Kylar King of Konawa attended the American Legion Boys State in Miami, Oklahoma May 29 - June 5. He was assigned to Kuntze City, where he was presented with two special awards.

King was the recipient of the Newby C. Tyson Award, which is presented to the delegate whose attitude and willingness to work for the benefit of all reflects the service and patriotism of Bethany-Warr Post 12 Legionnaire Newby C. Tyson. King also won the “Citizen of the Day” award.

American Legion Boys State, founded in 1935, is a program in which students become part of the operation of local, county and state government. The program was the idea of two Illinois Legionnaires, Hayes Kennedy and Harold Card, who organized the first Boys State at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.

American Legion Auxiliary sponsors a separate but similar program for young women called Girls State.

At Boys State, participants learn the rights, privileges and responsibilities of franchised citizens. The training is objective and centers on the structure of city, county and state governments. Operated by students elected to various offices, Boys State activities include legislative sessions, court proceedings, law-enforcement presentations, assemblies, bands, choruses and recreational programs.

Legion posts select high school juniors to attend the program. In most cases, individual expenses are paid by a sponsoring post, a local business or another community-based organization.

Boys State programs currently exist in all Legion departments in the United States except Hawaii. As separate corporations, Boys State programs vary in content and method of procedure, but each adheres to the same basic concept: teaching government from the township to the state level.