The sixty-second annual session of the NH American Legion Boys State program was held from June 27 to July 3, 2009. Jackson R. Callaghan, an incoming senior at Concord High School, was elected Governor.
Fifty-nine high school juniors from 36 New Hampshire high schools, convened at Rivier College in Nashua to establish the mythical fifty-first state - Boys State. The students came from all parts of New Hampshire to become more educated in the American way of government, to apply what they learned and to establish friendships that will last well beyond the week of Boys State. The students were assigned to a city or a town, to an Executive Council District and to one of two political parties (Nationalist or Whig). The towns were smaller than the city to simulate actual differences in the respective populations of cities and towns. One-third of the students were assigned as members of the Senate and two-thirds as members of the House of Representatives to simulate the difference in size of those two legislative bodies.
Following instructions by staff and guest speakers, the students established their city and town governments, worked within their political parties, and ultimately established their state government. The delegates established party platforms, campaigned for office through primary and general elections, and exercised the duties of the offices they held. Everyone served in an elected or appointed office.
On Thursday, July 2nd, Boys State visited the state capitol building in Concord, where the students were given a tour and provided some additional information by Rep. John Graham, member of the Department Boys State Committee. New Hampshire Governor John Lynch joined the students for a discussion on current legislation being discussed or recently passed by the NH State Legislature. The visit to the State Capitol was preceded by lunch at Post #28 in Suncook.
Once again, Rivier College awarded three college credits to the graduates who successfully completed the program and applied & paid for the credits.
- Governor - Jackson R. Callaghan, Concord High School
- District One Executive Councilor - Joseph L. Bizier, Berlin High School
- District Two Executive Councilor - Kyle A. Roberts, Timberlane Regional High School
- District Three Executive Councilor - Connor M. Riley, Bishop Guertin High School
- At-Large Executive Councilor - Charles A. Leocha, Pinkerton Academy
- At-Large Executive Councilor - Tyler J. LaChance, Berlin High School
- Secretary of State - Nicholas J. Samonas, Portsmouth High School
- State Treasurer - Nikhil Kumar, Nashua High School South
- President of the Senate - Connor BS Strobel, Nashua High School South
- Speaker of the House - David T. Stewart, Nashua High School North
- American Legion Boys State Scholarships -
- Nikhil Kumar - Nashua High School South
- David T. Stewart - Nashua High School North
- Jackson R. Callaghan - Concord High School
- Connor BS Strobel - Nashua High School South
- Nicholas J. Samonas - Portsmouth High School
- Matthew R. St. Hilaire - Concord High School
- Samuel R. West - Tri-Christian Academy
- Zachary R. Ciotti - Spaulding High School
- Sons of the American Legion Boys State Scholarships -
- Igor Vladimirov - Portsmouth High School
- Alexander Taliadoros - Wilton-Lyndeborough High School
- Eli Marcoux Award - Nikhil Kumar - Nashua High School South (Presented to the student who best exemplified the overall good citizenship goals of Boys State.
- Boys Nation Senators -
David T. Stewart - Nashua High School North - Jackson R. Callaghan - Concord High School
- First Alternate to Boys Nation - Connor BS Strobel - Nashua High School South
- Second Alternate to Boys Nation - Jacob G. Lademan - Bedford High School
- Samsung Scholarship Finalist - John J. Jamieson - Kingswood Regional High School (Awarded from an endowment scholarship program funded by the Samsung Group of South Korea in recognition and gratitude for servicemen and women who served during the Korean War.
Many fine guest speakers from throughout the state addressed the students and we continue to be grateful for their participation. In addition to Nashua Chamber of Commerce President Chris Williams who was the graduation speaker, the other speakers for this year's program were: National Executive Committeeman Jack Neylon (The American Legion); Chairman Joe Caouette (National Americanism Commission); Russ Marcoux, Bedford Town Manager (City & Town Government); Executive Councilor Deborah Pignatelli (Execuive Council); NH State Associate Attorney General Ann Rice (Criminal Justice in NH); State Representative and Legionnaire John Graham and State Representative David Bettencourt (NH General Court); Attorney Michael Craig and Associates of Manchester (Mock Trial); Detective Lt. Jeff Bukunt, Nashua Police Department (Juvenile Justice); USMC Captain Anthony Heverly, (NROTC); and Grafton County Attorney Rick St. Hilaire, who was NH Boys State Governor in 1985, (NH Court System). A video tribute to President Abraham Lincoln was shown by Boys State Chairman Dan Guerrette in honor of our nation's bicentennial celebration of President Lincoln's birth.
The Concord Coalition's federal deficit reduction spending exercise was once again included in the curriculum and was facilitated by Assistant Director Keith Luter. The Concord Coalition is a national nonpartisan grass roots effort, initially founded by Senators Warren Rudman (R-NH) and Paul Tsongas (D-MA), to reduce the growth of federal deficit spending. Students were broken down into committees and were provided with the real numbers of the federal budget and were faced with the real challenges federal government legislators have to deal with in trying to control future spending and reducing the federal budget deficit going forward.
The staff included Director Joseph Nee and Asst. Director Keith Luter; Sr. Staff Counselors Jason Cipriano (newly elected Department Vice Commander), Attorney Alexander Henlin; Sr. Counselor Joseph Plunkett; and Jr. Counselors Alex Rouleau, Conner MacIver, Curtis Hauschildt, and Zach Goldenberg.
The Boys State Committee would like to express its appreciation for the continued support of legion posts and participating high schools who recruit and sponsor students to the program. We wish the best to all of our participating students who are among the finest young people in our state! Thank you to all Legionnaires, legion posts and districts for donations of time, money, food and materials. Special thanks to Lisa Beale, department headquarters, who did an excellent job providing administrative support to the Boys State program. Special thanks also to Past Department Commander Tony Rabbia for coordinating all donations and getting the food, soda and Color Guard equipment to Rivier College and to Rep. John Graham (newly elected Department Vice Commander) who coordinated the field trip to Concord and the meeting with Governor John Lynch. Thanks also to our gracious host, Rivier College and Sodexo cafeteria services, for another great year of service to the program, and to Massbay Community College for printing the Boys State Citizen training manuals.
The class of 2009 is on Facebook.