Virginia State Submission by Daron Vaught

For well over one hundred years, the Virginia YMCA has proudly been the Commonwealth’s innovator of youth leadership and government programs, and though I have obviously not been able to witness every year of it, I have had the pleasure of being a prime example of one of the thousands of beneficiaries of the organization and its opportunities. Through all that the YMCA offers, including the Model General Assembly, Model Judiciary Program, and Teen Leadership Conferences, students are encouraged to facilitate their knowledge of the body that governs the Commonwealth of Virginia, all while gaining a new understanding for the importance of both civic responsibility and public service at such young ages.
The Virginia chapter’s most prominent program is the Model General Assembly, organized to simulate Virginia’s legislative process, the General Assembly, every spring. The event is held at the Capitol building in Richmond, Virginia, where approximately 600 students from over 60 high schools across the state participate as senators, delegates, lobbyists, pages, and reporters. Aside from the legislative branch, students also have the option to participate as executive branch representatives, who work closely with each other and the Youth Governor on one topic and give a presentation on that issue at the end of the weekend.
The Model Judiciary Program gives over 2,000 high school students a look at the other aspect of Virginia’s government: its court system. Schools are given controversial scenarios and specific facts for each, chosen by the Young Lawyers Division of the Virginia Bar Association. Students then participate as attorneys, witnesses, and jurors in mock trials. This program culminates in the spring, as select schools argue oral appeals in front of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
The Virginia YMCA even coordinates programs for middle school students who just cannot wait until high school to get involved with Youth and Government. The Teen Leadership Conferences are one-day seminars designed to introduce even younger minds to Virginia’s government and, much like the Model General Assembly, place an emphasis on the state’s legislature.
Aside from these programs, of course, each individual high school club is encouraged to do as much as possible in the field of community service. As an officer of Rural Retreat High School’s Hi-Y Club, I had the pleasure to both help orchestrate and participate in all of the activities necessary for the club to become one of two recipients of the state’s Ace Award, rewarded for excellence in service to the community.
I will never forget the knowledge, experiences, and friendships I gained throughout my participation in the Virginia YMCA’s Youth & Government programs. This Conference on National Affairs will be my last high school YMCA activity, so on that note I would like to thank the Virginia YMCA for greatly influencing the person I am today. I will surely miss these great times and wonderful experiences I have encountered as I seek more knowledge in my continued studies and exploration of life after high school.