Buckeye Girls State delegates chosen
From left to right, JoAnne Newsome, Butch Blankenship, Hailey Blankenship, John Matson, Addalynne Matson, Lindsay Matson, Raeven Reede & Rhonda Rath and Ashli Nottingham (representing her daughter, Hannah Faulisi. Submitted photo.
Buckeye Girls State delegates chosen
REEDSVILLE, Ohio – Meigs County representatives to Buckeye Girls State have been chosen.
The four girls are: Hailey Blankenship and Hannah Faulisi from Eastern High School; along with Addalynne Matson and Raeven Reede from Southern High School. They have been chosen to represent Meigs County as Delegates for Buckeye Girls State in July.
Blankenship is sponsored by Farmers Bank, Dru Reed. Faulisi is sponsored by Peoples Bank, Tina Rees. Matson is sponsored by the Racine American Legion, Kay Graham. Reede is sponsored by the Racine Home National Bank, Roma Sayre.
Three of the girls along with their parents met recently with JoAnne Newsome of the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion Post # 39. Faulisi had to work and could not attend, but she was represented at the meeting by her mother Ashley Nottingham.
JoAnne Newsome, Ladies Auxiliary president explained to them that the main objective of the Girls State program is to teach young women the duties, rights and privileges of citizenship by providing them the opportunity to live together as self-governing citizens. She also explained about what was expected from the girls during their time there and what they could expect from the experience. Above all she encouraged them to “Have Fun!”
According to the Buckeye Girls State website, “The Girls State program was organized as a national Americanism activity by the 1937 National Convention. The first Girls State was held in Washington D.C. in 1947. The program is a practical application of Americanism and good citizenship. The entire program is a non-partisan, non-political attempt to teach and inculcate in the youth of America a love of God and country.”
The website further states, “The Girls State purpose is: to provide citizenship training for girls of high school age in every Department of the American Legion Auxiliary; afford them an opportunity to live together as self-governing citizens; and inform them about the duties, privileges, rights and responsibilities of American citizenship, in order that they may understand and participate in the functioning of their government.”
