Boys State Co director Shares His Views About The Program
By Michael Smith, Staff Writer
6/21/2007
Is there something about Boys State that you have been curious about all week? Hopefully your questions will be answered in this article. Tuesday I had the privilege of chatting with Ron Runyan, Co-director of Michigan Boys State. We discussed issues ranging from the purpose of Boys State to specific facts about Boys State. Here is how the conversation went:
Mike: What is your specific title in the American Legion?
Ron: Past Post Commander at Wyandotte 317. I was also on the Wyandotte Honor Guard as a bugler.
Mike: How did Boys State get started?
Ron: The American Legion began in 1919, and Boys State was started later. Not every state has Boys State. For the states that do, the event ranges from 50-1300 participants and one weekend to one and a half weeks.
Mike: What things have been kept the same, and what things are different in Boys State since it started?
Ron: The amount of cities has decreased due to a decline in the number of delegates, but otherwise it is the same structure.
Mike: What is the hardest part of Boys State for you?
Ron: Trying to get funding from American Legion posts and community groups for kids to come. Also, trying to find new donation sources.
Mike: What is the number one thing that you would like to see Boys Staters come away with this week?
Ron: I want them to have a good time. Also, I want them to go back and express to their peers how they feel about Boys State in order to promote it for next year.
Mike: What is your favorite part of being the director of Boys State?
Ron: It gives me a good feeling to know that we send three hundred plus kids here so that they can achieve something. They can then use their experiences here as stepping stones in their education and careers. Also, it allows them to promote Americanism in their community and understand how the government process works.
Mike: What is your favorite part of being in the American Legion?
Ron: I get to socialize and share stories with veterans. It gives me a sense of honor and pride within the state community.
Mike: What keeps you coming back to Boys State every year?
Ron: This is my first year being involved in Boys State.
Mike: Do you think the goal of Boys State is to better the individuals attending personally or to better the community as a whole?
Ron: It is a sense of bettering yourself so that you can better the community.
Mike: How is Boys State similar and different as compared to an actual state government?
Ron: They are both run the same way and are very similar.
Mike: What advantages do you believe Boys Staters have over their colleagues?
Ron: Boys State looks good on their college applications. Thirty five percent of Boys Staters attend MSU.
Mike: Did you go to Boys State?
Ron: No, but I wish I could’ve. I didn’t know about it.
Mike: Do legionnaires get paid?
Ron: No, they are all volunteers and take the week off from their jobs.
Mike: Are the kids from the same schools split up on purpose here?
Ron: Yes. This is done so that they get to interact and work with boys from different places. It is a great learning experience to deal with people you don’t know.
Mike: How are the awards given at the end of this week? Is this a city or a state competition?
Ron: You’ll have to wait to see how the awards go. This is first an individual competition, then city, county, and party.
Mike: Does the map and cities of Boys State stay the same every year? Who makes the maps?
Ron: The map changes depending on how many people attend, which determines the number of cities. The senior staff makes the map.
Many thanks to Ron Runyan for his time that he willingly gave to make this interview happen. I investigated further some other questions about Boys State that I had, and here is what I found:
Do counselors get paid? -A little bit. It is mostly volunteer, though.
Where did the name Whirligig come from, anyway?
-The name was chosen for the Boys State paper sometime early in the program. Nobody that I have asked knows why the newspaper was named that. The definition of whirligig on the Merriam Webster website is:
1: A child’s toy having a whirling motion.
2: Merry-Go-Round.
3 a: One that continuously whirls, moves, or changes.
b: A whirling or circling course(as of events).
When was Boys State first started in Michigan?
-It started in 1938 in Lansing, and it moved to Brody Hall in 1954.
I am proud to be apart of this program because of its good nature and focus on learning. I am happy that the American Legion puts it together. Thank you American Legion.