Citizenship Manual - Governmental Organization |
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The "State Capitol" of Premier Boys State is located in the Andrews Hall complex on the campus of Eastern Illinois University at Charleston. The territory falling under the jurisdiction of Boys State includes the campus area which citizens of Boys State are authorized to use.
Premier Boys State is composed of eight 'counties', each county having a 'population' of 120 citizens. All citizens are qualified voters. There are four 'cities' in each county, and four 'wards' in each city. As applications are received, numbers are assigned to all citizens. Citizens with odd numbers belong to the Federalist Party and citizens with even numbers belong to the Nationalist Party. Each city is an election precinct. City Counselors will appoint an Election Board of three (3) election judges, two (2) Federalists and one (1) Nationalist from odd-numbered cities, and two (2) Nationalists and one (1) Federalist from even-numbered cities. Members of the county board of supervisors are elected by cities, as the township as a governmental unit is not included in Boys State. Each county for the sake of convenience in administration is a senatorial or legislative district, a judicial circuit and a Supreme Court district. Summarized, the governmental organization of Premier Boys State consists of the following units of government: 1 state, 8 Supreme Court districts, 8 judicial circuits, 8 legislative district, 8 counties, 32 cities, 128 wards, and 32 election precincts. The cities of Boys State are organized under the aldermanic plan of municipal government. All judicial functions are administered by the circuit court under the supervision of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has Appellate Jurisdiction only. The law enforcement agencies consist of the police force of the cities which has jurisdiction only in city areas, the sheriff of a county who has jurisdiction only within the county and the state police who have state wide jurisdiction. It has been the practice to give names to the cities and counties. In Premier Boys State, counties are named after the founders of the Boys State Program and the seven Illinois citizens who have served as National Commanders of the American Legion, and the cities are given names of Past Commanders of the Department of Illinois.
The officers of the various units of Boys State fall into two classifications, elective and appointive. All elective officers in cities and counties as well as senators and representatives in the state legislature and Supreme Court Justices, are nominated by the party caucus or convention plan in their respective counties. The six major state officers are nominated in a primary. In the state primary, and in all general elections, official ballots are used. The number and kind of officers which may be appointed by cities and counties are set by state statute. The six major officers of Premier Boys State serve for a term of one year, or until their successors are duty elected and have qualified. The Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of State, and other officials of Boys State may be brought back to the next annual sessions at expense of the corporation in order that they may carry on the affairs of government until the new state officials are elected and take office. These various officers exercise all the powers of their respective offices in order that the government of Boys State may be continuous. None of these officers are eligible to succeed themselves in office as they are present in a semiofficial status as assistant counselors and not as citizens. In order that their experiences in the Boys State program and their prominent positions may not be used to an unfair advantage on behalf of their friends, all such officers are required to take a pledge upon their return that they will not participate in political campaigns, and will not permit their influences to be used to favor or to oppose the candidacy of any citizen for office. Their sole job the second year is to function efficiently in the offices to which they were elected the previous year. Immediately upon taking office, they cease to be politicians and become statesmen. Thus continuous government is maintained at a high level of efficiency by the old officers until the new officers can be elected and take over.
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