Spencer Pipkin, an incoming senior at Lowndes High School, has been selected as a senator for the American Legion Boys Nation in the Washington, D.C. area, July 22-30.
Boys Nation is an annual American Legion program that includes civic training, leadership development and a focus on Americanism. During his time at Georgia Boys State, Pipkin was elected Judge of the Municipal Court for his Boys State assigned city, Dorsey City, and later moved on to seek party nomination for state-wide Commissioner of Agriculture. The roughly 450 participants elected Pipkin to serve as the Georgia Boys State Commissioner of Agriculture. While acting as Commissioner, Pipkin actively assisted the Nationalist Party Chairman and joined the Georgia Boys State Governor’s entourage. Pipkin also created a bill that was designed to give eco-friendly Georgia farmers subsidies, and it was passed in both the House and Senate. It was later signed into law by the Governor.
At Lowndes High, Pipkin has served as class secretary for the past three years, and will move into his senior year as secretary. He has spent the past two years as Editor-in-Chief of his school newspaper, “The Saga.” Pipkin is a former member of the Lowndes High Mock Trial Team and Student Council. In the community, Pipkin has served as President of the Lowndes Youth Leadership League, and entity of Leadership Lowndes, and he also acted as a community service chairman in the program. At the state level, he was elected as a state-wide officer in the Future Educators Association of Georgia.
Pipkin currently works in the State Court of Lowndes County for the Honorable John K. Edwards Jr., Chief Judge, and the Honorable Ellen S. Golden, Judge. He plans to become an attorney and hopes to enter the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the U.S. Air Force. Pipkin has a special interest in gaining a position in state and national politics.
About Boys Nation:
During their eight days at Boys Nation, 98 senators (two from each state with the exception of Hawaii) will learn from a hands-on approach how the U.S. Senate and the federal government function. Boys are divided into two political parties, the Federalists and the Nationalists, each of which conducts a party convention, sets a platform and nominates members for elected offices, including Boys Nation president, vice president and party leaders. Each senator will also write, introduce and debate a bill of his choosing before an appropriate Senate committee, and if successful at that level the legislation will be voted on by the whole Senate. Bills passing the Senate are later signed or vetoed by the Boys Nation president.
The young men will also have an opportunity to tour the National Mall, including the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Wall and Korean War Memorial. They will also present a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, see the Iowa Jima Memorial and visit Capitol Hill for meetings with their state’s U.S. senators. They may have the opportunity to visit the Pentagon and the White House as well. In addition, delegates will also visit The American Legion’s Washington office to meet with lobbyists and subject matter experts, and attend a dinner at a nearby Legion post hosted by National Commander Dale Barnet of Georgia.
This year’s crop of Boys Nation senators represent the finest of nearly 20,000 incoming seniors who attended the 49 annual Boys State programs. Famous Boys Nation alumni include former President Bill Clinton, actor Donal Logue, Govs. Chris Christie and Scott Walker, and Sens. Mike Lee and Tom Cotton. Notable Boys State alumni include Tom Brokaw, Michael Jordan, Rush Limbaugh, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Neil Armstrong, Roger Ebert and Justice Samuel Alito.
