WASHINGTON - Following in the footsteps of an Arkansas leader who made the trek a half-century ago, four Arkansas teens traveled to the nation’s capital last week for a crash course in politics.
They are participating in Boys Nation and Girls Nation, two programs run by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary. Fifty years ago today, the program brought a student from Hot Springs named Bill Clinton to the White House to meet the president.
This week - the students arrived Friday and will leave Saturday - the Girls Nation and Boys Nation participants will hold party conventions, nominate and elect party officers, participate in a mock senate, visit congressional offices and see key Washington leaders and landmarks.
On Friday, both groups will visit the White House and are tentatively scheduled to meet President Barack Obama.
Representing Arkansas at Girls Nation are Abby Hutton, 17, who will be a junior at Shiloh Christian School in Springdale and Claire Frueauff, also 17, who will be a junior at Parkview Artsand Science Magnet School in Little Rock.
Frueauff’s classmate, Elijah Ash, and Evan Tian Yi, who will be a junior at Little Rock Central High School, are the two Boys Nation senators from Arkansas. They did not return phone calls by early Tuesday evening.
Five decades ago another Arkansan served as a Boys Nation senator before eventually rising to the pinnacle of elected office. Portions of former President Bill Clinton’s trip, including a July 24, 1963, visit to the White House, are caught on film.
In grainy black-and-white footage shot outside of the White House, a young Clinton can be seen in close cropped hair wearing his short-sleeved Boys Nation shirt. The future president has positioned himself right at the front of the crowd of teenagers to make sure he’ll get a chance to shake hands with President John F. Kennedy.
The film shows Clinton maintaining eye contact and bowing slightly as the president shakes his hand.
Clinton taped a welcome video message to this year’s Boys Nation participants. The American Legion said Clinton provided the video with the stipulation that it not be made public. But an American Legion quotes the former president saying that his week in Washington 50 years ago had a “profound impact” on him.
“I was deeply inspired to pursue public service,” he said. “Of course I couldn’t know then what jobs I’d have or when I’d be elected, or what I’d be elected to, or even if I’d be elected. I did know I wanted to spend my life being of service.”
Dubbie Buckler, the American Legion Auxiliary’s executive director, said the girls wake up at 5:30 in the morning and the first events of the day begin an hour later. The packed schedule is intended to mirror the rigors faced by elected officials and candidates.
“There is no rest,” said Buckler.
This year, 98 girls and 98 boys took part in the 67-yearold program. Each state’s American Legion chapter paid to send the students to Washington. Every state but Hawaii participates.
Girls Nation alumni include the late former Texas Gov. Ann Richards and departing ex-Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
Buckler said the example of those women, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the women who served in George W. Bush’s Cabinet have provided role models to the current Girls Nation participants.
“They’ve grown up not knowing about the struggles to gain equal footing for women political candidates,” she said. “They haven’t been raised to think that’s out of their reach.”
Frueauff and Hutton, who participated in Arkansas’ Girls State in May, were selected to represent their state.
Once in Washington, they experienced a little Girls Nation gridlock.
In the group’s mock senate exercise, the two Arkansans crafted a bill in response to the oil pipeline spill in Mayflower that would require annual inspections of oil pipelines that cross state lines. Before leaving for Washington, they spent a day together drafting the legislation.
On Tuesday, the two weren’t sure their bill would even be considered.
“We were placed low on the docket,” Frueauff said. “I don’t think they understood what a major state issue it is for us.”
Hutton who said she’s been encouraged to speak publicly since she was a toddler, said she was overwhelmed by the political ability and speaking talent of the other Girls Nation participants.
“I’ve never been so afraid in my life,” she said. “They are the best of the best of the best.”
Buckler said one of the best lessons the experience brings is that public service means taking risks - whether it is offering a bill that doesn’t pass or running for office and coming up short.
“For many of the girls, Girls Nation is the first time the girls lose,” she said. “You’ve got to learn to accept loss. You learn that you win some and you lose some.”
Arkansas, Pages 9 on 07/24/2013