General Organization

Boys State is conducted in 49 Departments of The American Legion. Hawaii does not conduct a program. As separate corporations, Boys States vary in content and method of procedure, but each and every Boys State adheres to the basic concept of the program--that of teaching government from the township to the state level.

The Connecticut Boys State program is fashioned after the government structure of the state of Connecticut. Citizens of Connecticut Boys State are assigned to cities and towns and operate local government under either a selectman/town meeting or a mayor/council format. At the state level, a state’s

The Staff

The supervision of activities at Boys State and the responsibility for the full program is entrusted to its director. He is assisted by an Administrative and an Instructional staff that usually includes volunteer educators, attorneys, and other professional people, many of whom are drawn from the membership of The American Legion.

The Instructional staff consists of boys state counselors, guest speakers and experts who provide a connection between the government of the state of Connecticut and the Boys State action program. Among the instructors are lawyers, police officers, local and state government officials. Many also serve as counselors helping to supervise the daily activities of the town and cities.

City Counselors are assigned to the groups of about 30 to 40 boys who comprise a town or city within boys state. These counselors are responsible for the daily supervision of the city activities including political organization, election and daily operation of the city. Counselors are members of the American Legion, cadets or midshipmen from the U.S. Service Academies and former Boys Staters who donate their time to the program.