Boys from all over Illinois come to participate in the American Legion’s Premier Boys State Camp every summer. They come to learn about government, politics and even themselves.

Sometimes the camp makes such an impact on an individual’s life that they want to come back; however, those individuals might not be able to come back as campers, or citizens as boy’s state calls them, but they can return as councilors.

Boy’s state councilors help citizens with their experience at the camp. Whether it is with elections, sports or advice, councilors are there to help campers with personal motivation.

Sean Purdy, 23, has been a councilor for boy’s state for five years. He has just graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis and has taken leave from the Navy to help out at boy’s state. To Purdy, it is as much an experience for him as it is for the citizens.

“I love teaching the kids about government and how to become a band of brothers,” said Purdy. “I have an opportunity to influence new leaders of America by showing them integrity.”

Purdy takes his position as a leader very seriously. He tries to accomplish a sense of family with his boys, a “band of brothers.”

“A county has around 65 people,” said Purdy. His counties over the years have been “the most counties because all of them knew each other and got as close to a family as you can. It’s really cool that you can take a group of guys who really don’t know each other at all to having them tight as glue.”

“It’s about bringing kids who are not all from the same cliques in high school, the athletes, the academics, the loners, and bringing them together for a common goal and bonding from that. It’s kinda like ‘The Breakfast Club’,” continued Purdy. “It’s like a melting pot of different types of people where everyone has their own unique character to fit into the picture, like a mosaic. The picture is the common goal and each individual color stone is an individual character. It’s fun and it’s why I keep coming back.”

While other councilors spend their afternoon time helping coach sports teams or academics, Purdy helps kids learn individual skills. He helps with marching and drills as well as individual workouts.

“Yesterday I taught a kid to swim who didn’t swim before,” said Purdy. “It’s what I like doing, teaching kids skills they need in life and having fun with it.”

Not all councilors are like Purdy. Christopher Magee, 21, is a college student at Illinois Central College. He has been a councilor for four years and comes back not only because of the inspiration he received from his councilor while he attended boy’s state, but for the networking for his job.

“I came back to be a councilor because of the councilors’ enthusiasm when I was here,” said Magee. “They were here to help us and guide us while letting us do our own thing. I wanted to be like them. But I also came back to network with the boy’s state alumni association to work on increasing the numbers for boy’s state.”

Magee helps the boys in his city by running the meetings the first couple nights until they had a mayor elected. After that he steps back and gives them advice when they need it. He also helps coach a basketball team during the afternoons.

“We’re 2-0 right now,” said Magee. “It’s really fun helping them out.”

Magee then went on saying that during downtime they boys in his city get together and hang out. They play a game called broomball, a broom and dustpan version of hockey and play in the halls of the dorms. Magee said he still has to get in on a game.

Another councilor is Eastern’s own resident director Doug Howell. Howell, who during the summer works for Conference Services, takes vacation from the university to help with boy’s state.

“I just walk over from Thomas to Lawson,” said Howell. “I have the shortest commute from anyone here; I walk a hundred yards for vacation instead of driving two hours.”

Howell has been a boy’s state councilor for 12 years. He enjoys the program and enjoys helping each class of citizens for a “worthwhile and necessary experience,” said Howell.

Howell takes his experiences here at boy’s state to heart. In fact, boy’s state is one of the reasons he came to Eastern.

“I came to Eastern for boy’s state in 1994 and I loved the campus so much I decided to go to school here and I eventually got a job here,” said Howell. “I wouldn’t have gone to Eastern if not for boy’s state. A one time summer camp turned into a career.”

During the school year, Howell will run into two or three boy’s state alumni who took the path Howell took and came to Eastern for school.

He likes running into those boys because it is “kind of cool to sit and talk with them awhile.”

Howell said he would come back as a councilor to boy’s state “as long as they’ll have me and I’m able.”

Boy’s state color gaurd members fold the American flag during the retreat ceremony on Wednesday evening in the south quad.

(more…)