Notes from Badger Boys State

The 2023 session of Badger Boys State was the 80th incarnation of the program in Wisconsin. The Rev. Tom Skrenes has been there for 50 of those sessions.

“The only two years I missed were to have babies. My wife was due in July in both years, so I couldn’t come,” said Skrenes, who attended Badger Boys State in 1971 then returned the following year as a staff member. “… It’s been a great run.”

So what keeps him coming back?

“First is the enthusiasm and the optimism of the citizens and the enjoyment of seeing kids mature and grow into men, and also the warm and very excellent relationship that we have as staff,” he said. “The counselors are just excellent people from all walks of life and it’s fun to be with these young men as they grow. I’ve known some of them for 10, 20, 30, 40 years and more.”

He nodded toward Gary Saunders, another staff member whose father, Jack, had been Skrenes’ county counselor in 1971 and invited him onto the staff. “I’ve known Gary (Saunders) for 50 years. … Lifelong friendships, and just great opportunities to bond as human beings and enjoy each other’s company. It’s a great friendship we’ve developed here.”

Skrenes said the appreciation the students show the staff is “a great payday.”

“The thanks of these young men on the last day, who are thrilled to have been a part of this program, is something you carry with you for the whole year. So we are appreciated very much by these young men. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be with these kids who learn and grow and enjoy their time.

“You feel, even when you’re 68 years old, you feel 25 for a week, so what’s wrong with that?”

BBS University

Alongside the government simulation at Badger Boys State is a range of educational offerings known as BBS University.

“So those were areas that we still have today, but they were very specific areas of instruction, School of Law, School of Emergency Management, Public Speaking School, Parliamentary Procedure, so things that are relevant both in life and applicable here at Boys State even while they’re here,” said staff member Austin Evans. “We had those schools for several years, and we also had one-off special discussions, and those were more personal traits, personal leadership skills … career aspects. Those were more toward the end of the week, and those started off with just a few sessions and chats to kind of fill what used to be a pretty light Friday, and then developed into a more formal structure. We combined them together in this umbrella that is BBS University.”

The BBS University course catalog is divided into categories: law; leadership; life after BBS; political science; public administration; and veterans affairs, which includes the mandatory writing a letter to a veteran. Courses also range from the basics of law to the impact of young voters and misinformation on social media.

Beyond giving Badger Boys Staters more than just a government simulation, the goal of BBS University is to eventually allow them to earn college credits.

“We are in the process of having that discussion with UW-Eau Claire (which hosts Badger Boys State) and their political science department to hopefully make that a reality come ’24,” Evans said. “… If we can get this to be a college credit earning (program) and make it as portable as possible for the students, whether they come here or another UW school, it’s going to be a great asset for students.”

New home

Badger Boys State moved from Ripon College, the program’s home since 1941, to UW-Eau Claire in 2022.

“They’re both beautiful campuses,” said Rev. Tom Skrenes, who called Ripon College “an excellent partner.”

The technology available at a state university like UW-Eau Claire has been a boon to the program.

“(Our operations center has) gone from a couple people … to the room we’re in right now that has a bunch of screens thanks to the help we’ve received from outside people,” said Austin Evans. “I was a counselor forever, this is kind of my first year being on this side of things, and I can appreciate the load we’re lifting off our counseling staff. Instead of doing logistics and that kind of stuff, they can really focus on the simulation and developing those relationships with the citizens.”

The program’s daily assemblies were also streamed on the university’s website to allow family and friends to watch the proceedings from home.