The American Legion’s Buckeye Boy’s State (BBS) conference has been held at the University for more than a quarter of a century, and a contract signed June 23 means it will continue to be held at the University until 2009.

“It’s a great honor for Bowling Green to host this marvelous organization and to have the opportunity to help shape future leaders,” Linda Newman, assistant vice president for student affairs, and director of residence life and dining services, said. “BBS is an outstanding leadership program for young men in the state of Ohio.”

BBS is a nine-day, hands-on experience of democratic government at the state, county, and city levels, including organization of political parties.

The offices of the Boy’s State are visited by public officials at the federal, state, county, and city levels, such as the Governor of Ohio and United States Congressmen each year.

BBS is larger than any of the 47 other Boy’s State conferences put on by the American Legion across the country, with an annual attendance of about 1,300 high school juniors.

Students attending the conference stay in residence halls, with each hall floor being its own individual city, and each hall wing being its own county.

Students meet for events in Andersen Arena, write their state’s newspaper in residence hall computer labs and hold senate meetings in residence hall activity rooms. They even have their own state highway patrol, which marches around the Alumni Mall with state troopers.

Throughout the conference’s nearly 70 year history it has been held at seven other locations, most of them for only one or two years. The University has held the conference for more than a decade longer than any other location, and will soon have been the host for a third of a century.

BBS Director Gerald White said a number of factors led to the contract agreement, including University facilities, University staff, Wood County, the city of Bowling Green, the school board, the sheriff’s office, the Chamber of Commerce, and other local helpers.

“It’s the attitude of the University and the way the workers on campus work,” White said. “The way they support us helps make the program a success. We’d be hard pressed to find another place in the state where that kind of relationship can be developed.”

In the past, the local elections board has donated the use of real voting machines for the boy’s elections. University grounds crew have also drawn the state’s highways in between residence halls, and assistant Wood County prosecutor Gary Bishop has helped the boys pass the ultra-realistic bar exam.

Administrative Assistant Kerby Nelson, who is currently acting as Director of Conferences, gives a lot of the credit to the American Legion.

“I’ve never had the pleasure to work with any conference that is as organized, efficiently operated, and has staff so committed, dedicated, and appreciative,” Nelson said. “We plan, organize and meet for 11 months and it all comes together like clock work.”

Wendy Stram, coordinator of the Bowling Green Convention and Visitors Bureau, had a lot to say about the conference, which is the largest program held at the University.

“The parents come to Bowling Green, fill the hotels, eat in the restaurants and shop in our shops,” Stram said. “It’s a win-win situation for the University and Bowling Green. We are pleased to have them here for another five years.”

The University is home to several other conferences each year, some are internal, run by University departments, and others are external, ran by outside parties.

The internal conferences include the State Fire School, Summer Honors Institute, Summer Musical Institute, President’s Leadership Academy, Academic Investment in Math ‘ Science, Upward Bound, Pre College Enrichment, Orientation and Registration, Athletic camps, and others.

The external conferences include the Ohio Drug and Alcohol Studies Conference, some high school band camps, and more.

Nelson said no other conference has signed a multi-year contract with the University like the one signed by the American Legion, but a few are considering doing so.

Many of the conferences have been held at the University for the past five years, but others choose to jump around.

“Conferences tend to move around every two to three years so that they can attract and accommodate people in areas other than northwest Ohio, but it is our goal to make it so they want to return to BGSU,” Nelson said.

However, BBS is still the largest and most prestigious conference at the University and will continue to set the standard for programs like it all across the United States.

“The Boys State staff as well as the staff at the university take so much pride in the program and make sure it remains one of the best programs in the nation,” Nelson said.