Patrick Clancy selected to represent Vermont at Boys Nation

Springfield High School student Patrick Clancy will be one of two delegates representing Vermont at the Boys Nation conference held in Washington, DC.
http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/patrick-clancy-selected-represent-vermont-boys-nation

Patrick Clancy Selected to Represent Vermont at Boys Nation Submitted by admin on Tue, 07/15/2014 - 3:51pm By SUMMER RITTER The Shopper SPRINGFIELD, VT -Springfield High School student Patrick Clancy will be one of two delegates representing Vermont at the Boys Nation conference held in Washington, DC. Clancy was selected for this great honor after participating in the Green Mountain Boys State program held at Lyndon State College on June 15th – 20th. Boys State is an educational program created by the American Legion to teach high school juniors about town, county, and state government. This event brought together 130 boys from across Vermont who were selected by their local Legion posts. Among the 130 participants were Clancy, Michael Kollman, and Scott Lariviere who are all Springfield High School students. At the end of the event Clancy and another participant were selected to go on to Boys Nation. “Boys State was like no other event I had ever been to,” said Clancy in an email. “On the first day the course director described it best. He said: ‘Boys State is the top half of one percent of the boys your age in Vermont.’ ” The program involved setting up mock governments to work on issues that real governments are faced with. “We calculated taxes, we managed a complete budget, we improved schools, upgraded roads, secured permits, and built new infrastructure,” he said. Clancy was elected moderator of his town and later ran for lieutenant governor, but came in second. He served as the Chair for Housing, Commerce, Business, and Military Affairs in the House of Representatives. While their government positions were fictitious the participants were able to get a feel for the statehouse. “We were able to debate on the house floor at the capitol in Montpelier,” he said. “There my bill on securing new checks and balances on audits after a town had gone severely in debt after a miscalculation was passed.” While Clancy noted that he learned about “politics and town management” his learning transcended the matters discussed. “I learned life lessons,” he said. “I made friendships that will last a lifetime, met lots of new and important people, and learned that if we put our minds to it, kids can even do the work that our government does.” While he hoped to be selected for Boys Nation, he was surprised when he was chosen. This honor will send him to the nation’s capital from July 18 – July 25. “At Boys Nation I will be acting as a senator,” said Clancy. “Beforehand every delegate writes a bill. Mine was on flag etiquette and respect. We will work on passing or denying bills, as well as running for offices.” In addition to experience in government, he and other delegates will visit landmarks and meet politicians. “We will be exploring D.C. in a way that most don’t experience. We will be on the inside looking out,” he said. “I will have the opportunity to work with Vermont’s senators, meet many big names in politics, and hopefully we will get to meet the president.” This honor can be added to Clancy’s list of accolades and achievements. He is an Eagle Scout, class treasurer, Student Council member, member of the St. Mary’s Youth Group, and dual-sport athlete. “I hope to take the mindset that I have at Boys State and Boys Nation back to Springfield,” he said. “Maybe I can enact change in town policies or other decisions. At school I will be more determined to make a difference and to take a stand for what I believe in.” As a rising senior Clancy has college on his mind. “Boys Nation is regarded as one of, if not the most prestigious youth program in the country,” he said. “Boys State alone carries tons of weight when applying to college. It will open a lot of new doors for me.” Clancy humbly extended his gratitude to the organization that made this opportunity possible. “I would like to thank Springfield American Legion Post 18 for their support, and the American Legion as a whole for putting on such a great program,” he said. More information on Boys State and Boys Nation, as well as the 2014 Boys Nation Agenda can be found at http://www.legion.org/boysnation. - See more at: http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/patrick-clancy-selected-represent-vermont-boys-nation#sthash.VSSpXBvt.dpuf