By CHARLES PUTNAM Each year, American Legion officials vote for a highly debated issue: whether or not to merge Girls’ State with Boys’ State. Advocates for this merger claim that it would introduce a new sense of equality in a nation built on liberties and freedoms. However, this notion itself serves as a detriment to … Continue reading
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Nationalist Convention II: Party nominations for top elected officials
By CASON JUNG and TY STIEFEL All day on June 29, 2026, elections for the nationalist party took place and once again the ecstaticity was through the roof, and the drama continued in the same manner. The elections held on this day were for the roles of the Justices of Appeal, Comptroller, Attorney General, Lieutenant … Continue reading
Opinion: A better promotion of Boys’ State | Subik
By AVERY SUBIK The vast majority of students in New York high schools have never heard of Boys’ State — and that’s a problem. Knowledge of the American Legion and its week-long immersive program is slipping away, made evident by the decreasing enrollment of Boys’ State citizens in recent years. This downturn in awareness can … Continue reading
Colin Schmitt shares ‘Orange Vest to Success’ story with Boys’ State 2026
By MATTHEW COOPER Guest speaker Colin Schmitt spoke at Boys’ State on Monday, June 29th, 2026. The 2007 Boys’ State graduate shared his story of being chosen as a road guard on his first day at Boys’ State, a position responsible for ensuring the safety of citizens while marching across roads. Schmitt came to Boys’ … Continue reading
Sen. Joe Griffo to Boys’ State 2026: ‘Never rest on your laurels’
By CHARLES PUTNAM The room fell silent as New York State Senator Joe Griffo jumped off the stage to get level with the crowd, starting what would become an interesting and intriguing speech. Standing before more than 520 Boys’ State citizens, the returning guest speaker captivated the audience with stories from his career in public … Continue reading
Federalist Convention I: Results from 2026 party convention
By ANTHONY JOHNSON and REED ARGIROPOULOS “We are the Federalist Party.” These were the words spoken last night by Heyna Chung (0196) in his opening speech after winning the election for Federalist party chair on Sunday. Chung won a landslide victory in the third round of voting. Chung, a member of Kogutek County, was able … Continue reading
Nationalist Convention I: See initial results from 2026 party convention
By CASON JUNG and TY STIEFEL On June 28, 2026, the party elections for the nationalist party lasted for over 3 hours in the night. In a dramatic evening full of cheering and passionate speeches, three citizens were chosen through a democracy to be the clerk, secretary, and chairman of the nationalist party. To start … Continue reading
Danny Smith: Keep the political process at the forefront
At Monday’s Federalist State Party Convention, Federalists from all 10 counties of Boys State organized in a caucus to finalize their decisions on their nominees for state government positions. The convention did not have a scheduled ending time, but the 7:30 p.m. start time gave the party ample time to wrap up the proceedings in … Continue reading
Fred Ashforth: using the ‘success triangle’ for public speeches
On Sunday, highly experienced public speaking coach Fred Ashforth visited SUNY Morrisville and spoke to Boys State, giving tips and tricks for citizens running for leadership roles in their respective city, county, or state governments. Growing up in Clinton, New York, Ashforth was a track and field athlete, although he admits he wasn’t very good. … Continue reading
Joe Griffo speaks to Boys State, speaks on importance of everyone’s voice
Senator Joe Griffo came to Morrisville on the third day of Boys’ State. He congratulated the citizens on having the honor of being selected to represent their Legion Post. He told us the importance and value that each of us and our voices hold. Griffo told the citizens that it is crucial for us to be … Continue reading
American Legion Boys' State New York 