly what they are, but we know in Clip #1 that T-4 had some sort of radiation spill and power outage, and sent out a negotiating team to contract with T-7 for power generators.

We then catch up with the T-4 negotiators outside. Seems they ran into the wrong negotiating team from T-7, and until our camera arrived, T-7 thought that it was dealing with C-4. How unfortunate.

Eventually, the T-4 team found the right location. The problem then was that T-1 had beaten them to the punch, and was already in active negotiations with T-7. Somewhere in these clips, you can see that T-7 gets that it now has two suitors. Negotiators have to reach back into their pockets for cell phones and get authorization to revise their offers.

I think the best part might be when someone from T-7 exclaims in clip #3: "I think our lawyer will have something to say about that!"

Follow the action consecutively.

Clip#1

Clip #2

Clip#3

Clip #4

Boys' and Girls' State gets some press

2008-06-19T10:03:00.004-04:00

The historic event that took place Tuesday night at Worcester State College has received nice coverage in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. CLICK HERE to read the story.

Municipal Business at Boys State

2008-06-19T08:35:00.020-04:00

In earlier posts below, you saw video, photos, and live blog of the Candidates Forum. That's a very spirited part of the program, and one which students seem to enjoy very much. You might be able to tell as much. Boys Staters spend more time, though, in their municipal meetings, electing local officials, writing budgets, and discussing various municipal obstacles set in front of them. You can get a feel for some of these issues by going to the Main Resource Page of the Boys State website, and clicking on your Boys Stater's city or town and opening the several "scenario" and "issue" tabs.

For example, if you click on the T-1 page and open the "Municipal Scenario" tab, you will read how T-1 is the home to "Williston College," and must decide whether or not T-1 favors expansion of the college and all of the attendant issues and benefits that flow from such an expansion.

There are 16 cities and towns, and it will take a while to get video of them all posted. Also, we have a few separate clips of some of the negotiating sessions between certain cities and towns. We'll include those also, but uploading these things will have to be done around today's Boys State business. Lastly, some of these cities and towns do get flustered in their negotiations. You'll hear the question: "Can they DO that?" uttered by one T-7 Selectman. For them, we've established Superior, Appeals, and Supreme Judicial Courts of Boys State to which they may direct their grievances. If we have an opportunity to follow those grievances through the court process, we'll try to do that also.

N.B. - Unfortunately, we don't have anything clips yet for C-6, T-6, and T-8. Sorry.

C-1

C-2

C-3

C-4

C-5

More C-5

T-1

T-2

T-3

T-5

T-7

T-9

T-10

The Federalist Party Chairman Rallies His Party

2008-06-19T08:04:00.001-04:00

This clip is is very "Wednesday at Boys State."

Nationalist Party Chairman Responds

2008-06-19T08:03:00.000-04:00

The Boys State College Fair

2008-06-19T07:14:00.006-04:00

For more than a decade, John Brady has organized the Boys State College Fair on Friday morning. John works for The College Board as its National Executive Director of High Education Development. For this week, though, we just know him as the lead counselor of T-6.

Below is a list of colleges who have asked for booth space at the 2008 College Fair. Additionally, there are 40-50 staff members representing many of these schools and others as well. Boys Staters would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity to ask questions to those people who came here to Stonehill specifically to answer questions. Ask your counselor where he (or she) is going or went to school.

Connecticut
Daniel Webster College
Connecticut College – New London
Sacred Heart University – Fairfield
Wesleyan University - Middletown

Maine
St. Joseph’s College of Maine - Standish

Maryland
U.S. Naval Academy - Annapolis

Massachusetts
American International College - Springfield
Amherst College – Amherst
Assumption College – Worcester
Boston College – Chestnut Hill
Bridgewater State College – Bridgewater
College of the Holy Cross - Worcester
Fitchburg State College
Gordon College – Wenham
Harvard College – Cambridge
Lasell College – Newton
Mass. College of Pharmacy & Health Science – Boston
Massachusetts Maritime Academy – Buzzards Bay
Nichols College - Dudley
Stonehill College – North Easton
Suffolk University – Boston
Tufts University - Medford
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts – Lowell
Wentworth Institute of Technology - Boston
Western New England College – Springfield
Wheaton College - Norton
Worcester State College

New Hampshire
Franklin Pierce College – Rindge
St. Anselm College – Manchester
Southern NH Univ. – Manchester

Rhode Island
Bryant College - Smithfield
Johnson & Wales - Providence

New York
U.S. Merchant Marine Acad. – King’s Point

Pennsylvania
Dickinson College - Carlisle

Vermont
Norwich University – Northfield
St. Michaels College – Colchester

Armed Forces
Massachusetts Air Guard

Foreign/Consortium
Canadian Colleges & Universities

LIVE BLOG from the Candidates Forum

2008-06-18T20:40:00.034-04:00

8:30pm
Good evening and welcome to the live blog from the Candidates Forum. There are two of us with laptops in the back of the hall and we'll do our best to provide a running commentary. We have a very spirited crowd on our hands tonight, and the hall is decked out in red white and blue and filled with signs supporting the various candidates (pictures coming).

First we enjoyed a terrific welcome from Major Chris Shaw of the US Marine Corps. Major Shaw is a native of Mattapan and a 1988 Boys' State grad, went on the United States Naval Academy and has a distinguished service record while serving his country all over the world, most recently in Baghdad. He is currently stationed in San Diego as a member of the JAG Corps. Major Shaw encouraged the Boys' Staters to fullfill the promise that they represent to the future of our great nation.

8:42pm
We've just heard from the Chairman of the Nationalist and Federalist parties. They outlined the platform for each of their respective parties and encouraged the citizens of Boys' State to support the candidates at the polls tomorrow morning.

In addition to the candidates listed below, we have also have several independent candidates this year. Pedro Roque and Jasiel Correia are independent candidates for US Senator, and Kyle White is running for Secretary of State. These candidates were added to the ballot and Candidates Format after collecting the required number of signatures from other Boys' Staters.

8:53pm
Independent candidate for Secratary of State Kyle White just gave his speech (all candidates are limited to 3 minutes each). He received a less than enthusiatic response, with members of both parties expressing the two parties showing support for their party candidates.

8:57pm
TJ Ball, Nationalist party candidate for Sec of State. DJ gave an enthusiastic speech and seemed to get a warm repsonse from the crowd.

9:04pm
The candidates for Lt. Governor and Governor are about to speak. The candidates from each party are running as a ticket, so it is important that they are in synch.

9:05pm
Brian McCarthy (Lt. Gov, Nationalist) is speaking and is addressing immigration, the war in Iraq, and closed with a a rather famous quote from Howard Dean (if you Google angry Howard Dean you'll probably find it).

9:06pm
In reference to the comment from "a fan", I apologize that I missed the Attorney General candidates speeches while trying to get my technology straighten out. I can tell you that all the candidates so far have done a great job, they really have come a long way in refining their ability to adress such a big group over the last few days.

We are taking pictures and video and will try to get some of it uploaded as we go along.

9:10pm
We've taken a short break from the speeches to enjoy some music from the Boys' State band.

Some pictures and video are being added as I type, they will appear below.

9:15pm
Nationalist candidate for Gov Frank Oglesby has taken the podium. The candidates for Gov and US Senator will give a short speech and talso have to answer a question which they do not know ahead of time.

Frank shared a story about his mom who was stationed in Afganistan (I'm sorry but I didn't catch which branch she serves in) and how glad he was when she came home. He is proud of her service and leadership and those traits are what will guide him if elected.

9:19pm
The Gov candidate from the Federalists Douglas Dame is at the podium. He shared his views on issues such abortion, immigration, school testing and smoking bans. He then launched in to some (clean) Chuck Norris jokes. As was referenced earlier, some candidates have found that their peers often respond to humor. Doug is doing a good job of mixed humor and serious issues and seems to be getting a great response from the crowd (will it be enough to capture voters from across the aisle remains to be seen).

9:22pm
The moderator is asking a question the candidates will answer in 2 minutes or less...what would you do, as Governor, to support cummunity service? Would you require it or give additional incentives?

Frank responded by saying it should be a choice and encouraged, and should not be a requirement.

Doug said community service builds character. He would provide incentives in the form of tax cuts to reward community service.

Pictures are being loaded...taking a while due to bandwidth limitations.

9:26pm
Pedro Roque, independent candidate for US Senator is speaking. Pedro, a naturalized US citzen, is from Portugal and stresses "opportunity for all" as the core of his campaign.

The first batch of photos is up, scroll down to just below this entry (more will be added as we go along so keep at it with the "refresh" button).

9:31pm
Jasiel Correia, the other independent for Senator has just taken the stage. He is explaining why is running...he disgreed with his party's platform and after he did not get the nomination he says his friends and supporters encourage him to run. The economy and the war in Iraq are his two key issues.

9:35pm
The question put to the independent candidates was how would you approach the issue of illegal immegration. Pedro believes a major overhaul of our current system is needed. Jasiel said that we are a nation of immigrants and that this is a complex issue. He also believes that identifying the criminal element among illegal immegrants is crucial.

9;41PM
Scott took off for a quick break to say hello to a visiting friend.

Vincent Lee from T-1, candidate for United States Senate, is speaking. He addressed issues of abortion, gay marriage, immigration. Took a fairly progressive approach on all issues. Scott's back and does this part better than I do, so I'm passing off.

Federalist candidate for US Senator Jeffry Periera is speaking about the impact that gang violence is having on our society and young people and how his life has been touched by gang violence. He is talking about an issue that is important to many of the people in the audience, and making it personal. He is also helping kids who live in areas where gang violence may not be an issue and helping them to understand more about this critical issue...learning about people from other parts of the state, other backgrounds, etc. is an important aspect of the program. Jeff got a standing ovation.

9:50pm
The question for the senatorial candidates Vincent Lee and Jeffrey Pereria is, would you support legislation that would mandate healthcare coverage for all Americans.

Vincent Lee would try to push through legislation that would make affordable healthcare available for all, but would not support a govt funded system.

Jeffrey Pereria said that the govt should step in to help people who cannot afford healthcare. He would advocate a system based on income.

We now have 34 photos posted below, with more on the way.

9:55pm
Adam Formica, Nationalist for US Senator, is on the stage. He started by thanking the audience for helping him "hear them music". He talked about how Boys's State has taught him the value of acceptance and not being afraid to be himself. He received an enthusiastic response.

10:00pm
Federalist US Senator candidate Brendan Maione-Downing is now speaking. The issue most important to him is the war in Iraq. He spoke of people who knows who have been impacted by the war, the sacafice they had had to make as families while their loved ones were deployed. He stressed how the Boys's Staters are the leaders of tomorrow.

10:05pm
The question for Adam and Brendan are answering their question: should the current system for Social Security be changed?

Adam talked about the need to support our seniors and that the govt needs to keep a program like Social Security, and would advocate for a combination of private investment and social security. He said such a system should be based on need.

Brendan said Social Security is a "sacred trust" between our govt and our country's seniors that should never be broken. He said the only way to fix Social Security is through sacrafice in the form of a tax on high income earners.

10:10pm
The candidates are leaving the stage after what was a successful forum. We will continue to add photos and video tonight and tomorrow so please check back. Thanks to everyone who followed our live blog tonight, we hope you enjoyed it!

Candidates Forum Photos

2008-06-18T20:39:00.013-04:00

Revisiting Jasiel

2008-06-18T17:19:00.005-04:00

There is a video clip below of Jasiel on his way into the auditorium at Worcester State College. He had been elected Mayor of his city, and was excited about his candidacy for the Nationalist Party nomination to United States Senate. Unfortunately for Jasiel, something happened along the way - he lost. Happens to more than a hundred candidates every year at Boys State. When I ran into Jasiel this afternoon, he was busy organizing his third-party candidacy. There have been a handful of similar third-party and write-in candidacies over the years. I thought it might be interesting to follow up with him and even challenge him a little on his current endeavor.

Live Blog From Candidates Forum

2008-06-18T14:18:00.003-04:00

A counselor suggested that we should try live-blogging from Candidates Forum this evening. Contemporaneous posting on speeches, debate questions, crowd responses, and if I can get someone to assist with a camera - photographs.

All very new to Boys State. Candidates Forum runs from 8:00-10:00, and I don't think I have stamina for two straight hours, but we'll give it a whirl.

My Week At Boy's State - by j-rod of T-8

2008-06-18T13:06:00.009-04:00

My week at Boys State has been a very positive experience. It's completely different from what i thought it would be. I thought we would be sitting in classrooms all day learning about government and listening to boring lectures and speeches. I learned very quickly that it was very different. The classes we have are very interesting and we are always participating in solving problems or running for a position. The lectures we listen to are very interesting and Larry DiCara makes them very interesting. We also have a lot of fun competing in sports, but there's something for everyone such as creating the Boy's Sate newspaper or playing in the band. I've made a lot of friends, not only with the other Boy's Staters but also with my counselors. I even got the guts to run for U.S. Senator, which involved giving a speech in front of many people, even though i didn't make it to the finals. My experience here has been a positive one and i'm having a blast here, and i even want to come back next year as a counselor.

Election Finalists

2008-06-18T11:43:00.005-04:00

These are the winners of the primary election held this morning, They will each speak and answer questions this evening at the Candidates Forum:

Nationalist Party

United States Senate (two candidates): Vincent Lee, Adam Formica

Governor: Frank Oglesby

Lt. Governor: Brian McCarthy

Attorney General: Matt Russell (after a special run-off election with Matt LeBlanc)

Secretary of State: DJ Ball

Treasurer: Kim Sok

Auditor: Dimitri Clarke

=====================================

Federalist Party

United States Senate (two candidates): Brendan Maione-Downing, Jeffrey Pereira

Governor: Douglas Dame

Lt. Governor: Matthew Cipollone

Attorney General: Grant George

Secretary of State: Greg Gaffney

Treasurer: Ryan MacPherson

Auditor: Trevor Morini

A Few DiCara Comments to the Assembly

2008-06-18T09:26:00.000-04:00

Tuesday Wrap-up

2008-06-18T08:56:00.003-04:00

As the absence of content may reveal, Tuesday was a busy day, but one of the more memorable in Boys State history. The Joint Event with Massachusetts Girls State was, we think, a great success. Something to build on in future years. The hall was sweltering hot, but the program was well received, and Worcester State College was extraordinary in coordinating this unique event.

Larry DiCara began with a welcome to both programs and honored guests (a brief clip will be available shortly). Larry was followed by Mark Avis, Chairman of Massachusetts Boys State, and then by Bonnie Sladeski, Chairwoman of Massachusetts Girls State. Worcester State College then welcomed both programs to campus (and I apologize for not remembering his name and title). Andrew Gallagher, the President of the Massachusetts Boys State Foundation addressed the group. The Foundation sponsored 72 boys to Boys State, and 8 girls to girls state this year. Andy announced that the Foundation has begun its 2008-09 Capital Campaign - a quest to raise $500,000 for Boys State. RoAnn Costin, one of the guest speakers for the evening, followed Andy. To the surprise of all, Ms. Costin took Andy Gallagher's comments as a challenge to help raise money for Girls State. The program was capped by Lt. Governor Timothy Murray. I confess that I was trying decipher the directions for the walking route to the reception hall from Missy of the Worcester State College events staff, so I was not able to hear the Lt. Governor. If the ovation and applause following his comments were any indication, Lt. Governor Murray picked up about 700 new fans. We can't thank him enough for joining us for this special event.

We arrived back at Stonehill around 10:30 - about 20 minutes before the Celtics won their 17th NBA Championship. Kind of a fitting ending to the day, I'd say.

Boys State and Girls State Candidates

2008-06-18T08:35:00.003-04:00

This is Jasiel, a Boys State candidate for U.S. Senate, and Alana, a Girls State candidate for Governor. Thanks to Alana for obliging Boys State with a few words.

C-6 Does the Chi-Lites

2008-06-18T08:20:00.001-04:00

I wish I got more of this. They did the entire song. How kids born in 1991(?) would know all these lyrics is beyond me.

Photos of the Joint Event

2008-06-18T08:09:00.004-04:00

Unfortunately, I was not able to take many (or any) photos of the joint event. I asked one of the kids to take some photos, but he took all video. I'll upload that later.

This is with more than half of Boys State still not in the hall.

Boarding the Buses to Worcester

2008-06-18T00:44:00.007-04:00

Here we are boarding buses to Worcester State College for the event with Girls State. This was about 10 minutes before the skies opened up and made lining up for buses a bit more difficult.

Note also the handful of Boys Staters who thought to dress for the occasion.

Nationalist and Federalist Pre-Primary Results

2008-06-17T11:58:00.008-04:00

Pre-primary vote tallies were fairly close. That's pretty typically, and not something I'm saying to be kind. Occasionally, we see a candidate whose vote total is dramatically higher than his seven other opponents, but that's the exception. More common is a muddled pack of candidates, each with a similar vote total. It's natural because each convention delegation will vote for its own candidate first. When eight county delegations each do the same thing, vote totals don't have dynamic swings. Looking down the list of results, three or four candidates were compelling enough to get voters to cross delegation lines, resulting in higher vote totals. Again, that's the exception.

Interesting also that some candidates are charismatic enough in their one brief speech to create an immediate buzz around their candidacy. We see this morning's video of the two students from Grafton, plugging their favorite candidate in the close shots of that clip. That candidate topped all others on both party ballots. Not by much, but his message clearly got through.

But, you wanted to hear about the election results. These candidates will move on to the Primary Election to be held tomorrow morning:

Federalist Candidates
U.S. Senator - Lyle Hawthorne, Brendan Maione-Downing, Jeffret Pereira, Pedro Roque
Governor - Douglas Dame, Dallas Hayden, James Henderson
Lt. Governor - Matthew Cipollone, Douglas Reardon, Kyle Ward
Attorney General - Grant George, Parker Mitchell, Patrick Mitchell
Secretary of State - Gary Forster, Greg Gaffney, Richard Souza
Treasurer - Neal Freyman, Teddy Lee, Ryan MacPherson
Auditor - Nathaniel Brown, Trevor Morini, Matt Davenport

Nationalist Candidates
U.S. Senator - Jasiel Correia, II, Adam Formica, Vincent Lee, Charles Milhans
Governor - Alex Gleason, Frank Oglesby, Graig Ramsey
Lt. Governor - Pat Calamare, Brian McCarthy, Matthew Sylvia
Attorney General - Matt LeBlanc, Matt Russell, Paul Woodman
Secretary of State - DJ Ball, Christopher Sullivan, Simon Yeung, Scott Yim
Treasurer - Mike O'Shea, Eric Amoah Sakyi, Kim Sok
Auditor - Jonathan Choi, Dimitri Clarke, Andrew Swiderski

Expanding the reach of this blog

2008-06-17T11:36:00.002-04:00

A few of the comments we've received have asked if we could expand to other cities and towns. That's a fair comment. Unfortunately, being in Boland Hall allows me greater access to T1 - T6. This evening, we will travel into a couple of the other dormitories to broaden the reach of the blog, a bit. Try to equalize that Boland Hall bias.

In other news, we asked for students who wanted to help out and participate in blogging, and I sent out around ten invitations by email an hour or so ago. Hopefully, we will have a new and enthusiastic group of bloggers participating before too long. To review the schedule, though - at 5:00, we will all be piling into buses and traveling to Worcester State College for a joint assembly with Massachusetts Girls State, returning around 10:30. There isn't likely to be any opportunity for our new bloggists to put any time in on the blog until tomorrow.

Keep your eye on the evening news. The press office at Worcester State College has invited media to this evening's event.

Blogging forward at Boys State

2008-06-17T07:41:00.001-04:00

Bumping this one forward, because it's helpful for us to find out what parents and friends want to see, and this seems to be the thread in which to do that. We welcome your comments, as well as your messages to your favorite Boys State citizen.

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By the looks of things this blog has gathered some interest from family, friends, and teachers of Boys Staters looking to follow progress of their Boys State citizen. It's now 10:30 am, and we have surpassed the number of visitors to this blog from yesterday. To help encourage continued growth, we're trying to quickly put together a blog team to feed this feature with content. We're also going to find a better camera to lift the quality of the photos and video clips that have been posted.

Two Grafton Friends. . .

2008-06-17T07:23:00.002-04:00

Two friends from Grafton, Massachusetts sit on the front steps, talk about their day, and plug their candidate.

Good Morning from Boys State

2008-06-17T07:10:00.006-04:00

Residents of Boland Hall rallied out of bed to head up to breakfast. Following breakfast, pre-primary elections will be held, as you may be able to tell from the active morning campaigning.

Alumni Night and an Honored Guest

2008-06-17T01:46:00.010-04:00

Monday at Boys State was capped with our annual Alumni Night Ceremony, where a 25-year alumnus of the Boys State Program is honored, and shares his thoughts with those less "seasoned." This year, our own Ed Sargavakian marked his 25th Anniversary. Ed attended Boys State in 1983, when it was held at Clark University. He graduated from Waltham High School and went on to receive his degree in accountancy at UMass Amherst, after which, he entered the working world with what was then a "Big Eight" accounting firm (when there WERE eight) - Price Waterhouse. Ed has worked at Investors Bank and Trust Co., and now State Street Bank. He is our Dean of Elections, has been on staff since 1984, and is currently working with T2. Ed was joined by his wife Lisa and surrounded by his many Boys State friends.

Following Ed's anniversary address, Boys State was honored to be greeted by New England Patriots all-time great, former linebacker, and inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2008, Andre Tippett. Andre played with Patriots from 1982-1993 and still hold the team record for most career sacks. A five-time Pro-Bowl selection, and a member of the 1980's All-Decade Team, Andre spoke with Boys State citizens about his own story growing up in New Jersey. He spoke with fondness and passion about his old high school coach, and mentioned how he still calls him to this day on a regular basis - not because he tells Andre what he wants to hear, but because he tells him what he needs to hear. The unvarnished truth. Andre shared several stories with Boys State - how, surprisingly, he was cut by his junior varsity coach (something he never lets him forget); what it was like for a rookie starting out in 1982; and, some of the lessons he learned along the way.

Andre left Boys State after several standing ovations - a fitting send-off as he prepares his trip later this summer to Canton, Ohio for his Hall of Fame induction.

A word on photos, video, and privacy

2008-06-17T01:22:00.001-04:00

One of the consent forms we asked parents to sign asked for consent to use images of your son for promotional (i.e. non-commercial) purposes only - like this blog. It bears mentioning, though, that this is a public website. If for any reason, you would like your son's image removed from this blog, email us at webadmin@maboysstate.org, and it will be removed quickly and quietly, no questions asked.

Dallas gives his speech for Governor

2008-06-17T01:19:00.002-04:00

Dallas Hayden, a Federalist candidate for Governor of Boys State, addresses the convention.

Derek of T3 - Candidate for Governor

2008-06-17T01:05:00.004-04:00

Derek discusses his speech to the Federalist Party Convention in his campaign for Governor of Boys State. His approach - a common one - is to have two speeches prepared and use whichever one seems more appropriate at the moment. Often times, candidate speeches take a humorous turn, and one comical speech starts an avalanche. Derek, appreciating this, has both a straight version and a bit of comedy. The trick, though, is whether to buck the avalanche, or run out in front. (and, yes, we do have a clip of his speech)

Nationalist Party Convention

2008-06-17T00:37:00.004-04:00

Just a few photos from the Nationalist Party Convention speeches for Governor, Lt. Governor, and United States Senate. The photographer was unexpectedly called away, so we weren't able to shoot as many photos as we may have liked. More tomorrow.

Federalist Party Convention

2008-06-17T00:08:00.006-04:00

The Federalist Party convened in The Hill for its convention, where candidates for Lt. Governor, Governor, and United States Senate spoke. Here are a few shots of a handful of the candidates.

Monday Night Dinner

2008-06-16T23:59:00.003-04:00

A few shots of dinnertime - both outside waiting, and inside eating. Not quite sure which cities or towns these might be.

Speaking of JFK...

2008-06-16T20:13:00.000-04:00

This photo is probably the most "famous" in Boys' State history. Bill Clinton attended Boys' State in his home State of Arkansas and was elected US Senator. This photo was taken during Boys' Nation as 16-year-old Bill Clinton’s meeting with President John F. Kennedy in the Rose Garden in 1963.

Other famous alumni of the Boys and Girls State programs include Bill Clinton, George Pataki, Mike Huckabee, Tom Brokaw, Jane Pauley, Michelle D. Johnson, Nick Saban, Michael Jordan, Mark Wahlberg and Neil Armstrong. Many United States Senators (including Majority Leader Harry Reid, Bob Menendez, and Lamar Alexander), Governors, and state-level politicians (state senators, state assemblymen, et cetera) are Boys' or Girls' State alumni.

The more things change...

2008-06-16T19:15:00.001-04:00

I am writing this blog entry from the back of the National Party Convention, listening to campaign speeches by candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Governor, and US Senator. I attended Boys' State in 1984 and in the 2+ decades since, this program has undergone some remarkable changes (more on that later). A lot of others things have changed as well - there are no more pay phones to be found on campus (and thus no one lined up in front of the phones waiting for their turn to call home each night) as cell phones and PDAs have become the norm, the internet is everywhere thanks to WiFi, and digital cameras and DVD recorders capture all the action and allow it to be shared immediately, without having the 3-day wait for the pictures to be developed.

But tonight I am struck but how many things remain the same. Many of the issues, like healthcare, the right to choose, the economy, school funding, liberty and freedom are among those that we were talking about from the podium and still remain at the forefront a generation later. JFK is still the most widely quoted politician. Even the Celtics are providing some generational continuity by being back in the finals. Tomorrow I think I'll go to the Boys' State Office and see if I can dig up some old pictures and post them here, seeing them along side the picture of these young men who are the Class of 2008 should be interesting. More to come...

Sean the Selectman from Granby

2008-06-16T15:58:00.000-04:00

Sean is from Granby, Massachusetts. He ran for both Selectman and State Senate, chalking up one win and one loss. Seems not to have lost his good spirits, just the same.

Soccer at Boys State

2008-06-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

A counselor needles two enthusiastic soccer players from County H on the merits of their sport, and they hold their own fairly well.

While, in other news, team members from T4 aren't shy about crowing over their come-from-behind victory.

Breakfast with Jesse

2008-06-16T08:44:00.000-04:00

Morning at Boys State

2008-06-16T08:37:00.001-04:00

Good morning from Boys State. The day began bright and early - 6:30 am. Some Boys Staters headed up for a flag raising at "colors." Others had first breakfast. A late night watching the unfortunate Celtics game doesn't help, but business starts early at Boys State.

Greetings from the Mayor of C-1

2008-06-16T08:26:00.000-04:00

Lights Go Down at Stonehill

2008-06-16T00:40:00.000-04:00

Day Two comes to a close and the lights go out at Boland Hall.

If the internet traffic is any indication, this blog has picked up a couple hundred followers in the course of just one day. If you are interested seeing something in particular, we invite your comments and suggestions. You can post it here on this blog, or feel free to email us at webadmin@maboysstate.org.

Good night!

A Wrap-up of Day Two

2008-06-15T22:20:00.001-04:00

Sunday closed with a general assembly where members of the Executive Board and the Department Commander of the American Legion visited with Boys State, and a welcoming address was provided by Fr. Mark Cregan, President of Stonehill College.

While Saturday is a day where Boys Staters are eased into the program, Sunday - day two - is where students get elbow-deep into Boys State business, as the Sunday schedule may reflect.

Cities and towns began the day in municipal meeting, where candidates for municipal offices (moderator and selectmen in towns; mayor and city council in cities) asked their town and citymates to sign nomination papers. Candidates who were able to obtain enough signatures were placed on a ballot for voting later in the day.

Following the early municipal meeting, Boys Staters broke into their party caucus, where each county delegation nominated candidates for State Constitutional office,and United States Senate. Caucuses then broke down further into municipal delegations, where candidates where nominated for House of Representatives and State Senate.

Later in the morning, Boys State heard General Education lectures about municipal government. Boys State towns listened to Charles Stevens, Boys State 1984. "Chuck" is a former West Boylston selectman and presently works as an attorney. Citizens of cities listened to our own Lawrence DiCara. Larry still holds the distinction of being the youngest person ever elected to the Boston City Council. He is now a partner with the law firm of Nixon Peabody, and has returned to Boys State each year since 1966.

After lunch, municipalities reconvene. Ballots having been printed, each candidate for municipal office gave a speech to his city or town and voting took place immediately thereafter. Once all the votes were tallied by election officials, city and town governments were installed, counselors step back, and the business of building and operating a municipality began for each Boys Stater.

Sunday was also the first day of elective courses - law, government, and economics. In the law class, Boys Staters heard an historical context for the Bill of Rights, and how that body of law came into being - part of the groundwork for classes later in the week. On Monday, the law class will be introduced to criminal law, while the economics class will begin its stock market game, and the government class will hear from Mr. DiCara drawing from his many years in politics and government.

After recreation period, Nationalist and Federalist party conventions convened and heard speeches from candidates for attorney general, auditor, secretary of state, and treasurer. Speeches for governor, lt. governor, and U.S. Senate will be presented on Monday, and pre-primary voting will take place immediately after breakfast on Tuesday morning.

The days was capped-off with a general assembly and then a break from the schedule, giving students an opportunity to watch the Celtics-Lakers games.

A girl at Boys State?

2008-06-15T22:03:00.000-04:00

In 2007, Brittany Bedard introduced a first to Massachusetts Boys State. Brittany's father Tom attended Boys State in 1983, and has returned as a staff member each year since. Brittany has joined her dad at Boys State many times over the years, and when she finished her junior year of high school, she asked if she could attend as a Boys Stater. Sounds odd, for sure. But, with special approval of the chairman, Brittany attended the 2007 program, was elected mayor of her city, and has returned to join the counseling staff in 2008. She is a junior counselor in T-1, which might just be the best town in all of Boys State. Brittany will enter Northeastern University next year as a freshman, majoring in speech pathology. And, to answer the obvious question, Brittany does not share the dormitories with Boys Staters of her town. She has a dormitory of her own, separate from any other students or counselors.

Go Celtics!

2008-06-15T21:53:00.000-04:00

Boys Staters finished up their day in assembly with a welcome from Fr. Mark Cregan, President of Stonehill College, and then rushed back to their dorms to catch the Celtics playing what we hope will be their final games against the Lakers. Breaking from the schedule, the counseling staff, with the stamp of approval from Chairman Mark Avis, allowed students a night off from their scheduled municipal meeting and discussion of city and town business. Back to work tomorrow. Go Celts!

Nationalist Party Convention

2008-06-15T19:40:00.000-04:00

Both the Nationalist and Federalist Parties held convention this evening and heard speeches by candidates for Attorney General, Secretary of State, Auditor and Treasurer. Here we see a few shots of the Nationalist Party candidates - really, the ONLY respectable political party at Boys State - stepping up to the microphone.

While Mr. DiCara, American Legion officials, and staff members look on.

Recreation Time - Sunday June 15, 2008

2008-06-15T19:25:00.000-04:00

Recreation time, and Boys Staters enjoyed a few hours of down-time. There were organized games of softball, football, soccer, and ultimate frisbee between the counties. Here, County F watches its softball hopes washed down the drain. Better luck tomorrow in soccer.

A Word on Stonehill College

2008-06-15T11:05:00.000-04:00

Stonehill College has been the home of Massachusetts Boys State for over 10 years. During the week, in addition to their Boys State work, students will get a glimpse of college campus life on a picturesque, 375-acre campus that seems to sprout new buildings each year we return. Boys Staters are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity, getting a feel for life on a college, and talking with counselors about the schools they may have attended - a fairly broad and diverse list of both undergraduate and graduate schools. Additionally, the Stonehill College Admissions Office has always welcomed Boys Staters into their office to answer any questions students may have.

Saturday June 14, 2008 - Boys State Begins!

2008-06-15T10:19:00.000-04:00

Students from all around the Commonwealth of Massachusetts began arriving at Stonehill College around 10:00 am June 14th. for Saturday morning registration. The American Legion and volunteer staff members processed nearly 400 students, directed them to their dormitories for their room assignment .

Staff members, welcomed each other back to Stonehill for the first time since last year. Here, Michael Millette, Boys State 1983, greets Boys State Secretary, Dottie Pickup. Dottie will be retiring this year after nearly 30 years working with the Boys State Program.

Following registration and check-in, students participated in their first municipal, followed by a general assembly, where they were welcomed to the Boys State Program by Chairman Mark Avis and Director of Education, Lawrence DiCara.