Palmetto Girls State Participates in Parade to the State House
June 11, 2015
COLUMBIA, SC – Palmetto Girls State and Palmetto Boys State will join in a parade down Main Street to the steps of the South Carolina State House. The annual parade is set to begin at 10:15 a.m., Friday, June 12, 2015, at the corner of Main and Blanding Streets. The Joint Inauguration of Palmetto Girls State and Palmetto Boys State Constitutional Officers will begin at 11:00 a.m. in front of the State House steps.
For Palmetto Girls State, the parade is the culmination of a weeklong program created to educate outstanding high school students about state and local government and citizenship. Over the past week, the delegates have heard from speakers, including South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson; and South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman; South Carolina Legislators, including Senator Katrina Shealy, Representative Phyllis Henderson, and Representative Russell Ott; Judge Aphrodite Konduros from the South Carolina Court of Appeals; various officials from city and county government; Mayor of Clinton Robert McLean; and Phil Bailey and Wesley Donahue from Push Digital.
Delegates are selected for Girls State based on leadership skills and involvement in their respective schools and communities. They were divided into small groups called “cities” and created municipal and county governments, devised political party platforms, and elected a Senate, House of Representatives, and state constitutional officers. Delegates were also provided the opportunity to participate in the ACE Network College Credit Class in partnership with Clemson University, which enables them to earn college credit for their participation in Palmetto Girls State. Finally, two delegates will be selected to represent South Carolina as Senators to Girls Nation in Washington, D.C. later this summer.
The South Carolina Department of the American Legion Auxiliary has organized and administered Palmetto Girls State since 1947. Palmetto Girls State can be found on Facebook, Twitter (@ala_pgs), Instagram (@ala_pgs), YouTube, and at www.palmettogirlsstate.net.
