You can help us. . .

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.