[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 83 (Thursday, June 14, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6315-S6316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MISSOURI BOYS STATE

  Mrs. CARNAHAN. Mr. President, Saturday, June 16 starts the 62nd 
session of Missouri Boys State. Founded in 1938 by the Missouri 
American Legion, Missouri Boys State has educated over 33,000 young men 
on the basic principles of democracy. For more than 60 years, Missouri 
Boys State has lived up to its motto and has made an ``investment in 
our State's greatest resource--the youth of Missouri.''
  Boys State was started in 1934 in Illinois by Dr. Hays Kennedy and 
Harold Card, and was designed to teach democratic ideals to America's 
youth. The four founding members of Missouri Boys State, Jerry F. 
Duggan, Harry M. Gambrel, Dr. Truman L. Ingle, and A.B. Weyer, did not 
realize that Missouri's program would develop into one of the most 
successful and prestigious programs in the country for youth 
involvement. The Missouri Boys State program has become one of the most 
revered honors bestowed upon high school boys in Missouri.
  The first session occurred in Fulton, MO in 1938 with 129 young men. 
This year's session is expected to draw over 1,000 participants 
including over 100 counselors. From that very first session in 1938 to 
today, the same message rings true--``Democracy depends on me!'' Boys 
State continues to stress the important aspects of serving the public 
and one's community.
  The success of Missouri Boys State continues today. In July of 1999, 
a high school student from Columbia, Missouri, Ryan Rippel, was elected 
President of Boys Nation. Boys Nation, sponsored annually by the 
American Legion, is a program by which select students from across the 
nation gain first-hand experience in how our federal government works 
through mock Senate activities.
  Missouri Boys State has had wide community and public support. Over 
500 civic organizations and individuals contribute to the success of 
this program. A memorial trust was established in 1982 to ensure the 
continuation of Missouri Boys State. The Missouri Boys State 
Scholarship fund was established in 1993 to provide a renewable, 4-year 
college scholarship for the participant that earns the ``Citizen of the 
Week'' honor. And the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship program was 
established in 1989 to ensure the continued participation of minority 
students.
  Missouri Boys State plays an integral role in developing our youth in 
Missouri. Therefore, I ask that my colleagues recognize all that Boys 
State

[[Page S6316]]

does for our young men and wish them well as they open their 2001 
session.

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