LYNNFIELD — American Legion Post 131 is sponsoring two local boys to attend the American Legion’s Massachusetts Boys State Summer Camp program.
Lynnfield residents Drew Mastrangelo and Christian Cullinane will be attending the week-long camp beginning on June 14, hosted by Stonehill College in Easton. Mastrangelo is entering his senior year at Malden Catholic while Cullinane is entering his senior year at St. John’s Prep in Danvers.
“These two young men represent the very best of American youth,” said American Legion Post 131 Commander Tom Bogart. “Both are highly accomplished academically and in extracurricular activities as well. We are happy to sponsor these young men as they represent the ideals of the American Legion, which are to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, to maintain law and order, to foster and perpetuate a 100 percent Americanism.”
Lynnfield Post 131, along with House Minority Leader Brad Jones and State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), is sponsoring the two campers. Boys State is designed to teach democratic values, improve knowledge of government and encourage citizen involvement through an intensive week-long program that immerses students in grassroots democracy. Over the course of seven days, students create and manage their own municipalities and work to understand how our government functions. In addition, they form political parties, create a platform and vote in a slate of officers that mirrors state government. They also elect two senators to represent them at Boys Nation, a gathering held every July in Washington, D.C.
There are three aspects to the program: Academic, case-based instruction; participatory, learning-by-doing tasks of voting on platforms and candidates, and possibly running for office; and finally, social: Meeting, working and living with people from a variety of backgrounds from across the commonwealth. When students arrive, they are assigned to a town and a party. The town is the group of boys they will study, eat, and live with for the week. The parties are designated Federalist or Nationalist, and will represent what they decide, through debates, conventions, and votes.
The American Legion has established certain qualifications for prospective Boys State citizens, and Massachusetts Boys State applies the following guidelines for student selection. Only males who have successfully completed their junior year of high school and have at least one more semester of high school remaining are to be considered as citizens of Boys State. Only boys with outstanding qualities of leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty, and service to their schools are considered for Boys State.
In the selection of boys as citizens of Boys State, merit and ability alone are the basis for selection. Selection is not based on poverty or wealth, and, in most cases, tuition to the program is paid by a local American Legion post or some other community-minded organization such as the Massachusetts Boys State Foundation Inc., with little or no expense to a young man and his family.
The American Legion is the largest U.S. veterans organization with more than 1.6 million members who strengthen the nation through programs, services and advocacy for those who have served in the U.S. armed forces, youth and communities.
“I join Commander Bogart in sponsoring these two young men,” said Veterans Services Officer/American Legion Post 131 Finance Officer Bruce Siegel. “Not only do they represent the ideals of the American Legion, but they are also great examples of the Lynnfield youth we can all be proud of. I would also like to thank Rep. Jones and Sen. Crighton for their contributions.”