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Day 6: Nats Take Top 3 Offices; March to the Capitol and Head for Home

The final day of Texas Boys State must begin with a note of congratulations to the top elected officers for 2014. We are proud to announce the election of Arthur Dixon, governor, Elton McIntosh, lieutenant governor, and Christian Green, attorney general. All three are from the Nationalist Party. Dixon, in this capacity as governor will return to Texas Boys State next year to preside over the 2015 session.

Meanwhile, what started as a week of uncertainty on Sunday is finishing up as a lifetime of memories for statesmen. The delegation will conclude the week with a march to the historic Texas State Capitol building after breakfast. Along the way, the winners of the races for Agriculture Commissioner, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Commissioner of the General Land Office, and Supreme Court of Texas will visit their respective offices and given tours by office staff.

Once at the Capitol, the lieutenant governor will preside over a session of the Boys State Senate. Unfortunately, the Senate will be unable to meet in the Texas Senate Chamber due to renovations. However, Texas Boys State staff was able to secure a room in the Capitol allowing the Senate to conduct their session. It might not be the actual Senate Chamber, but the Boys State Senate will still have the memory of a lifetime by being able to say they met in the Texas State Capitol building.

The Texas House Chamber is open for use by Texas Boys State, allowing the 120 members (three from each of the 20 cities) of the Texas Boys State House of Representatives. Statesmen in the House will be able to sit at the same desks used by the 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives and conduct a session of the Boys State House.

Friday’s activities culminate in the final general assembly of the 2014 session of Texas Boys State, held in the House Chamber at the Texas State Capitol. During this final session, statesmen will hear final remarks from Boys State administrative leadership and enjoy the session’s awards ceremony. The final awards will go to two statesmen selected by Texas Boys State administrative leadership to attend Boys Nation in Washington, D.C.

After the awards ceremony concludes, only one thing remains: pronouncing the statesmen graduates of 2014 Texas Boys State. The statesmen will receive a certificate of completion to take with them, signifying they have successfully completed the Texas Boys State program and joining a select group of young men over the past 74 years. Statesmen will then march back to Jester Center and be released to their parents to return home.

And, just like that: 2014 Texas Boys State comes to a close. What began as 920 strangers from across the Lone Star State concluded with 920 statesmen, each having their own unique experience, but each also having the collective experience of going through the session together. Congratulations to the Texas Boys State, class of 2014! We wish you the best in your future endeavors.

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