Boys Nation senators appear on West Wing Week

Senators to the 68th session of Boys Nation are featured on this week’s edition of West Wing Week – a weekly YouTube short that highlights the previous week’s events and meetings in the White House.

Boys Nation senators are joined by Girls Nation senators and staff from both organizations in the beginning of the July 26 to Aug. 1 edition of the video, offering introductory greetings from The American Legion Family. In all, 196 senators from both programs visited the White House on July 26 as part of their final days of Boys and Girls Nation.

President Obama personally greeted and took pictures with both groups, and he took a few minutes to thank Boys and Girls Nation for providing opportunities to youth to learn about American government and politics. He also offered words of encouragement to the senators, who were heading into their final legislative sessions as program participants.

Boys Nation senators graduated from the program – a "week that shapes a lifetime" – the following day.

Senators are featured within the first minute of the video, which shows them interacting with the president and wishing him a happy birthday. Past National Commander Bob Turner, director of activities for Boys Nation, can be seen joking with Obama that the group is the first to wish the commander-in-chief a happy 52nd birthday.