Shortly after the end of last school year, 340 young men from various high schools across the state converged at Jackson's Mill in Lewis County to partake in the 71st annual Mountaineer Boys State program, an event hosted by the American Legion.

When alumni of Boys State refer to the program, many of them describe it as being "a week that shapes a lifetime." I was one of the boys lucky enough to participate, so I am able to validate this fact and say that it truly was such a week.

Boys State is a program in which "citizens" (the boys in attendance) take on the challenge of actually running a state. The citizens run for office, publish a daily newspaper, perform public service jobs (policemen, conservation officers, etc.), manage a bank and take on an assortment of other roles vital to the management of a real state.

Those participants who were unemployed by the middle of the week were required to visit the Boys State Unemployment Office to receive whichever jobs were available. For some, this involved becoming a member of the Boys State National Guard or being appointed to the various other jobs that needed to be filled around Jackson's Mill. Nonetheless, each citizen eventually attained a paying position and received wages distributed in Boys State currency.

Aside from teaching state government, Boys State is also intended to educate promising individuals about how to become exceptional American citizens. Each morning and evening, the citizens were required to stand at attention during the raising and lowering of the flag in front of the Mt. Vernon Dining Hall, and they even attended a class on patriotism. Since Boys State is hosted by the American Legion, intense recognition of veterans and special emphasis in regard to POWs and MIAs were main components of the program.

Anyone who has been to Jackson's Mill knows that the location contains several cottages named after different counties or regions in West Virginia. These cottages are where the citizens of Boys State lived for the duration of their stay. Most cottages were their own "county." However, those cottages with fewer campers combined to form counties. 

In addition to sorting out who would be appointed to the upper levels of the state government, each of these counties had elections early in the week to determine who would be city mayor, county magistrate, circuit judge, etc.

Each day, speakers came from different parts of the state to congratulate the boys on their acceptance to the prestigious program as well as to inform them on the qualities that create acceptable leaders. Notable speakers included Mountaineer football coach Bill Stewart, West Virginia Talk Radio "Sportsline" host Tony Caridi, WSAZ news anchor Rob Johnson, Secretary of State Betty Ireland, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, and Governor Joe Manchin.

"I thought the speakers were really amazing," said Phillip Barbour High School senior Ryan Linger. "I loved Tony Caridi, Shelley Moore Capito and Bill Stewart; their speeches were really motivational."

Though the maintenance of Boys State and the speakers who came there were both highlights of the program, the friendships that the event offered were probably the most rewarding aspects.

Adam Morgan, a senior at Frankfort High School in Mineral County, said, "My Boys State experience was interesting. Along with meeting new friends, I also learned a lot about our government that I didn't know before."

Needless to say, the boys who were clumped together in the various cabins in Jackson's Mill formed a very diverse group of individuals. My cabin alone hosted several talented athletes -- including the state wrestling champion, an outstanding saxophone player, a genuine connoisseur of the arts from Wheeling Park, a freakishly-talented computer wizard who dumbfounded everyone by successfully formatting their iPods to work on the camp computers and one kid who apparently had a horrible case of vampirism because he absolutely refused to sleep and instead remained awake sending text messages every night. We also had two entirely vivacious counselors who aided significantly in making the Boys State experience one that will not be forgotten anytime soon.

So, to put it briefly, the 71st annual Mountaineer Boys State was a success in the sense that it enlightened representatives from nearly every school in the state on how to become successful in the future, enabling them to take their acquired knowledge back to their schools and teach it to other students. It also aided in helping tomorrow's leaders form bonds that will hopefully last a lifetime.