More than 80 students, parents and supporters attended a celebratory breakfast last Saturday morning sponsored by the American Legion, Carnie Welch Post 27 at the First Baptist Church in Sallisaw. The students, who just finished their junior year, will be attending Oklahoma Boys and Girls State and are sponsored by American Legion, Carnie Welch Post 27 that collected donations to cover each student’s tuition to the weeklong program.

Drew Luttrell, of Muldrow, a 2002 Boys State delegate, told about what to expect during the week and offered advice on how to make the most of their experience. Frank Sullivan III, also a Boys State alumnus from the 1990s, spoke about how important the program was to him and his career and encouraged every student to run for mayor, and then run for as many offices as possible while there.

Sullivan also mentioned the achievements of 2017 Boys State and Boys Nation attendee James Limbaugh, who was recently accepted to Harvard Law School. Limbaugh was a 2018 graduate of Sallisaw High School, a 2022 graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma and spent the last year teaching middle school in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma Boys State is a program that utilizes the context of Oklahoma state government to teach and demonstrate leadership skills and responsible citizenship, according to its website, okboysstate.com.

Oklahoma American Legion Boys State is an intense week of nonpartisan leadership, government, and patriotism that utilizes the context of Oklahoma state government to teach and demonstrate leadership skills and responsible citizenship and is sponsored by the American Legion of Oklahoma, according to its website.

Delegates to Boys State have just completed their junior year of high school and have been selected by their local American Legion Post as a representative of the best of their community, the website states.

American Legion Auxiliary Oklahoma Girls State is a premier program for young ladies going into their senior year of high school across the state of Oklahoma. During this weeklong summer camp, delegates create and operate city, county and state governments, while developing leadership skills and an appreciation of their rights as a citizen, the Oklahoma Girls State website, okgirlsstate. com, states.

ALA Oklahoma Girls State was first held in 1940 and has been conducted annually by the American Legion Auxiliary, except for two years during World War II and in 2020 when they were forced to cancel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its website states.

The 2023 session of ALA Oklahoma Girls State will take place at Oklahoma Christian University and Oklahoma Boys State at Rogers State University from May 28 to June 2, 2023.