American Legion Auxiliary • Department of North Dakota
Flickertail Girls State, Inc.
2012-2013 Program of Work
DATES AND LOCATION
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The 67th session of Girls State will be held June 9-14, 2013 at the University of North Dakota.
Registration is Sunday, June 9th from 12-3pm.
The public is invited to attend several Girls State events throughout the week, including Graduation on
Friday, June 14th at 1:45pm. Details will be provided in a press release closer to Girls State, on the Girls
State website, and on the Girls State Facebook page.
RECURITMENT
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The Girls State Board will continue to support the recruitment process by scheduling recruitment teams
to go into the schools and provide recruitment tools for Units.
The board is seeking a District Recruitment contact for each district. This person will schedule the
school visits and coordinate recruitment efforts between the Unit Girls State Chair, the Girls State board
and the recruitment team that will actually enter the schools. If interested in taking this position,
please contact Catherine Olson at 218-791-2232 or email NDGirlsState@gmail.com.
A recruitment team will visit some schools in Spring 2013. This is still in the early stages of planning.
Please remember that the more information that gets into the hands of potential Girls Staters the
better.
Several recruitment tools are available for Units to utilize. The Girls State website
(www.NDGirlsState.org) has a poster and business cards that can be printed. The site also contains a
video that is an excellent recruitment tool. If you would like any of these items mailed to you, please
contact Dana Thoreson. If you cannot meet with a potential Girls State delegate personally, direct them
to the Girls State website to view these items.
Do you know a former Girls Stater in your area that has a positive outlook on the program? Invite them
to share their experience with potential Girls Staters!
Remember the website is not just for girls that register for Girls State, but also for those that are
deciding if they want to attend, for parents that have questions, and to help school staff understand the
importance for students to attend the program. Feel free to contact any board member with additional
questions.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
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The Girls State board will process Girls State registrations. This is a change from previous years. The
new address is reflected on the 2013 Registration, Medical and Physical forms.
We hope to have online registration before the 2013 session, however it isn’t ready yet. More
information will be provided once it is available. The paper version of registration will continue to be
available, even when online registration is available.
The Registration fee is $200 if paid by April 30, 2013. The fee is $225 if paid after that date. You can still
sign up delegates after April 30th!
Fee refunds will be given up to May 10th if Dana Thoreson (Girls State Chair) is notified by phone or
letter. If by letter, it must be postmarked May 10th. If a girl becomes ill we will refund the money up to
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the Friday before session, June 7th, but a doctor’s excuse must be provided. We suggest you follow up
with your delegates up to the day before they are scheduled to leave. If a delegate is not able to attend
you may send a replacement for her at no additional cost.
You must use 2013 Registration, Medical and Physical forms. Please throw away all old documents.
The 2013 forms are labeled with the year.
To obtain Registration & Medical forms you may do one of the following options:
1. Contact your Girls State Chairmen or Unit President as they will receive ONE copy in the mailings
from the Department office.
2. Go to the Girls State website (www.ngirlsstate.org) and print off the forms.
3. Refer girls (or assist them) to the online registration option once it is available. It’s
environmentally friendly! 
4. Contact Dana Thoreson at 701-662-2106 or email ndgirlsstate@gmail.com.
GIRLS STATE DELEGATE REQUIREMENTS
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No quota! You may send as many girls as your Unit would like. With budget issues some units may
struggle to send one girl, let alone more than one. Please don’t let that stop you from getting the word
out about Girls State! Do you have more than one girl wanting to go but not enough money to send
her? Can’t find a girl to go and you have money to provide this wonderful opportunity? Call Dana at
701-662-2106. Each year we hear about women who wanted to attend Girls State but didn’t have
sponsorship. Let’s keep this from happening. Any business or individual can pay the registration fee.
The only requirement for attendance is that a (female) participant must have just completed her junior
year of High School. North Dakota Flickertail Girls State does not discriminate by race, creed, color,
religion, disability, grade point status, or parental status. Exchange students and students that are
home-schooled are all welcome to attend.
Unless otherwise stated in your Unit’s bylaws, your unit can sponsor any girl that fits the above
requirements, regardless of where she lives in the state.
Girls DO NOT have to be a junior member of the ND ALA; however, if a girl is a junior member of the
ALA and attends school out of state, she may attend North Dakota Girls State.
The Girls State board will schedule recruitment visits to some schools. Units will still be able to select
whomever they wish to sponsor, using whichever selection process preferred. The names of any girls
not sponsored by a Unit should be given to the Girls State board so that a sponsor can be found. We
are proud of this great program and want as many women to attend as possible!
COUNTY/CITY MOTHER PROGRAM
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In 2012 we piloted a County Mother program, which involved having one Auxiliary member assigned to
each county. The County Moms acted as a representative of ALA and were a “mom away from home.”
This program was a great success and is being expanded to include an Auxiliary member for each city.
To become a City Mom, an Auxiliary member will fill out an application. Applications due by start of
Midwinter Conference. Selected mothers will be announced at the end of the Midwinter Conference.
Additional details- including application information- will be found in the next Message.
TRANSPORTATION
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We hope to offer bus transportation in conjunction with Boys State. If you have someone interested in
taking the bus or looking for a ride, contact Dana Thoreson at 701-662-2106 or email
NDGirlsState@gmail.com.
SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS
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Samsung Scholarship: Descendants of Veterans can apply for this scholarship. This application is online
at http://www.alaforveterans.org/what_we_do/scholarships/Pages/SamsungTALScholarship.aspx. This
application will not be mailed to units. If a girl is eligible for this Scholarship, she will be provided with
a link to obtain that application after she registers for Girls State. Applications must be typed.
Applicants can save the application to their computers to be typed, or print the application for use with
a typewriter. If you have questions regarding the Samsung Scholarship application, please contact Dana
Thoreson or any board member for assistance. Applications are submitted upon check-in at Girls State.
One application will be chosen by the Department President as the state winner ($500) and go on for
National judging.
Other scholarships and awards are given at Girls State to the Governor, Girls Nation representatives,
and the Girls State citizen earning the highest score on the government test. Additionally, UND offers
two $500 scholarships; the application is available during Girls State.
GIRLS NATION
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Girls Nation is on July 20-27th, 2013 in Washington DC. Two girls are chosen by their fellow Staters to
represent North Dakota.
RECOMMENDATIONS & CHANGES
 The Girls State board recognizes that several changes have been implemented recently. While we feel
these changes are warranted and needed, we understand that change can be scary or confusing. Please
contact a Girls State Board Member if you have any questions.
 Attached is a list of recommendations that were approved by the North Dakota Executive Board on
June 25, 2012.
The following Girls State Board recommendations were presented to the North Dakota Executive Board and
approved on June 25, 2012.
2013 Girls State Committee Recommendations
Recommendation: The Girls State committee recommends the following stipend and mileage changes:
 Stipend amounts for 2013:
o Director:
$600
o Dean of Counselors
$500
o Director of Marketing
$400
o Sales Director/City Mom Coordinator
$200
o Director of Ceremonies
$200
o Director(s) of Government- each
$400
o Music Director
$300
o Newspaper Coordinator
$200
o Previous Year’s Governor
$150
o Night guard
$150
o Junior Counselor
$150
o Senior Counselor
$176
All of the above positions will be paid one-way mileage, as set by the Department’s mileage rate.
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The following positions will be paid mileage (one-way, as set by the Department’s mileage rate) but no
stipend:
o Department President
o Department President-Elect
o Department Vice President
o City Moms
No compensation will be given to the Department Secretary, Department Treasurer, or any assistants.
Recommendation: The Girls State committee will proceed with finding corporate donations by sending a
letter to potential donors.
 The letters will be approved by the Girls State Director and Department President.
 The letter will be sent out in the fall.
 Any donations over $500 will have the donor’s logo/advertising added to the ndgirlsstate.org website
and weekly schedule booklet.
Recommendation: The Girls State committee will process all Girls State registrations for 2013.
 The committee proposes that the registration and money will all be sent to Girls State Director, who will
then forward the funding on to the appropriate department officer.
 If the Department office receives a registration, it shall be immediately forwarded to Girls State
Director.
 The committee would like to explore using Pay Pal as a payment option. The committee recognizes that
this option may not be implemented this year, but would like to pursue having it implemented for
future years.
 The committee will promote online registration, but paper registration will also be available. If a
delegate registers online, they will mail money to the Girls State Director or use Pay Pal as appropriate.
If a delegate registers online and does not have a sponsor, we will approach the local unit to see about
sponsoring that delegate.
 Once a delegate is registered, she will get a postcard in the mail directing her to the website to get
additional information. (Packing list, etc.)
 Once the registration is finalized, a copy of the report will be sent immediately to the Department
Secretary.
 Girls State Director will send funds to the Department Treasurer, who will confirm with the Department
secretary what funds have been received for Girls State registration.
Items to consider:
o We need to check into what is required for the waiver regarding photos. If it’s an online
registration form do we need a signature for the waiver? Does it have to be an original
signature?
o How would that work with Medical cards? Medical cards can be sent ahead of time or brought
with the delegate to Girls State. Perhaps one week prior to GS we can email girls who have
missing forms to remind them to bring it with them.
Recommendation: The County/City Mother program will be expanded to include one Auxiliary member per
city.
 Selection process: Applications due by start of midwinter conference. Selected mothers will be
announced at the end of the midwinter conference.
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City Mom coordinator will chair the selection process. The Girls State Board will review the applicants
with the City Mom coordinator at the Midwinter conference.
Applications will be sent to City Mom Coordinator. Applications can be submitted through email or
paper-based mail, whatever works best for that applicant.
The Girls State Committee will create an application this fall.
If there are any City Mom vacancies the Department President can ask for additional applicants at
spring district meetings.
Department secretary will send information out in Fall bulk mailing regarding the City Mom program
and application process.
After city moms are chosen City Mom Coordinator will assist them in working on a service project. The
City Moms shall submit their service project proposal to the Girls State Committee by May 1 so that any
scheduling adjustments can be made.
In 2013 mileage will be paid per the Department rate, but no stipend.
Recommendation: The following mass mailings relating to Girls State will be done through the department
office:
 Work Outline
 Message articles will be sent to the Message Coordinator
 City Mom application information
 And other items as needed.
Recommendation: Girls State will apply for the UND Summer Programs grant to aid in recruitment expenses
and make Girls State worth an NDUS credit.
 Director of Girls State and Marketing/Recruitment Director will write the grant, with the assistance of
the Directors of Government and Political Science administrative assistant.
Recommendation: The Girls State committee proposes the following recruitment steps be implemented:
 The Girls State Committee will setup school visits:
o Work may be delegated to a District Girls State contacts to set up School visits and follow-up as
needed.
o Visits will occur in February or March, but will be scheduled October to allow for recruitment
teams to be assembled. The early scheduling also allows the grant writers to include the
recruitment plans in the UND Summer Programs Grant proposal.
o The Girls State committee or delegate will facilitate school visits, and then will contact the Unit
chair(s) in that area to inform them about school contact. The unit contact will be invited to
attend the school visit or see what other options they wish to pursue.
o Potential delegate names shall be collected at the school visits and provided to the Girls State
committee and the unit Girls State chairs. The units can select their delegates in any way they
choose. Any remaining names not selected will be contacted by the Girls State committee who
will seek out additional sponsors for those applicants.
 Posters will be uploaded to the Girls State website so anyone can print them.
 Business cards with the 2013 dates and contact information will be available for download from the
ndgirlsstate.org website.
 Some posters and business cards will be pre-printed and given to Department President to distribute at
fall district meetings.
Recommendation: The board shall clarify the difference between a registration deadline and the reduced
fee deadline to the ALA membership.
 The application deadline is 3pm Sunday at the registration of Girls State. The reduced fee must be
postmarked by April 30th.
 This clarification will be done through the work outline, website, application form, and Message
correspondence.
Recommend: Staff will receive special five or ten year gift.
 The Girls State committee recommends that a special item be given to staff that have worked with Girls
State on 5 year anniversary dates.
 Item is to be determined at a later time.
Recommendation: The Girls State committee would like to send Dana, Laurie, and Catherine to Indianapolis
for convention in September 2012.
Items to consider:
 The hotel expense would remain the same as 2011.
 The added expense would be one more plane ticket.
Recommendation: The Girls State committee recommends the following changes regarding the Girls State
dress code:
 City moms will check delegate’s white dresses upon their arrival.
 GS Board will look into City t-shirts. This could be the apparel worn on Monday.
 Party shirts may be worn on Tuesday.
 All other days/times are business casual, with the exception of Friday morning which is typically casual
dress.
Recommendation: The Girls State Committee proposes that other journalistic opportunities are explored
regarding the Flicker Flash, website, blogs, etc.
 The committee shall work with the Newspaper Coordinator to determine ideas and will bring them
back at the next committee meeting.
Recommendation: Girls State Committee will have committee meetings at least four times a year.
 These meetings may be formal meetings, or completed through conference calls or other technology
outlets.
 The Girls State Director shall contact committee members regarding details of the meeting.
Recommendation: Girls State shall be held June 9-14, 2013 at the University of North Dakota. Staff arrives
on Saturday, June 8, 2013.
Recommendation regarding Girls State store and shirts:
Planning to be completed at next Girls State committee or board meeting.