How many of you have head the comment “kids of today are not prepared to assume the mantle of future leadership”. I have heard it too may times. My question back is, “OK, what are you doing about it”. As the Youth Programs Chair for American Legion Post 296 in Destin, we are trying to provide opportunities for our youth to build and refine their leadership and confidence skills through a plethora of programs. Our programs: Boys and Girl’s State as well as our National High School Oratory Scholarship Program are working to ensure that we have better trained leaders for the future. If you might be interested in these programs, please contact Jim Wood at cell phone 850 502-9468 or e-mail: armyguyindestin@embarqmail.com.
Boy’s and Girl’s State is a hands on, fast paced, fully immersed civics program offered for high school juniors. Each program is a week-long program conducted at Florida State University in Tallahassee in the summer each year. Each program requires submission of an application/resume and an interview conducted at American Legion Post 296 in Destin. American Legion Post 296 pays the cost of the program for each student. We provide some incidental/travel to each participant. Post 296 points of contact for the programs are Jim Wood, (850) 502-9468 / armyguyindestin@embarqmail.com for Boy’s State and Renee Wood (850) 502-7675 / reneewood00@embarqmail.com for Girl’s State. For more information on these programs please visit the Florida American Legion website (Programs): https://www.floridalegion.org or the Florida American Legion Auxiliary website at https://www.alafl.org (member outreach).
The National High School Oratory Scholarship Program promotes learning and appreciating our US Constitution and the associated Constitutional Amendments. In this program high school students in grades 9-12 write, memorize and present speeches on the Constitution and several Constitutional Amendments at Local Post, District, Western Area, Department (State Level) and National levels. We provide monetary awards at each level. Awards are approx. $125 for winners at local, district, and area levels. Our Department/State awards range from $500-$2500. If you are good and make it to the National Competition, the awards range from $2000 for the first round, a second $2000 for the second round and $20K, $22K and $25K for the final three competitors. Our local Post 296 was the Department/State Champion for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 with our local competitor from Fort Walton Beach High School. The competitions begin the first week in Jan each year and end in May with the National Championship in Hillsdale Michigan at Hillsdale College. If interested you can find more data on the Florida American Legion Website: https://www.floridalegion.org (Programs).
American Legion Post 296 is looking for quality youth to sponsor for each of these programs.
Jim Wood (850) 502-9468 / armyguyindestin@embarqmail.com
