The Boys State Executive Branch provides delegates with a premier,
hands-on experience that is second to none in the nation.
Boys State delegates elected to hold office within the Boys State
Executive branch actually assume their full role in an unscripted environment in
which they serve as those officers and the Florida cabinet. A Governor,
Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of
Agriculture are all elected through a process in which the entire Boys
State has been equally divided into two political parties bearing names of
Federalists and Nationalists.
The campaigning is vigorous yet positive and includes party caucuses
and rallies through which support and votes are sought. There is also a
stimulating debate between the candidates for Governor held before the
entire Boys State and Press Corp. Voting is conducted on actual voting
machines, marking for many the first time that a vote is “officially”
cast.
The Boys State Executive Branch officials are facilitated by
knowledgeable counselors but are left with almost total control of their respective
duties, closely resembling the excitement, challenges, and frustrations
of the real executive process. Boys State Executive Branch officials visit
with their real life counterparts and deliberate in the actual Cabinet
meeting room in the state Capital building.
Unrivaled by any other student program in the state, Boys State
Executive Branch officials are challenged to move deliberately while balancing
the swirling interests of a progressive state with other officials
asserting interests including a sitting Supreme Court, the Legislature, the Press
Corps, and a contingent of lobbyists seeking to influence their work
not to mention the delegates they are representing back home!
For those fortunate enough to be elected to Executive Branch, the
experience presents an opportunity for an unforgettable learning environment and a
lifetime of memories.
Boys State
Message from the Govenor Greetings,
If you are visiting this site, you are probably interested in attending Boys State this coming summer. This tells me a few things about you. First, you are probably a good student. Second, you are probably interested in politics and public policy. Third, you probably have a bright future ahead of you.
My friends, Boys State is a program which seeks out those students who have the characteristics I listed above, and it seeks to enrich their four years of high school with a week of learning what it means to be a Floridian and an American. Throughout the week at Boys State , you will learn about your state and your country. You will be consistently reminded of the values which unite us as Americans. As the program ensues, you will have opportunities to run for, and be elected to, offices on the city, county, and statewide level. You will get the chance to serve in these elected capacities and, for a week, run your very own 51st state.
Though you will learn lessons which you will use throughout your life at Boys State , learning is only part of the program. The other key component is interacting. You will be with over five hundred other young men from across our great state, and you will get the chance to spend time with them, talk with them, and have fun with them. Of course, you can do this at any summer program. However, at Boys State , you will be interacting with the best and brightest from across the state, those who you will see again in the future - in the business world, on television, or across the stage from you during a Presidential debate.
I encourage you to apply for and attend Boys State . It is a life-changing experience which will make you more confident, more focused, more knowledgeable, and, above all, ready to lead our state into the future. I hope to see you all Summer 2008.
Good luck and God bless!
Ben Meyers
2007 Boys State Governor
