Town Profiles: Norton

Sarah Ezzo

Within the first two hours of arriving at ALA Girls State, the town of Norton became a tight knit group. While at first many of the delegates were hesitant to get out of their comfort zone, they eventually opened up. Town Meetings are filled with agreement and laughter when topics such as rules for the town are discussed. Norton has created several creative cheers which they proudly display during breaks and on walks to meals. Their Town Hall is very lively and decorated with tinsel, posters, and balloons.

            The girls in this town have found that meals are one of the highlights of the day; it is a time for them to bond and relax, especially after working diligently on political points, speeches, and other activities. The town of Norton also appreciates how supportive everyone is of each other. The girls all work together and provide advice for speeches. The delegates are impressed with how close they have all gotten in only a day, which they agree is one of the best aspects of ALA Girls State. If this close of a bond could be formed within a day, the girls know that these are friendships that will last a lifetime.

Town Profiles: Berrio

Cora Funke

       Kaylie Flanigan, Berrio Town Counselor, has never won Model Town in all of her three years as a counselor at ALA Girls State. This week, Berrio is here to change that. After just a few meetings in the basement kitchen, we’ve already become not only a functioning town, but an extremely fun one. During the first night, we adorned our hallway ceiling with red, white, and blue streamers and plastered the walls with paper butterflies and flowers. Because Kaylie is a fan of Parks and Recreation (a TV comedy), she gave each of us a pin from the show and we will have a town-wide Parks and Rec. night where we watch episodes together.

       Our select board has appointed a town mom to watch over us and a town goat keeper (the name is unrelated) who is responsible for holding us accountable to the positivity ordinance, which was issued to keep us upbeat. Berrio has a policy of sharing snacks and we try to limit phone use at meals to encourage conversation and form stronger bonds. We’ve also arranged a town-wide dance party and will appoint a Spotify professional to DJ the event. Several Berrio residents have bravely chosen to run for statewide office and in support of them, we will have a campaign session to create campaign materials prior to the elections. We love Berrio!

Girls State Video Series - Volume I

Wondering what we're up to at American Legion Auxiliary Green Mountain Girls State this week? Follow along with our adventures in a citizen created video series! Follow the fun here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvstbVH4K1s

This gives you a comprehensive report of our dorms! Next up, primary elections! 

Lessons Learned at Girls State: Day 1

Marin Howell and Emily Jackson

Within two hours of arriving at the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Girls State, everyone was thrown into a new experience. An important element of this experience was learning about the American flag and its importance. Dick Farmer, Past Department Commander, described a brief history surrounding the flag. He also explained proper flag etiquette, including how to maintain the flag and fold it correctly. For those of us without prior knowledge, it allowed us to understand the true symbolism behind the flag and why it is imperative to be respectful. Those who have served in the armed forces will continue to be the reason why we raise our flags and honor the ceremony.

Later that night, we had the opportunity to listen to a panel discussion held by the ALA. This panel allowed many of us to gain insight into the ALA’s mission and what they do for their communities and Vermont. Through being able to actively participate by asking questions, we were able to learn a lot about the women on the board. For instance, they spoke about why they decided to become board members and what has been the greatest impact that involvement in the ALA has made on their own self and their community. The ALA and other sibling organizations work towards bettering the life of veterans and giving them a hand up, rather than a hand out. The ALA is responsible for our presence at ALA Girls State today, and it is important that we acknowledge what they have done for us and how we can help further their mission. As young women, it is critical that we take initiative and give back to the communities that have done so much for us.

Town of Kleespies - Town Profile

Makailey Howarth

The town of Kleespies has sixteen delegates and two counselors. This town created the slogan, “Kleespies are the bee’s knees” and even a mascot, which is a cow, within the first day. The town is also working together to design a town seal that will be representative of all the members. The town has also crafted laws, some silly and some serious, that the girls will abide by for the week. On the serious end of the spectrum, they established the law that no one will ever eat alone. On the other hand, though, they made the fun law of having a town sleepover on Monday night, which will be a great way for the girls to bond. So far, the girls have cultivated strong friendships and will definitely stay in touch long after Girls State concludes!