2014 Staff Information Bulletin

Staff Packet

www.mountaineerboysstate.org www.wvlegion.org

PO Box 3191 Charleston, WV 25332 304-343-7591

The American Legion Mountaineer Boys State

June 8 June 14

2014 We sincerely thank you for accepting our invitation to serve on the 2014

American Legion Mountaineer Boys State Staff. Please plan on arriving at

Jacksons Mill and reporting to General Headquarters (Dorsey Center) by

11 a.m. on Saturday, June 7, 2014. At that time you will be asked to turn

in your staff questionnaire, will be issued your staff shirts and equipment

and your staff assignment will be finalized. Emergency Preparedness

Training for all staff members will begin promptly at 1:00 p.m., in the

Assembly Hall, Jacksons Mill, West Virginia. This training will last until 5:00

p.m. when a break for dinner will occur. We will reconvene in the assembly

hall at 6:30 p.m. for the annual staff meeting. It is recommended that you

obtain an evening meal prior the Staff Meeting. No lunch meal and no

evening meal will be available at Jacksons Mill on Saturday, June 7, 2014.

Opportunities will exist to obtain something to eat at various restaurants in

and around Weston.

IF FOR SOME REASON YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND, PLEASE NOTIFY PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR RANDALL K. KOCSIS AT 304-672-9991 OR E-MAIL [email protected]. THIS NOTIFICATION WILL ALLOW A REPLACEMENT FOR YOU TO BE IDENTIFIED SO THE PROGRAM CAN BEGIN WITH A FULL STAFF.

77th Annual

The American Legion Mountaineer Boys State Staff Information Bulletin



Enclosed with this letter you will find a Staff Questionnaire. Please complete it, return it, and bring a copy with you. This will allow

us to contact you easier in the future and better prepare us for any medical emergencies that you may experience during the week.

We will collect the Staff Questionnaire and provide you with your staff shirt(s), ball cap and other supplies. Enclosed is a list of items

to bring with you. Please bring a pair of khaki (tan) dress slacks and a pair of khaki (tan) dress shorts to be worn during the Formal

Review that will be held on Wednesday Evening at 6:30 p.m.

Senior Counselors and Counselors are requested to review the Citizen Packet of information located on the American Legion

Mountaineer Boys State website (http://packet.mountaineerboysstate.org) prior to arriving at camp. This will ensure you are able to

respond to their questions and concerns.

Finally, a copy of the RULES AND REGULATIONS & SUNDAY CHECK IN PROCEDURE outline is enclosed for your review. Please

familiarize yourself with its contents prior to your arrival at Jacksons Mill.

The American Legion and the staff of ALMBS appreciate your continued support of the program. If you would know of any sponsors

or companies who would like to help offset the cost of a boy or staff member please contact them or let Director Jim Davis

([email protected]) know and he will contact them. Sponsorships may be made payable to Mountaineer Boys State.

One travel bag/suitcase with:

One pair khaki (tan) slacks and one pair khaki (tan) shorts

One-week supply of underclothing, socks, pants, shorts, pajamas, washrags, face towels, and bath towels

Usual shaving and toilet articles to include soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste

A light jacket, sweater, and/or sweat jersey

Comfortable walking/athletic shoes, swimming trunks and house slippers

Rain gear (poncho, raincoat, umbrella)

Flashlight(s), Notebook(s), pens, clipboard

Alarm clock

Camera

Bedding (sheets, pillow, pillowcase, blanket) is furnished. You may want to bring extra pillow(s) and a sleeping bag

As a Staff Member, you are expected to set a good example for the Citizens by following all of the program rules and regulations.

Inappropriate items such as alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, any type of weapon, fireworks, pornographic material, etc. should not

be brought.

As American Legion Mountaineer Boys State staff members, you are expected to lead, set a good example, and be a team player. We

the staff, the entire staff, make up the team.

When in doubt about how to handle an issue, consult the Program Administrator. He will work with the Director and Assistant Director

as necessary to resolve the issue.




SUNDAY CHECK IN

7:15 Staff Breakfast

1. Breakfast will be served at 7:15 a.m. and Registration will begin immediately after breakfast in the Assembly Hall. Citizens and

their parents have been advised that Registration will begin at 9 a.m. but we will begin Registration as soon as the Registration

staff is assembled. (approximately 8:15 a.m.).

2. All Citizens must pass through the medical screening check point as part of the Registration process. Each Citizen will be given

a color coded medical card. That card is their ticket to gain admittance to your cottage. You are to keep all medical cards in

one central location (either with a Counselor or in the cottage) but somewhere where they are immediately available in the

event of an emergency. They will be color coded regarding the priority of a Citizen(s) medical condition to assist you in your

awareness of those Citizens assigned to you. If a Citizen cannot produce the medical card, you need to refer them to medical

screening. NO CITIZEN SHALL BE ADMITTED TO A COTTAGE WITHOUT FIRST PRODUCING HIS MEDICAL CARD. A CITIZEN

WHO POSSESSES THIS CARD HAS COMPLETED THE REGISTRATION PROCESS.

3. On Sunday morning, you are expected to conduct an orientation session for the Citizens assigned to your cottage. During that

orientation session you are expected to do at least the following:

A. Explain what Boys State is. OUR PURPOSE IS TO TEACH GOOD GOVERNMENT THROUGH PARTICIPATION. It is not to

win the Fugitt Award, it is not to be on vacation, it is not a sports camp, etc. Most of you know this, otherwise you

wouldnt be here.

B. Explain the camp rules and regulations: No alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornographic material, weapons, tobacco, etc.

Review relevant pages in manual for additional rules and regulations (pages ___________) Review the Mountaineer

Boys State Pledge which is on page _____. All Citizens, in order to complete the Registration Process, will have turned in

a signed copy of that pledge. If you detect or become aware of a violation of the camp rules and regulations, you are not

to try to resolve the violation and set punishment. You are to bring it to the attention of the Program Administrator and

he will work with the Director and Assistant Director to take the appropriate action. Feel free to make the Headquarters

Senior Staff (Director, Assistant Director, Program Administrator) as the bad guys (even though they are not) and use this

to your advantage.

C. Determine if anyone drove to the camp. If so, secure their keys and bring this to the attention of the Program

Administrator. There is now a ban on Citizens driving to the camp, storing a vehicle here and then driving home.

D. Advise the Citizens they are not to leave the grounds without the written approval of the Program Administrator. At

Registration, the Citizens will be asked if they anticipate any need to leave early. This has been successful in the past in

limiting the number of Citizens leaving early.

E. Explain to the Citizens those areas of the camp grounds that are off limits and be alert to Citizens wandering away to

trouble areas of the past such as the woods, fence line beyond Panhandle, Cattle barn area, beyond the snack area at

Lewis, etc.

F. Advise the Citizens of the Uniform that is to be worn at all times except athletics. The uniform is the Boys State T-shirt

tucked in an acceptable pair of pants, the name tag clipped to the upper right chest (or displayed via lanyard), and no

ball caps except during athletics.




G. Explain the Emergency Evacuation procedure for your cottage and conduct at least one Emergency Evacuation (Fire Drill)

prior to lights out on Sunday night.

H. Explain the lights out policy. The times vary by the day of the week. If there is a need to alter the designated lights out

time; a camp wide announcement will be made. Note: The Citizen Information Bulletin and Boys State Manual contains

information on the private communication device (cell phone, blackberry, etc.) use policy. This is a good time to explain

that policy to the Citizens. Essentially, that policy allows the use of private communication devices only during free time

and their use is not permitted after lights out. As staff members, you should set a good example by also adhering to

this policy. In the past, complaints have been received that Staff members were creating a distraction by using private

communication devices (i.e. texting) during scheduled activities.

I. Determine if there are any Citizens who will not salute flag by placing hand over heart and reciting the Pledge of

Allegiance and sing the National Anthem. If so, bring that to the attention of the Program Administrator and he will

explore this issue further. Thats why he gets paid the big money.

J. Encourage Citizens to be respectful of each other and each others personal belongings. Be aware of the feelings of the

Citizens and DO NOT LET NAME CALLING, KIDDING, JOKING, etc. START because usually someones feelings get hurt.

K. You will, on Sunday morning, prior to the afternoon meal, explain the different career paths to the Citizens. Those being

Political, Legal, Journalism, Banking, Law Enforcement, and Homeland Security/National Guard. You will explain to the

Citizens that by mid-week everyone will be doing some job at Boys State so it is in their best interest to pursue a job

(career path) they are interested in. You will explain to the Citizens that the selection for the Journalism, Banking,

Homeland Security/National Guard, and Law Enforcement (State Police and Natural Resources Police Officers) will begin

Sunday afternoon immediately after the Bar Examination and you will have available for the Citizens, job application

forms. You as a staff member will take no action to limit any Citizens interest in pursuing any of the available career

paths, political positions, etc. Unfortunately, in the past, some staff members held elections within their cabins, prior

to the primary election to limit Citizens from pursuing certain elected positions. These type of activities are not to be

undertaken.

L. Do not encourage nor permit any inappropriate behavior such as obscene/off color marches, allowing Citizens to stay up

beyond the lights out policy, and allowing the cottage to be tardy for scheduled events such as meals, assemblies, etc.

Points will be deducted from the cottages overall conduct score.

M. As a staff member, you should notify the Program Administrator or Operations Administrator if you must leave the

grounds.

N. We (MBS Staff) have purposefully taken steps to place less emphasis on the Fugitt Award. This award is a control

mechanism and motivational tool for us the Staff. The competitive atmosphere created by this award has at times been

detrimental to the camp as a whole. It is our goal to have each cottage score 100%. If we (as a camp) are not working

to achieve that, evaluating our weaknesses, and placing our emphasis on what is best for the entire camp, not the

individual cottage(s), then we are doing something wrong.

O. The radios can be used to make a camp wide announcement in the event of an emergency. You should remember some

basics such as 1. Remaining calm 2. Identifying who you are 3. Identifying the nature of the emergency and 4. Stating

what assistance you are requesting.

P. Questions?

Documents

2014 Staff Information Bulletin