GIRLS STATE
September 2012
UNIT GIRLS STATE CHAIRMEN:
Keep this Unit mailing as the information pertains to the whole year.
There are over five hundred public, parochial, and home schools that receive information in the
mail about the ALA Minnesota Girls State Program. This information is sent out in January and
it is your responsibility to contact your local administrator, counselors, or principals informing
them of your Unit and its desire to sponsor a girl(s) to Girls State.
There are NO restrictions as to the number of citizens any Unit may send to Girls State. If there
are no high schools in your community, you may want to sponsor or co-sponsor a girl(s) from the
junior class in a neighboring community.
Reservations officially close on March 31st or when we reach the quota of 445 girls. If the
quota has not been met, late registrations will be accepted. The fee of $300 per citizen and
registration form must be sent even if no girl has been determined by the deadline. Name(s) of
your citizen(s) are due in the Department Office by May 1, 2013. All reservation cancellations
must be postmarked by May 1st for a 100% refund. No refunds will be made after that
date. A resolution passed at the July 2011 Department Convention states that monies sent for
reservations, not requested for refund, nor used to sponsor a girl for Girls State be put into the
“Girls State Reservation Fee Fund”. This fund is available on a one time over a period of 5 years
and on a “first come first served” basis. Any Unit who has a girl interested in attending Girls
State not having enough funds to reserve a place for her, can apply for the funds in writing to the
Department Office.
The following must be turned in to the Department Office together: 1. the Pledge signed by the
girl selected and the parent, 2. the medical information card with the insurance information, 3.
the Capitol shirt order, and 4. and the initial information sheet. PLEASE MAKE SURE THE
UNIT PRESIDENT SIGNED IN THE DESINATED PLACE AND THE SIGNATURE OF
THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IS DONE. It is your responsibility as a Unit chairman to see
that this is correctly done and you are to mail in these forms, NOT the school or the girl. These
are to be in the Department Office on or before May 1, 2013. The application for the Samsung
Scholarship is to be completed and brought to Girls State and turned in at the time of arrival.
It is the goal of the Girls State Committee to work with the Units and the District chairmen to
keep you informed of important dates and any changes that may arise. We need your help in
return. DEADLINES ARE DEADLINES. We understand that circumstances arise and a citizen
may be unable to attend, but we contract with Bethel University and we have to pay for all
reservations made by the deadline. Therefore, there will be NO refunds given after the deadline
has passed. Your Unit Girls State Chairman should explain to your candidates that just because
there is no fee to them, Girls State is not free. Any reservation funds not refunded will be put in
an account that can be used only for paying the fee for another girl that may be from another
Unit to attend Girls State.
Some Districts sponsor buses to bring their citizens to Girls State; check with your District
Chairman for details before contacting parents about transportation.
Raising the funds to send a girl to Minnesota Girls State can be accomplished in several ways.
Units can hold many different types of fund raising. Gambling funds may be used for the
registration fee only and if used, please use the code (a7). Make the checks payable to the
American Legion Auxiliary, Department of Minnesota. Also, donations can be received from
your local businesses and community organizations. Their checks need to be made out to your
Unit and then the Unit sends a check to the Department Office. Remind them that this is a
donation to a non-profit organization. The Girls State Committee will continue looking for
corporate donations to keep our program self-sustaining.
When selecting candidates, look for girls who will be completing their junior year and who have
an interest in politics and government. They must be available to attend the entire Girls State
sessions, NO LATE ARRIVALS OR EARLY DISMISSALS WILL BE ACCEPTED. The
girls need to present a physician’s health certificate and a copy of their insurance card upon
arrival at Girls State. They DO NOT need to be eligible to be an American Legion Auxiliary
member and they DO NOT need to be related to any member of the American Legion Family.
District/Units are encouraged to have a time before Girls State/Boys State session to acquaint
them with what to expect when they arrive for their week. Parents should be invited! Encourage
the citizens and parents to ask questions. Ask previous Girls and Boys State citizens to speak
briefly on their experiences. Keep the time informal and serve some light refreshments.
This fall, invite the citizens to an Auxiliary meeting to talk about what they did at Girls State and
what office they held as a thank you to the Unit for sponsoring them. Also, invite them to join
your Unit as you do volunteer projects in your community. This can encourage their
involvement with the Auxiliary and they may want to join! Be sure to send an article to the local
newspaper and a picture.
Jean Horack
Girls State Chairman