The Illinois Boys State camp returned to Eastern this week for the 30th year, out of 81 years of operation.

Participants of Boys State learn and apply their knowledge of Illinois government, by attending classes and learning about the rules and orders of government. The content of the classes include how to pass bills, lobby for bills and how to orchestrate a campaign overall.

Laimutis Nargelenas, Governmental Relations for the Illinois Association of Chief of Police and one of the directors for Boys State, said this is the 30th year the camp used Eastern’s campus for the summer camp.

Eastern continues to win the bid to host the summer camp. Nargelenas said Eastern has proven to be a hospitable location for members and staff. In addition to the hospitality, he said Eastern offers more than other bidders.

“We go through the bid process and they’ve always given us a good value for the money; with the meals the young men get and the housing,” he said.

The young men get a chance to campaign and run for offices during their time on campus. There are posters encouraging members to vote for a candidate posted on windows and walls campus-wide.

Among the classes and workshops the young men participate in are lectures and speeches from keynote speakers. The keynote speakers include a special assistant from the Attorney General’s office and Michael Frerichs, the Treasurer for the State of Illinois.

The camp is not limited to the operations of the government. Nargelenas said participants are asked to bring their instruments, if they play one, and they get a chance to perform their instruments as a collective band during their time at the camp. Nargelenas said despite the lack of practice they have together, they come together well after a while.

“We put a band together, and even though they’ve never played together, within a few days they’re playing all kind of songs,” he said.

Harold Card, Hayes Kennedy and Matthew Murphy created the Boys State program in 1935. Around that time the camp was held at the State Fairgrounds in Springfield.

After the success of the program in 1937, with 1200 members, other states were motivated to create their own boys state program. All states except Hawaii now have their own boys state program.

Nargelenas said the program creates friendships and teaches young men how to be model citizens for the future.

“By going through this program, they learn how the government works, how they can impact the government, how they can become model citizens themselves and what’s expected of a good citizen,” he said.

For more information about the Illinois Boys State program, people can visit illinoisboysstate.org.

Marcus Curtis can be contacted at 581-2812 or [email protected]