Who?   Why?    When?    Where?    How?      Who?  The Hoosier Boys' State delegate selection process is at least three-fold.  First, the HBS enrollment chairmen from each of the eleven American Legion districts in Indiana attend organizational meetings at the Department of Indiana's Fall and Winter Conferences in October and January, respectively.  At that time, their individual quotas are identified and strategies are discussed.  Many of the chairmen have already begun the process each has designed over several years of experience.  Time tested and proven screening criteria are discussed and refined where necessary.  Successful profiles are shared among the members of this elite group--these people are in tune with their respective communities and are ready for the process to start.  After the January meeting, the chairmen are well equiped with winning strategies and positive attitudes.  Both experienced and novice chairmen alike are looking for the best candidates in their respective regions to become HBS delegates.        Hoosier Boys' Stae is looking to house approximately 650 delegates in 2010.  The math is simple--the eleven (11) regions must average approximately sixty (60) student applications each.  For every chosen delegate, a $300 fee must be raised by American Legion volunteers usually from the legion posts in the area of their local high schools.  District and local enrollment chairmen have continuing relationships with representatives from the high schools in their respective areas--usually through the school counselors, social studies teachers, and or the school administration.  The process is not easy: it's both time-consuming and expensive, hence the early start in October.  Everyone in the selection process is a dedicated volunteer--serving his or her respective community without salary, wage, or expense re-imbursement.  $300 doesn't seem like a lot of money, but apply that assessment to the sixty (60) or more successful delegates being selected from each region?  As I said ... the math is the easy part!        So whom are we looking for?  Maybe YOU?  The second phase of the selection process focuses on the school officials who apply the guidelines designed by HBS policy and suggested by the legion representatives.  We want young men who are both politically minded and desirous of making a difference in their respective local, state, and national governmental activities.  Simply stated, we want what "Zed in Men in Black" was looking for: "The best of the best of the best!"  We know what profiles are most likely to be successful, but we need school and community officials who know the young men who possess those attributes to identify them to us.        Finally, the lists of candidates are passed on to the last step of the screening process: scrutiny by a combined district chairmen and HBS informal committee.  It is this last step that makes the final decision as to whether a proposed delegate or his alternate will attend Boys' State.  Additionally, those young men who are proposed as delegates but who discover they have other committments for that week, e.g., baseball, basketball or football camp, swimming or golf competitions must be turned down; and one from the pool of qualified alternates will be given the nod to participate in our program.  As well, students who cannot arrive at TRINE UNIVERSITY for the boys' state event until sometime after 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 12, 2010, may be asked to step down to make room for the alternates who can make that committment by arriving on time and staying the entire week.  Alternates from one region could, conceiveably, fill a vacancy created by a disqualified delegate from yet a different geographical location.    DELEGATES SHOULD TRY TO SCHEDULE THEIR ACT OR SAT TEST DATES AND SITES BEFORE JUNE 12.  The last testing date for the SAT in Indiana for this coming year is June 5.  The last one for the ACT is June 12th, 2010.  No delegate should attempt to arrive later in the week, e.g., Sunday or Monday or Tuesday, etc.  Alternates who CAN make the appropriate arrangements will be standing in the wings ready to be selected.  NOTE:  Other testing dates include December 12, 2009, and Feb 6 and April 10 of 2010.  As well, Angola High School will administer the ACT on Saturday June 12.  Interested students must be present before 8:00 am and it will last till around 12:00 noon or 1:00 pm if a student signs up for the extended writing portion of the ACT.  The high school is right off of US 20 east of town at 350 John McBride Rd.        Hoosier Boys State is an intensive study of the political and governmental functions in a democratic society.  It is not "an easy 'A' course."  People who will work at it from the moment they arrive on campus until the end of the program week identify the successfully diligent.  Are YOU one of that calibre?  Can YOU deal with that kind of competition?  Are YOU one of the "best of the best of the best"?  The personal rewards are practically immeasurable. Why?   To beg the question, Why Not?  So why should you commit eight days of your summer to attend Hoosier Boys' State?          Well, first of all, it's just like anything else of value: opportunities like boys' state often come only once in a lifetime.  If you are interested in knowing more about how the political process works and what magnitude of impact lobbyists have on the governmental process, you can't find a higher quality of information base and training anywhere else than that which HBS provides.  And, we do it all in one week.  We call it a "Week to Shape a Lifetime."  Ask around.  Ask the outgoing seniors at your high school what they thought of the program this past June (2009)!  Maybe it's NOT for you.  But if you are the kind of young man who walks the leadership path, who already seeks to help his neighbors, someone who is interested in successes within his own community--maybe others as well, someone who wants to make a difference--one who wants to know how to get that job done, then you can't find a better opportunity ... anywhere!         Here at Hoosier Boys' State, you will learn, first hand, how the political process works and how it creates govenment in a democratic society.  Our teaching paradigm is one of hands-on participation--from registering to vote to forming political parties and platforms, to defining precincts, to forming city and county and state central committees and party conventions and to electing officials through the primary and secondary election system.  The measure of your success depends solely on the application of your own merits at boys' state ... and everywhere else?  The competition is keen. The more you participate and involve yourself in the process, the more you will gain from this exciting program.  You will be busy.  And, you can have fun doing it--IF YOU ARE INVOLVED!           If you have the quality of character and spirit of competitiveness to be successful at HBS, we want you to be a part of our program.  We will provide you with room and board usually at no expense to you or to your family--save only for the incidental costs of getting you here on the Trine campus and the little odds and ends you may wish to purchase on your own.  Our staff of professionals are at your disposal.  Get on board--PARTICIPATE.  We'll take you the distance.          The HBS Program covers all aspects of a federal governmental system--local, state, and national: how the three branches of government work in apposition to each other.  Take THAT to your government class next year!  Our delegates learn about the political process--behind the scenes.  We help our delegates learn about the functions of government.  They also learn about the tremendous impact lobbying has on both politics and government.  You will learn the power of grass roots planning and individual involvement.  You will learn how precincts are formed and precinct committee people are selected.  You will learn how city and county chair persons in each party are selected.  You will learn how the members of the state central committee become the most powerful forces in elections; and why lobbyists get paid so much.  HBS walks you through each process from forming precincts through the primary and general elections to setting up offices and conducting government.         Oh yes, one more thing ... Hoosier Boys' State introduces our delegates to each other--about 650 introductions, in fact.  It's the foundation of one of the best networking systems ever conceived, one that will most likely stick with you throughout your life as a large data base of diverse personnel and information--even if you don't continue in political circles.  It also provides each delegate an opportunity to return home having had an exposure to a modern college setting, not to mention the opportunity to win significant scholarship money (Scholarships).  Incidentally, you'll get to discover what college dorm life is about on a state-of-the-art college campus; and you will get to know who the competition is for you--across the state and perhaps this grand nation; and you'll make lasting friendships and productive networks.  Boys' state creates informed adults.      Think about it!  In truth gentlemen, it's a no-brainer!  As a delegate, you will experience some really fascinating stuff and . . . . You will learn!  You will have fun doing it! And That's the Bottom Line. When?  Right now?  Well, actually, the process begins as early in the fall after school starts as possible.  Begin with your school counselor(s)--even when you are completing your registration process for classes.  Find out when Hoosier Boys' State applications will be accepted by your local American Legion Posts.  Let yourself be known to the building administration as well as to your social studies teachers.  Get them involved.  "NO" is not a viable answer.  If you know someone in the American Legion in your community, talk to him or to her about the application process.  If you run into difficulty, contact the local legion post's commander or Americanism officer--if that doesn't get you where you want to be, contact your region's district enrollment chairman.  At the bottom of this page or on the MENU bar at the beginning of each page of this web site, select HBS & Legion Links to find the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the district enrollment chairman for your region.  The counties within each district are listed.   Follow up!  Representatives of the local legion posts in your area and their district enrollment chair persons will have the official application forms ready for distribution by mid-October or early November each year. Where?  Start with your high school counselor's office.  Find the American Legion Post closest to you.  Express your interest in the program at every opportunity--and remember: "he who tooteth not his own horn, the same may never be tooted!"  And ... by the way, while you are around your legion members, tell'em thanks for all they do for your community.  If all else fails, use the e-mail feature of this web site.  Don't take no for an answer!  An application form is available through this web site--just remember an application form is official only when completed (with signatures), funded, and accepted by a local legion post in your area.  How?  Complete the Hoosier Boys' State Delegate Application Form .  Forms are also printed each year and given to the district enrollment charimen for distribution to area legion posts and to the various high schools.  Use the official one that you get from the legion representatives or from this web site--older versions may not be accepted; and your application might get lost in the shuffle if it is not an official copy.  In addition to the official application form, you must obtain a health checkup from a doctor.  You may use one issued by your doctor on a form that has been approved by the IHSAA or simply have your doctor sign on the line provided on the application card--but it must be from a recent examination ... performed less than a year ago.  Additionally, you must identify any physical or medical condition you have, e.g., diabetes or asthma, etc., and you must identify any other special healthcare accommodations you may need.  This information is very important.