Post Chairs – California Boys & Girls State

GUIDELINES FOR BOYS & GIRLS STATE

POST CHAIRPERSONS

An effective Post Chair is the most important position that guarantees a successful AMERICAN LEGION CALIFORNIA BOYS & GIRLS STATE session. The position has several vital requirements that will reduce confusion and minimize the need for parents, school officials and delegates to make calls to complete the Blue Sponsorship Card or Pink Alternate Card. Please make sure that you understand the following key responsibilities:

Delegates must be selected by the sponsoring Post. It is the Post Chairperson’s responsibility to get qualified candidates from your respective high schools and interview them to ensure that the delegates you select, and sponsor have a successful AMERICAN LEGION CALIFORNIA BOYS & GIRLS STATE experience.
SAL Squadrons and Auxiliary Units attached to your Post may sponsor delegates. Any delegates sponsored by a Squadron or Auxiliary Units come from the allocation given to you by your District Chairperson. Submission of Sponsorship and Remittance Cards go from you to the District Chairperson.
Please complete the information on the Blue and Pink Cards about the sponsoring Post Number and Post Name before giving the card to the delegate/alternate. The delegate/alternate needs this information to complete their online registration.
Blue Sponsorship and Pink Alternate Cards must be completed and signed (including the school Administrator or Counselor section).
Blue Sponsorship cards must be returned to the District Chairperson.
Destroy (and do not use) all material from prior years.
It is imperative that you keep copies of each of your Delegate and Alternate Cards. You must also make sure that your Delegate/Alternate has a copy, as well. They will need their registration number to log into one of the Program Virtual Orientation in April/May.

Please review this document in its entirety.

The registration fee for 2023 is $400.00 per Delegate. Payment and submission of the Yellow Remittance Cards to your District Chairperson is prior to but no later than February 21, 2023.
Contact your school(s) and advise them that you would like to sponsor a Boys State Delegate or Delegate(s) from their school
Immediately upon receiving your packet(s) from the District Chairperson, check that the number of Blue Sponsorship Cards is sufficient to meet your allocation of delegates. The contents of the packets:
1. Yellow Remittance Card (1 per Post)
2. Brochures (1 for each Blue Sponsorship Card)
3. Sponsorship Card (1 for each Post allocation)
4. Alternate Cards (1 for every 2 Post allocations)
5. Guidelines for Post Commanders and Post Chairpersons
If a Delegate, Parent or high school counselor wants more detailed information about the history of our program and how it is structured, please refer them to www.californiaboysandgirlsstate.org.

Advise the school of the criteria that you are seeking in the selection of your candidates. A copy of the suggested criteria is included with your packet. Ask the school to canvas the Junior class and recommend at least two candidates for each delegate spot that you wish to sponsor from that school.

For 2023, we are now a Coed Program. Post Chairs need to reach out to the high school guidance or college/career counselors and principals in your area and seek their recommendations for outstanding students for you to consider sponsoring. Remember, you are now asking for “students,” not just boys. You will find the response from the school principals and/or counselors to be very receptive. Encourage them to select candidates based on scholarship, leadership, and involvement in school activities for you to interview. Candidates must have at least one semester left in their senior year after completion of the 2023 session. Please contact all the high schools in your area as one of the goals of the program is to have at least one student from every high school in the state.
It is imperative that all Registration Fees (with your Yellow Card) be received by your District Chairperson prior to but NO LATER THAN February 21, 2023. (Note: You are receiving one Yellow Card for your Post. Use the card to reflect the total number of delegates you are sponsoring and include it with the check for the fees. If you need an additional Yellow Card later to sponsor an additional Delegate, simply request one from your District Chairperson or from Cheryl Ing at Department Headquarters.)
Please schedule your interviews for no later than March 10, 2023. Be sure to consider your schools’ Spring Vacation calendar. Once you have completed your interviews, make your selection(s) and notify the candidates who have been selected as delegates as soon as possible. They will be waiting to hear from you regarding your selection(s).
Once the Delegate(s) and Alternate(s) has/have been chosen, they should be given the Blue Sponsorship Card to complete. Be sure to give the Delegate(s) the instructions for Online Registration at the same time you give the Delegate(s) the Blue Sponsorship Form. Make sure that they read the directions thoroughly and completes the Online Registration process before they returns the signed Blue Sponsorship Card to you. [The students can return the card to the school contact person who you can contact for pickup of the cards.]

Please be sure that you have the delegate/alternate do their own online registration. Please do not do it for them and do not have the District Chairperson do it for them.

It is imperative that your Delegate(s) know your Post number. They need it for registration. If they input it incorrectly, your District Chair will not be able to see them in his/hers reports that they can retrieve from the Delegate database.

Also, please have your Alternate(s) complete the Pink Alternate card and register online as an Alternate prior to returning the Alternate Card to you. Please follow the instructions of your District Chairperson about Alternate Cards. Some District Chairpersons will have you hold on to them until an Alternate is elevated to Delegate while some will want you to send it to them with the Blue Sponsorship Cards.

We need all Alternates registered as soon as you have chosen them as an Alternate. Please see number 14 below with further instructions on how to notify Boys State that the Alternate has been elevated to Delegate status.

Make sure to return all Blue Sponsorship Cards and Pink Alternate Cards to the District Chairperson prior to or NO LATER THAN March 24, 2023. Please make a copy of all Blue Sponsorship Cards and Pink Alternate Cards for your records. The only Alternate Cards that go to your District Chairperson are those that have been elevated to Delegate

***Record and keep the name, address, phone number and email address of all Delegates and Alternates from your Post.***
The District Chairperson will advise you of the times of the Virtual Orientation Programs.
The Delegate Packet of information will be available to the delegates and their parents on or after March 15, 2023. Emails will be sent to the Delegate and his parent/guardian as soon as the information is available. The Delegate packet will also be available to the District Chairperson. Packets will be downloaded from AMERICAN LEGION CALIFORNIA BOYS & GIRLS STATE website (www.californiaboysandgirlsstate.org). The Delegate Packet will be discussed at the District Orientation Program. Packets will only be mailed if the delegate and/or his parent/guardian do not have access to email and the internet.
AMERICAN LEGION CALIFORNIA BOYS & GIRLS STATE Foundation is offering the Pre-Session package for purchase in advance of the Program. This package will include a City/County T-shirt (different from the Delegate Polo Shirt), a City Picture and membership in AMERICAN LEGION CALIFORNIA BOYS & GIRLS STATE Alumni Association. There is information attached to this memo about the package. It will only be available for advance purchase between March 15 and April 15, 2023. Purchasing this package is a $10.00 savings from purchasing the items “ala carte” at the Program. We need your assistance in heavily promoting this offer to your delegates.
Stay connected with your delegate(s) to ensure that they will be attending the session. If, for any reason, a delegate cannot attend, notify the District Chairperson as soon as possible. You should then take steps to determine if an Alternate can take his place. If an Alternate is chosen to go to Boys State:
1. Confirm that the Alternate has registered online.
2. Please immediately forward the Pink Card to the District Chairperson so that it can be sent to Department Headquarters.
3. Please communicate to the District Chairperson if the Alternate is filling a previously unassigned “delegate slot” or if the alternate is replacing a previously registered delegate.
4. If an Alternate is a last-minute replacement (June 10th or later) have Alternate bring the Pink Card and notify the following people:
  1. Ed Denson: ed.denson@gmail.com
  2. Ted Hillyer: tedhillyer@gmail.com
  3. Cheryl Ing: cheryl@calegion.org
Key Dates to Remember:
1. Prior to but no later than February 21, 2023: All Registration Fees and Remittance Cards are due to the District Chairperson.
2. Prior to but no later than March 24, 2023: All Blue Sponsorship Cards are due to the District Chairperson.
3. On/about March 15, 2023: Delegate Packets available on the Department of California website. (Email will be sent to delegate’s and parent’s email addresses. Access will be available to District Chairmen.
4. April 27-May 17, 2023: Vortual Orientations will take place. The schedule will be released IN February.