In Wyoming, Boys State is a family tradition

Frank Peasley never pushed his children or grandchildren to follow in his footsteps, but his passion for The American Legion Boys State program couldn’t help but impact them.

“Everybody knows grandpa is a pretty passionate patriot,” said Peasley, who was governor of Wonderful Wyoming Boys State and vice president of Boys Nation in 1961. He’s been assisting the Wyoming program since 1971, bringing his legal experience to help with and later oversee the court system in the Wyoming Boys State program.

His sons, Steve and Scott, also attended Boys State, and he’s seen five grandsons and two granddaughters participate in Boys State and Girls State in Wyoming and Colorado.

It’s just part of the tradition in Wyoming, said chairman Rusty Ridley. As the smallest state in population in the United States, there’s bound to be sons and grandsons following their fathers and grandfathers to the Boys State program.

That was the case for Christian Moncrief, who was elected governor of the 2017 Wonderful Wyoming Boys State program.

“My grandpa came to Boys State in Nebraska and he absolutely loved it. I knew it would be a good thing to help me pursue my career, so I decided to apply,” said Moncrief, who plans to study natural resource law.

This year’s Wyoming program drew 64 delegates from across the state, an increase from last year. While acknowledging the challenges of finding participants with so many other summer options, Ridley sees “a unique opportunity” in Wyoming.

“I really think we have a unique opportunity in the state of Wyoming because we have such a small population, and what it translates to is close access to our elected officials,” Ridley said. “When we go to (the state capital in) Cheyenne, whoever is elected Boys State governor meets with the governor, and the secretary of state all the way down through county offices, our congressional delegation is really supportive so we typically have our two senators and our one U.S. representative come and speak to the delegates. So we really have an opportunity for these young men and our delegates to interact directly with our elected officials, which is a hallmark and really fantastic.”

Indeed, on the program’s penultimate day, the Boys Staters and staff drove to Cheyenne to tour the capital and meet with their real-world counterparts. Moncrief and his staff took a tour of the capitol building, currently under substantial renovation, then met with Gov. Matt Mead in his office.

Mead later joined the students at Post 6 in Cheyenne for lunch, where he spoke about their opportunities and encouraged them to help improve the state.

“As you look at your Boys State experience, and all that you’ve gained, remember that you have more to get, more opportunities for yourself, the families that you have, the communities and state where you live,” Mead said.

Ridley echoed those sentiments.

“Leadership, civic engagement and patriotism are our hallmarks here. And the opportunities that you have to learn about a functioning government now are going to benefit you, your family, your community and your state later. And it’s really the building blocks of how you engage in the citizenry, it’s a responsibility, it’s a right and a privilege, and something that we need to take seriously, and the more people who attend, the more educated people that we have out there who are making some pretty important decisions on behalf of the state and the American public,” he said.

“I’m just real proud to be part of such a fantastic program and to have a staff that volunteer to come year after year to ensure our youth have a skill set, some knowledge, some skills and abilities that can serve them in the future,” Ridley added. “I think The American Legion is the right group and always has been to promote those values and to promote them throughout the country.”