May 27, 2009
by Arianna Shank, 8th grade, Middletown Area Middle School
Going to the Capitol on Friday, April 17, I expected to be sitting in rooms all day long, skimming through bills. I thought that I would not be able to be in the rooms where all the action was.
Once I got there, we were split into groups. YGA, or Youth General Assembly, was for middle school age kids like me. The high school students were put into Senate, House, or other committees.
In YGA, we first went over parliamentary procedure. I learned how to address the chair and state points. I was surprised to find out that we would be debating bills that YGA delegates had written. I had prepared a bill for that weekend but did not get a chance to debate it, due to the bill calendar. I loved debating the bills, raising points, and eventually voting on them. All the bills had to do with problems in our community right now, and that interested me. It was fascinating that all the delegates had problems in their different areas of interest.
My favorite part about debating in YGA was amending bills. I liked the process they had to go through to become amendments. First, someone had to write out an amendment for the bill. Then, that person would ask to approach the rostrum and show it to the chair. The chair would then read it aloud and we would debate about the amendment - how it could positively affect the bill or negatively affect it. Finally, we would have a final vote on the amendment and, if it passed, it was then part of the bill.
Altogether, my experience at the Capitol that weekend was overwhelming. I didn’t expect to be given so many opportunities, like shadowing presiding officers and observing how the Senate works. I have always had an interest in government and law, but that weekend expanded my knowledge of how laws are made. I will definitely return next year so I can continue to learn more about how government works.
by Kevin Little, Donlynne Layne, Kenneth Britcher, Sean Burke, Advisors, Middletown Area Middle School
The statewide YMCA Youth and Government program is a year-round process that gets results in leadership, personal growth, service to others and social development among its participants. As advisors, it is not about teaching students or club members civics and government but about learning. Students apply the knowledge and principles of civics to social issues and problems they identify and select those they wish to resolve by writing legislative bills. Bill writing is the central focus of the organization that is structured around research and debate.
The emphasis on personal skill development in this program has a direct impact on student engagement where you see students motivated and committed to learning; have a sense of belonging and accomplishment; and have relationships with adults, peers, and parents that support the program.
As advisors of a new club it was an eye-opening experience for us as much as it was for the students. This experience has had a significant impact on our commitment to get more qualified students involved in the Middletown Area School District’s Youth and Government Clubs. What we experienced during our inaugural year as advisors, will carry over into our classrooms and hopefully not only build a more civics educated student population, but will also meet the mission statement of our school district to produce responsible citizens.
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