Tag Archive for: Mountaineer Boys State

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2017 ALMBS Announces Bank Staff

President – Justin Shelton; Vice-President – Garrett Pauls; Loan Officer – Sean Crites; Staff – Brent Kowalsky; Staff – Connor Walton; Staff – Nathan Wheeler; Staff – Alex Rosencrancee

Bankers

Barbour – Samuel Stamper; Braxton – Noah Cremeans; Calhoun – Evan Cuamo; Gilmer – Gavin Moreno; Harrison – ; Kanawha – Tyler Drummond; Lewis – Frank Kerekes; Marion – Jacob Ochsenbein; Monroe – Jerry White III; Panhandle – Benjamin Nolte; Randolph – Tristan Giguet; Upshur – Brice Shumate; Webster – Michael Spitak

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2017 ALMBS Announces Office of Emergency Services Staff

Barbour/Webster – Chris Albert, Braxton – Wildfire Hardman, Calhoun/Gilmer – Gavin Moreno, Harrison/Upshur – , Kanawha – Timothy Griffith, Lewis – Spencer Sabak, Marion – Hunter Self, Monroe – Jacob Martin, Panhandle – Jacob Filozof, Randolph – Addison DeViese.

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ALMBS Announces Office of Emergency Services Staff

Barbour/Webster – Alexander Lemasters, Braxton – Arnold Walker IV, Calhoun/Gilmer – Rafael Coplin, Harrison/Upshur – Christian Hicks, Kanawha – Austin Young, Lewis – Michael Dingus, Marion – Austin Miller, Monroe – Dana Seech, Panhandle – Hunter McNeill, Randolph – Johnathon Lipovich.

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ALMBS Announces Journalism Staff

Print Journalism

Co-Editor – Douglas Soule (Barbour Cottage), Cooper Holmes (Lewis Cottage); Reporter – Rafael Coplin (Gilmer Cottage), John Handley, Jr. (Randolph Cottage), Brendon Wallace, Andrew Camp (Panhandle Cottage); Photographer – Kyle Machel (Monroe Cottage), Noah Chidester (Panhandle Cottage); Layout Editor – Austin Daniels (Kanawha Cottage), Phoenix Huron (Randolph Cottage); Additional Staff – Camden Cutlip (Lewis Cottage), Omar Zapata (Upshur Cottage), Jarred Carter (Webster Cottage)

Broadcast Journalism

Digital Reporter – Jayson Chappell (?? Cottage), Dylan Brack (Kanawha Cottage), Corton Rider (Harrison Cottage), Alex Mazza (Marion Cottage), Bailey White (Gilmer Cottage), Brady Devericks (Barbour Cottage), Clayton Valentine (Randolph Cottage); Part-time Staff – Noah Bott (Panhandle Cottage), Grayland Brown (Lewis Cottage), Joseph Lucey (Randolph Cottage), Logan Davis (Braxton Cottage).

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ALMBS Announces Bank Staff

President – Evan Clay; Vice-President – Levite Severance; Loan Officer – Malik Banks; Staff – Skylaar Mease; Staff – Abhishek Dave; Staff – Joshua Kyle Swain; Staff – Elijah Washington

Bankers

Barbour – Andrew Slusser; Braxton – Chase Gillispie; Calhoun – Jared Droppleman; Gilmer – Ryan Neil; Harrison – Dylan Doyle; Kanawha – David Hartzell; Lewis – Aaron Russel Carr; Marion – Gavin Grymes; Monroe – Logan Cerullo; Panhandle – Aaron Hudson; Randolph – Austin Eisenhauer; Upshur – Simon Nero; Webster – Dalton Marple

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76th ALMBS Recruitment Begins

Help us recruit the next graduating class from American Legion Mountaineer Boys State. Information on the 76th program has been sent out to all WV high schools and American Legion Posts. Tell your friends about your experience and encourage them to attend. This year the program will be held June 9-15. And remember you are always welcome back to campus for the Formal Review and evening assembly on Wednesday at 6:00pm. It’s a great time for a reunion with your fellow citizens.

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Post Everlasting

About a month ago, Dale F. Lutman passed away in the hospital at the age of 65. He was a member of his local Methodist church and a member and past Commander of Alderton-Dawson American Legion Post No. 60.

He enjoyed Bingo nights, off-roading in his 4-wheeler, and hunting. He had two daughters, Jody McClintock and Ashleigh Lutman, one sister, Debra Dick, three grandchildren, Michael McClintock, Jr., Cole Franklin McClintock, and Jaxon McClintock, and one niece.

He was born on June 14, 1946 in Martinsburg. He’s the son of the late William Franklin and Anna Lou Etta Lopp Lutman.  He graduate from Berkely Springs High School and served in the U.S. Navy. He was also a Vietnam veteran and a retired warehouseman of AT&T. Mr. Lutman had put in his time and service, went past the call of duty, and passed away in his home state.

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The Legionnaire Blue Cap

The Legionnaire Blue Cap Award is a prestigious achievement, presented to those with years of service in the Legion. Such an honor can only be bestowed onto those in the Legion with a lifetime of dedication, leading by example, and servitude. Some things that are looked at in nomination for the award are offices held, committee appointments, and other awards.

A noble man in nomination for this award can only be addressed as William F. Lancaster, Jr. of Post No. 71. A man of the Legion with such offices as Post Adjutant, Post Delegate, District VAMC Cookout, and District Representative Civic Affairs shows how well he fits for the award. He has been going to National Conventions for 10 years and Department Conventions for 15 years. He was awarded by his post the PUFL (Paid-Up-For-Life) which serves as his dues for the Legion for the rest of his life.

Straight out of high school, William F. Lancaster, Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Navy only 3 days after completing his education in 1946. A friend to Mr. Frank Buckles, the last remaining World War 1 veteran in the United States, Mr. Lancaster has visited Mr. Buckles several times as well as house-sitting his family’s farm after he passed away while they were in Arlington National Cemetery for the ceremony.  Mr. Lancaster has shown his dedication, fulfilled his obligations, and is now vying for the prestigious award of the Legionnaire Blue Cap.

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The History of Flag Day

The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America’s birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as ‘Flag Birthday’. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as ‘Flag Birthday’, or ‘Flag Day’.

On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration, and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution, celebrated Flag Day.

Following the suggestion of Colonel J Granville Leach (at the time historian of the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution), the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America on April 25, 1893 adopted a resolution requesting the mayor of Philadelphia and all others in authority and all private citizens to display the Flag on June 14th. Leach went on to recommend that thereafter the day be known as ‘Flag Day’, and on that day, school children be assembled for appropriate exercises, with each child being given a small Flag.

Two weeks later on May 8th, the Board of Managers of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution unanimously endorsed the action of the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames. As a result of the resolution, Dr. Edward Brooks, then Superintendent of Public Schools of Philadelphia, directed that Flag Day exercises be held on June 14, 1893 in Independence Square. School children were assembled, each carrying a small Flag, and patriotic songs were sung and addresses delivered.

In 1894, the governor of New York directed that on June 14 the Flag be displayed on all public buildings. With BJ Cigrand and Leroy Van Horn as the moving spirits, the Illinois organization, known as the American Flag Day Association, was organized for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises. On June 14th, 1894, under the auspices of this association, the first general public school children’s celebration of Flag Day in Chicago was held in Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks, with more than 300,000 children participating.

Adults, too, participated in patriotic programs. Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, delivered a 1914 Flag Day address in which he repeated words he said the flag had spoken to him that morning: “I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself.”

Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day – the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 – was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson’s proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

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The Women Behind the Scenes

          If you’ve visited Headquarters this week, chances are you’ve met or at least seen Mrs. Sonja Adkins also known as “the Popcorn Lady”. She was in charge of selling campaign materials to the candidates, and now she is in charge of putting together the packets the Citizens will receive at the end of the week. She also takes care of paperwork for Boys State, and she assists in selecting the award recipients. She is a very hardworking woman and one who whose work is invaluable to the success of Boys State.

          Mrs. Adkins has a love for Boys State that is indescribably strong. Just sitting there talking with her is enough to know her passion for this program rivals, if not surpasses, any other. She has served for twelve years at Boys State, where she has held the positions of campaign store worker and manager, and she has also helped with some of the Americanism programs.

Her first year working at Boys State was a happy accident. She was (and still is) a member of the American Legion, and her fervor for patriotism and Americanism made her stand and she was told she needed to come to Boys State to see what it is. In her first few years she not only helped run the store, but gradually took over for the previous owners when they were no longer able. Since then, she has attended every Boys State seminar since and greatly enjoys it.

One of her most memorable moments during her time working at Boys State was meeting Medal of Honor recipient Woody Williams, our evening speaker. She believes he is one man who deserves absolute respect.

Mrs. Adkins told me that in all her years of working here, she has continued to learn, and has learned more about the government and elections than she ever has before. She said it is better for us to know about the government, and involvement in government is a great teacher. To quote this amazing woman, “You don’t really ever stop learning about government.”

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