Transcript Keystone Girls state - PA Legion Auxiliary

Unit Orientation PowerPoint
Why have a Unit
Orientation
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 This PowerPoint is to help each and every Unit learn
about the American Legion Auxiliary Keystone Girls
State Program.
 It is the Units responsibility to find and sponsor the
young women for this program. So it only makes
sense that each Unit needs to understand the
program so that you may better select the citizens
and inform them on their upcoming learning
experience.
What is the Keystone Girls
State Program
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 First and foremost the program is called
 The American Legion Auxiliary Keystone Girls State.
Please try to include the American Legion Auxiliary before
the Keystone Girls State when you are talking about the
program so that it is known as a program of the American
Legion Auxiliary.
 We work very hard and do great things as an organization
and this program is no different.
 For the sake of this PowerPoint I will be using ALA KGS
for space and efficiency.
What is KGS
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 The ALA KGS Program is a nonpartisan
participatory program that teaches young women
responsible citizenship grounded in ethics, the
principles of our nation’s founders and respect for
God and Country.
 High-school girls who have completed their junior
year have the opportunity to spend an intensive
week of firsthand learning, working together as selfgoverning citizens.
Continued
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 During the week long process, the young women learn
about government and the rights of individuals;
privileges and responsibilities of franchised citizens by
forming fictitious cities that then form Girls State; electing
public officials at the local, county and state level, and
carrying out the duties of those offices. By the fact of the
citizens personally interacting throughout the whole
election process and completing the duties that each office
entails helps to give them a better understanding of small
town America and how one person can make a change
within the world.
Eligibility
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 It is up to each Unit to choose your representative to
attend the ALA KGS program. Your Unit may
sponsor one girl or as many as your Unit so chooses.
 The sponsorship fee for each girl is $200. If your
Unit paid all of the Department obligations, it would
include the $75 Girls State obligation, so your Unit
would pay the difference of $125 for the sponsorship.
 Once the girl is accepted by your Unit to attend and
when she arrives at the program she is referred to as
a Citizen. So I will be using this term throughout the
PowerPoint.
Eligibility
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 Requirements to be considered as a participant of the
ALA KGS program:
 Unmarried female.
 Has successfully completed her junior year of high
school.
 Has at least one more semester remaining before
graduation.
Unit should Consider in
Selection of Participants
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 Citizen should demonstrate:
 Leadership
 In school and out
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Character
Scholarship
Loyalty
Service
 In their school and community
 Participants are to be selected on the basis of merit and ability.
 Please inform your Units representative that the program is
intensive and not a camp. It is a governmental instruction and
leadership training program.
Your Unit

 ALA Units should make every effort to sponsor
eligible young women to participate in the ALA KGS
program.
 Your Units Chairman/President should inform
school districts and individual public and private
schools about the benefits of the program, explain
eligibility requirements and distribute information
and applications to the schools.
Your Unit

 With this informational PowerPoint the Unit will
also receive a letter to the Unit, as well as a letter to
the Guidance counselor or Principle and an
application.
 This is the only information that the Unit itself needs
to select the citizen.
The Citizen

 Upon approval of your Unit, the application for the
citizen will be sent in to Department.
 After the citizen’s information is processed, she will
receive a packet in the mail will all the documentation
and information that she will need.
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Medical Release Form
What to bring
Dress Code
Rules and Regulations
Basic ALA KGS info.
 The Unit itself will not get this packet for all the information
is for the citizen.
Items Unit Should Know
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 The program is held at Shippensburg University in
Shippensburg, Pa.
 The staff, counselors and citizen reside in a dorm hall for the
duration of the week.
 Staff is on the lowest floor with citizens on floors above.
 Each city will have one Senior Counselor and one Junior
Counselor.
 On average there are 13-17 girls per city.
 The citizen will be divided into Parties; Nationalist and
Federalist.
 These two parties have no affiliation to the Democrats and
Republicans. They are just in place so the citizens develop an
improved understanding of the two-party system of
government.
Set-up
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 There are normally nine cities at KGS.
 Three cities make up a county.
 The three counties make up Keystone Girls State.
 Floor Plan:
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1ST floor; lobby.
2nd floor of the dorm will be staff floor.
3rd floor of the dorm will be Red County.
4th floor of the dorm will be White County.
5th floor of the dorm will be Blue County.
Items Unit Should Know
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 Citizen are placed at random into cities and parties.
Each citizen will share a dorm room with a citizen
from the opposite party.
 Citizens will not be in a room or even a city with a
citizen from her same area. This is to help them to
make new friends and bond within their own city.
So please do not tell your sponsored girl/girls that
they can be roommates.
 The Citizens will know their assigned party before
arrival.
What Happens When
Citizen First Arrives
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 I am including this section because I know that some of
the citizens want to know what happens when the first
arrive for the start of the program.
 They arrive at the Campus. Enter the dormitory into the
lobby where registration is set-up.
 They will go through the registration process:
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Check-in
Review of Medical Release
Banquet Information
Etc..
Arrival
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 After the citizen has completed registration.
They will go to their assigned city and room.
Get settled in and unpack.
Review their ALA KGS binders; that are in their rooms
Meet their roommate.
Attend their first City meeting for their introduction to
KGS.
 Start of their intensive week of learning.
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The Week
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 The week is extremely busy from morning till night.
 Wake up call is at 6:00 am. Each day is packed full of
sessions, elections, guest speakers and other
activities.
 Events throughout the week:
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Debates
Senate Session
Whistle Stop Campaign
Training Sessions
Service Project
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 For one service project, the citizens pack backpacks
for the OMK program. The girls enjoy this project.
Thank You for Your
Time

 Hopefully this PowerPoint has given your Unit a
basic understanding of the ALA KGS program.
 Thank you immensely for watching this PowerPoint.
Questions

 If your Unit has any questions you may contact;
Honor Rounsville, Keystone Girls State Chairman.
 Email: [email protected]
 Mail: PO Box 41 Rew, Pa 16744
 Home Phone: (814) 465-3464
 Cell Phone: (814) 596-8671