COLUMBIA, SC – Hugh E. Weathers, South Carolina’s Commissioner of Agriculture greeted delegates from Boys State and Girls State during a ceremony held on the State Capitol’s north steps, June 13, 2008.
Commissioner Weathers met with, and escorted, Reid Schwartz of Wilson Hall in Sumter County and Vanessa Capers of Manning High School in Clarendon County during the hour-long ceremony. Schwartz and Capers were both elected to the post of Commissioner of Agriculture for Boys State and Girls State.
“Our outlook in South Carolina is in good hands with future leaders like these,” Weathers said. “I really enjoyed sitting and chatting with these two young people.”
Each year, more than 1,500 young men and women from across the state descend on the Capitol City for the week-long program designed to teach them about our governmental system and the politics that make it run. They are selected by their teachers and counselors to attend, and it is an honor to be chosen as a delegate. Only those with outstanding qualities of leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty and service to their schools and community are considered for selection. Boys State is held at USC while Girls State is held at Columbia College.
Boys and Girls State is called a “Laboratory of Government,” because during the week, these young men and women has the opportunity to run for and be elected to mock political offices ranging from city level to state constitutional offices such as lieutenant governor and governor. It is considered to be as much leadership training as it is an opportunity to learn about and participate in government and politics.
The Girls State attendees also attended an ice cream social hosted by the Department of Agriculture on June 13.