What to expect on Sunday when you get to Boys State

New: Updated for 2008!

We're sure a lot of you don't quite know what to expect at your first day of Boys State... well, this page is here to help you out a little. The first day is fast paced and you'll have a lot of information given to you that you'll need during the rest of the week. Additionally, conventions for local and county elections will be held on Sunday night, and the position you get elected for will affect your activities the rest of the week. Don't worry though, there are plenty of positions available, from city council and mayor to Governor, Judges, and lobbyists. Here is a quick overview of the schedule.

8:00am - 10:00am

You should report to the building you were instructed to go to in the informational packet that you should have received. If you haven't received a packet yet, then just report to the main Boys State office and they will help you find where you need to go. When you get to the building, you will be assigned a room and you will meet your counselor for the week and the other members of your city. Go ahead and get settled in.

10:00am - noon

At this time, your city will meet outside (weather permitting) and your counselor will explain to you a little about the schedule, Boys State, policies and regulations, and how things will work during the rest of the week. At this time an athletic director and quiz bowl captain will be chosen, who will be responsible for scheduling and coordinating the cities recreational activities.

Noon

This is lunchtime. The food won't kill you, we promise!

12:45 (not for everyone)

At this time, athletic directors and quiz bowl captains will go to a meeting, and the band will meet and rehearse. If you're interested in being a reporter for the Whirligig, you should come to that meeting. Whirligig reporters will write stories about the events that are happening at Boys State and keep everyone informed about the political happenings at all levels of government. The Whirligig is distributed to all cities and is published on the internet as well.

1:30 - 2:30

General assembly. A lot of introductions and speeches by various people.

2:40 - 4:45

Recreation time.

3:45 - 4:15 (optional, but highly recommended)

Interested city and county candidates should report to this meeting, where some staff members will talk about some of the positions available at the city and county level, and associated responsibilities. You are highly encouraged to come to this meeting, ask your counselor where it is located.

5:10

Retreat is a time where all of Boys State meets at the flag pole, and the flag is lowered. The cities will be called to attention and the national anthem will be played.

6:00 - 7:00

Dinnertime! If you survived lunch, then chances are dinner will be just fine.

5:30 (not for everyone)

The Whirligig will hold a meeting at this time.

7:15 - 8:00

City and County conventions are held at this time, which could be described as a type of primary election. Many of the positions available are described at the Government Information page. There are city and county partisan and non-partisan conventions. Every candidate will be given an opportunity to give a speech, and then the members of the convention will vote on the nomination. Your counselor will give you the information needed to conduct these conventions. However, it is important to remember a few points:

• You may run for as many positions as you like, but you may only be nominated for one position at these conventions. For example, if you are nominated to the city council, you may NOT attempt to be nominated for State Representative. If this error is made, the elections staff will decide what position you are running for.
• If you are eventually elected to be Mayor, you may NOT run for any state positions except for the top four positions (Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General).
• There are a number of issues which you will need to talk about during your speech, which your counselor will give to you earlier in the day.
• Your proper name that you were registered with will be the one displayed on the ballot (nicknames will not be displayed, so don't ask), so be sure to mention your real name if everyone only knows you by a nickname.
• Many candidates find that campaigning before this time (with signs and talking to citizens) can greatly improve your chances of being nominated.

8:15

State delegation chairmen (who will be selected earlier in the day) will meet at this time and be briefed about the procedures and information related to the state conventions to be held on Monday.

9:30 - 10:30

At this time, election ballots should have been created and the candidates and city election inspectors will be given a chance to review the ballots to ensure that each ballot is correct. If you do not correct the ballots at this time, then they cannot be corrected at a later date.

11:00

Everyone should be in their quarters at this time, and taps will be sounded.

The schedule is subject to change, and your counselor will let you know about the schedule as the day goes on.