MADISON – Four Madison teenagers will spend a week in Tuscaloosa learning about the procedures and workflows of government at the local, county and state levels.

Delegates from Madison to the 2019 American Legion Auxiliary Alabama Girls State are Skylar Elliott and Rachel White from Bob Jones High School and Brina Harden and Avery Jones from James Clemens High School.

The 77th session of Girls State will convene at the University of Alabama on June 9-14. Emphasizing patriotism and leadership, Girls State is a premier conference that offers one-of-a-kind experience to its delegates, who study in an environment with nonpartisan politics.

The four Madison students will be seniors at their high schools in August. The American Legion Auxiliary unit and school staff selected the delegates, who qualified by participation in numerous on-campus activities and community events.

Alabama Girls State delegates, known as ‘citizens,’ receive special instruction in parliamentary procedure and organize themselves into two mock political parties.

“The young women then campaign, hold rallies, debate and ultimately vote to elect city, county and state officials,” spokesperson Vickie Thrower-Mills said. She serves as chairperson of Alabama Unit #176, Girls State.

After election to office, delegates are sworn in and perform assigned duties. A delegate who is not elected to office will receive appointments and then visit offices of elected delegates to share citizen viewpoints, Thrower-Mills said.

Conference officials encourage delegates to continue their community service by becoming members of the American Legion Auxiliary and leaders in their communities and local governments.

Every spring, Girls State officials across the United States select approximately 25,000 young women to attend conferences in their respective states. Two outstanding citizens from each of the 50 Girls State programs then are chosen to represent their state as ‘senators’ at Girls Nation in Washington D.C. in July.

For almost a century, members of American Legion Auxiliary have dedicated themselves to assist American veterans, military and their families domestically and abroad.

For more information, visit ALAforVeterans.org.