Senators talk friendships formed, connections made and the need to stay in touch once they head home.
It was what some describe as a full-circle moment.
On the final night of American Legion Boys Nation in Arlington, Va., the senators gathered in the dining hall for a final meal as a collective. And before the food was served, there was singing.
It’s a mainstay for the program, almost a mantra for Director of Activities Clay Ballenger, who emphasizes to every Boys Nation class “singing boys are happy boys.”
And there they were, locked arm-in-arm, providing a solid version of “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” It was the same song that exactly eight days ago, on July 18, the senators also sang locked arm-in-arm just hours after arriving and meeting each other.
It was at that point many counselors noted it was the fastest they’d seen a group bond. But that bond grew even stronger throughout the week.
“From the very first night I saw a brotherhood. And I’ve been proud of it,” Boys Nation President Luke Lawson said. “One hundred different people from different household dichotomies, from different political beliefs, all from across the country. And everybody here is unified. And that’s what America is about. I think this group has shown that with flying colors.
“At the beginning of the week, I said the most important thing to me was making those connections and making lifelong friends. And I think I’ve accomplished that goal.”
During a sometimes raucous graduation ceremony that included the senators’ now almost famous low growls whenever they show support for a speaker, Lawson delivered a State of the Union address. He urged his fellow senators to “keep these connections you’ve made over the last week. The phone numbers we’ve exchanged, the group chats that we have, keep that with you. Because it’s going to mean a great deal in the future.”
Past National Commander Clarence Hill, in his first year as Boys Nation director, asked the senators to share with others what they experienced once they return home.
“This has been a rewarding week,” Hill said. “And I hope you see your way clear to being ambassadors for both the Boys State program and the Boys Nation program. That you talk it up in your schools and with all your friends who may be in other schools. That’s how the program grows, and that’s how the interest stays there.”
During the ceremony, Sons of The American Legion National Commander Joseph Navarrete presented scholarship awards to Lawson and Frazier, President Pro Tempore Dominic Mimbang and Senate Secretary Yamato Lerwill.
“You are stepping into a world filled with complexity, division, noise. But also hope and opportunity,” Navarrete told the senators. “You’ll be told that it is too messy, too broken. Don’t believe that. Believe instead in what you saw this week. That even a room full of strangers … can find common ground. That dialog is still possible. And that leadership still matters.”
Boys Nation Deputy Director Corey Brooks closed the ceremony offering the senators two pieces of advice.
“You’re going to make plans for your life, and I encourage you to do so,” Brooks said. “You’re going to execute those plans, and it’s going to go great in many ways. But there are going to be times in your lives when your plans come to a screeching halt.
“Keep that foot on the pedal and move fast. Be the amazing individuals that we know you are and the reason you are here. But be open to change. Plan, but don’t let failure, don’t let defeat, don’t let something not working out the way you wanted it to be the end of it. Be open to opportunities that come your way.”
Some Perspective from the Week. For Tennessee senator Cooper Castle, his time at Boys Nation followed closely the catchphrase for the program: “A week that shapes a lifetime.” And it also proved to him that the political discourse doesn’t have to be combative.
“For me, I really think it’s been a week that’s going to change the trajectory of my life,” Castle said. “It’s taught me a lot about politics. And also, it taught me about how different every state is. I’m only in Tennessee. But it’s very nice to make friends from all across the country. And it’s very encouraging for me to know that even though we might not agree politically, I have friends across the aisle who want to make this nation better.”
For Iowa senator Bronson Beals, following in the footsteps of prior program participants was “deeply humbling. Sen. (Chuck) Grassley, Bill Clinton, those are great men in American politics,” he said. “They teach us a lot about what we should want to be. How we should want to embody the ideals of a democratic government. It makes me hopeful not only for myself, but really in seeing the people here.
“You hear so many anecdotes about our generation. About how we fall behind the curve, we don’t have the same work ethic, whatever. But I don’t believe that, especially after seeing Boys State and Boys Nation.”
A Boys Nation Icon Steps Down. Longtime Boys Nation volunteer and Special Advisor to the Director Bob Caudell announced on Thursday night that he was stepping down after 30 years with the program, both as a part of American Legion national staff and as a volunteer.
Caudell was honored during the graduation ceremony and offered a heartfelt and tearful goodbye to the program. “I am a better person for the friendships that I have made,” he said. “And I hope in some small way, that I have impacted the young men that you have entrusted with us.
Other happenings from earlier Friday:
· The senators took a tour of the White House. But prior to disembarking from their buses, they were able to watch Marine One leave the White House grounds to take President Trump to Joint Base Andrews before he headed to Scotland.
· The senate continued to pass bills all the way up until the last minute. Take a look at the legislation Boys Nation passed this year here.
- Boys Nation