SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Legion looking for candidates to attend prestigious program

By Mary Brienza, Staff Writer
   American Legion Post 401 is looking for male high school students to attend a prestigious summer program in June called New Jersey Boys State, Post officials said.
   Students interested in attending must be students of South Brunswick High School, be recommended by the school, and have at least a B average, Gary Cooper, commander of American Legion Post 401, said.
   The program will take place at Rider University in Lawrenceville from June 19-24, and the Post will pay the expenses for the students to attend, according to a press release from the Post.
   The Post will pay the expenses of attending the program, according therelease.
   Boys State was founded in 1935 by Professor Hayes Kennedy, who was a law professor at the Loyola University School of Law in Chicago, and also the Americanism Chairman of the Illinois Department of the American Legion, according to the Boys State website.
   It was founded to help promote democracy, as communists had a camp that promoted communism at the time, according to the website.
   Attendees will learn about the political process and their rights and responsibilities as voters, according to the website.
   Interested applicants should send an email to Mr. Cooper at [email protected] no later than Jan. 31, according to the release.
   ”Applying is easy,” Mr. Cooper said.
   Applicants have to simply inform either Mr. Cooper or Tim Wright at the high school of their interest and they will be mailed a form that is to be filled out by the applicant, their parents, and the school, Mr. Cooper said.