Halie Wetherington
reporter@greenepublishing.com
The Florida American Legion Boys State (FALBS) is a youth leadership and educational program. It is made up of many young boys who learn about the government and assume mock governmental positions if appointed by their peers. This year, when the delegates were elected to major offices and party leadership positions, there was a Madison County representative on the list. Dalton Cochran, from New Testament Christian School, was appointed Nationalist Party Whip, out of 350 other boys. This position is the assistant to the Nationalist Party Chairman. In the mock session, the two parties were Nationalist and Federalist rather than Republican and Democratic.
Cochran was selected for Boys State based on his leadership skills and grades at New Testament Christian School. Although he is not exactly interested in working in the government or politics, “I was still glad I got to learn how it works. It is a lot of hard work,” said Cochran. The boys debated on bills, held mock trials and went through other governmental actions throughout the trip. He was grateful for the opportunity to meet new people and work with other kids from across the state. “If anyone was offered to go to Boys State, they should go,” Cochran advised. “They need to know how much work the government puts into what they do.”