State wide positions include that of Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and numerous appointed positions. The appointed positions include all of the state agencies, filled once elections are complete.

A county consists of three to four cities, from which various elected and appointed positions will form a county government.  Those positions include county commisioner, sheriff, and county wide judges.

The Legislature includes members of the house and senate from each city.  Together they work on writing and passing legislation.  They are supported by a staff in each chamber and the Legislative Service Commission. 

Delegates at American Legion Buckeye Boys State who have an interest in the field of law and potentially a career in the legal profession are offered a unique opportunity to learn first-hand about the workings of the law within the state of Ohio through participation in the Buckeye Boys State Courts Section.

Young men who chose to involve themselves in the Buckeye Boys State Courts Section have the opportunity to learn firsthand about the law by hands-on practical experience serving as private lawyers, City Law Directors, County Prosecutors, justices on the Boys State Supreme Court, Court of Claims, Court of Appeals, trial courts, or as the Boys State Attorney General.

All of the Court levels that operate within the state of Ohio operate within the Buckeye Boys State program.

Nine (9) Courts of Common Pleas and nine (9) Municipal Courts operate in the nine Buckeye Boys State counties. Additionally, there is a seven (7) member Boys State Supreme Court; a three (3) member Boys State Court of Appeals, and a three (3) member Boys State Court of Claims.

One (1) young man will serve as the Chief Justice of the Boys State Supreme Court and following the inauguration of the Governor of American Legion Buckeye Boys State will swear in the members of the Boys State House and Senate, the Boys State County Officials, and the Boys State Mayors.

Besides the judgeships described above, Boys State delegates also have an opportunity to serve as Court bailiffs and Court clerks to carry out the administrative duties of the courts.

In the state of Ohio, to practice law a delegate must pass the Buckeye Boys State Bar Exam, a 50-question, open-book test using the “Ohio Government Digest” provided to each delegate.

Delegates have three (3) opportunities to pass the Boys State Bar Exam. Should a delegate fail the bar exam after three attempts and obtain a position in the Boys State program that requires a law degree, the delegate will be required to resign.

A number of sitting judges and practicing lawyers in the state of Ohio set aside their dockets and volunteer their time to serve at Boys State guiding the delegates in legal procedures, research, trials, and appellate practice.

Delegates serving in the Boys State Courts Section can access an online law library called “Casemaker” provided free of charge to Boys State through a partnership with the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio Judicial Conference.

Additionally, the Ohio Supreme Court is a major contributor to Buckeye Boys State in terms of program support and assistance from the Justices on the Supreme Court bench.

Schedule permitting, the President of the Ohio State Bar Association visits the Boys State program annually to speak with and interact with the delegates working in the Courts Section.

In addition, the Union County Bar Association has purchased robes that are worn by the young men serving as justices in the Boys State Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Court of Claims, and trial courts.

The Ohio American Legion, American Legion Buckeye Boys State, the Boys State Courts section, and the Ohio State Bar Association recognize the need and value of educating the citizens of Ohio on the workings of the law and the Ohio court system and are proud to present this opportunity to Boys State delegates.

The “Hetuck” (native American for “eye of the buck”) is the official newspaper of the American Legion Buckeye Boys State program and is published daily.

The Hetuck newspaper also operates a “Office of Social Media” where delegates with excellent computer and social media skills post information on and promote the Buckeye Boys State program daily through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Boys State delegates fill all of the positions on the Hetuck.

Any Boys State delegate with the school newspaper, yearbook, sports reporting, or other journalism experience is encouraged to make an application for the Hetuck.

The application form is online and can be filled out, printed, and mailed to the Boys State Director. In-person applications will also be provided. The Hetuck Section heads will review the applications and selected applicants will be notified to be interviewed. There are also positions on the Hetuck available for free-hand artists to design the annual cover art for their program’s printed version of the Hetuck, which each delegate is given at the conclusion of the program.

Buckeye Boys State operates a functional Boys State Highway Patrol, chaired by a detail of troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The Boys State Highway Patrol performs a number of law enforcement responsibilities within the Boys State program. Delegates selected to form the Boys State Highway Patrol receive comprehensive training in Ohio Law, law enforcement, and the role of a trooper.

Fifteen (15) Boys State citizens are selected to attend, following the conclusion of Buckeye Boys State, a program jointly sponsored by the American Legion and Ohio State Highway Patrol: Junior Cadet Week at the Highway Patrol Training Academy in Columbus.

Learn more about Junior Cadet Week at our awards and scholarships page.

The Buckeye Boys State Band is comprised of 40 to 60 delegates each year who have a rigorous practice and rehearsal schedule in addition to their official duties as part of the program. The BBS Band performs several numbers at each evening assembly as well as a full concert for parents, friends, and visitors in advance of the last evening assembly on Saturday night of the program.

No application is necessary, delegates who are interested in joining the Band are asked to bring their instruments to check-in for the program.

You can follow the Buckeye Boys State Band on Facebook and Instagram.

Supervised recreation is scheduled during a part of your week at Boys State.

Participation in these events or use of any athletic facilities is at the discretion of each Buckeye Boys State Delegate and subject to the approval of their Counselor.

The utilities section works as a public utility providing basic utilities to the delegates such as electric, gas, and water/sewer.

As part of the learning experience at Buckeye Boys State on how the Ohio state government operates, Boys State delegates will participate in political party conventions to determine the goals and philosophies of their Boys State political party.

The party conventions at Boys State are based on the Ohio political party conventions and will operate in the same manner and procedures as those found at real Ohio political party conventions.

The Boys State party conventions will adopt a Party Platform representing the goals and ideals of that political party, adopt convention rules, and appoint convention officials.

The Buckeye Boys State College Fair invites to the Boys State program representatives from colleges, universities, the service academies, ROTC detachments, and all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces from throughout Ohio and the country.

Annually, nearly 100 representatives from the above named facilities have information tables and information booths at the Boys State College Fair.

The Buckeye Boys State College Fair provides an informal environment for Boys State delegates to talk one-on-one with educational representatives from facilities of their choice.