HISTORICAL REVIEW OF YOUTH & GOVERNMENT

The very first YMCA Youth Legislature was held in New York State in 1936.  In 1947, under the leadership of a prominent attorney named Frank S. Bayley, Jr., the Pacific Northwest Area Council of YMCAs sent two young YMCA branch executives, Dick MacMorran and Vern Emery, to observe the New Jersey program.  They reported back that the program was well suited for Washington’s YMCA youth work and that they would like to start chapters in their YMCAs based in Seattle.  That fall, Bayley and the Pacific Northwest Area Council founded the Washington YMCA Youth Legislature and formed a committee to organize the first legislative session for youth in the spring of 1948.  John M. McClelland, Jr., a newspaper publisher from Longview, served on the 1948 Youth & Government Statewide Committee.  He was joined by other prominent business and government leaders in the state to provide the policy and financial leadership to launch the program.

The first YMCA Youth Legislature in Washington occurred April 16-17, 1948 at the State Capitol.  There were 21 Senate bills and 54 House bills submitted by 150 high school students from 70 Hi-Y and Tri-Hi-Y YMCA youth clubs. 

Our state's first Youth Governor was Walter Becker from Spokane.  Several of the bills discussed at that first legislature proposed lowering the voting age to eighteen.  Others would authorize the use of school buses to take students to extracurricular activities after school hours and one proposed changing the state constitution to make education the first claim on the revenues of the general fund – all things that have become current laws in Washington State.

There are many reasons why the Youth Legislature program has remained so successful over the years.  Foremost has to be a deep and abiding belief in the importance of democracy to our nation and the realization that come to participants by actually doing it, that each individual in society is responsible for helping to find solutions to problems and for taking part in a democratic way of life.

Mock Trial (1987-Present)

In 1987, Youth & Government began to co-sponsor Mock Trial as one of its programs.  The program had other sponsors and was originally self sustaining through fees and donations, however, after financial woes and coordinator turnover the Board voted to bring the Mock Trial Program under the direction of the Executive Director and Board in 1994. 

Mock Trial teams from high schools throughout the state work with a teacher-advisor and an attorney-coach to present a hypothetical legal case before a real judge in an actual courtroom. 

The case is written or selected by the Mock Trial Case Committee made up of attorneys and judges around the state.  Judge William Downing has chaired this committee for the past several years and under his guidance the cases Washington students use in competition are some of the most well written and socially relevant mock trial cases in the nation.  Our students are also known nationwide as effective debaters, skilled competitors, and polite and civilized opponents.  In 2000, Seattle’s Franklin High School represented Washington State well as they took first place at the national competition.  Since then, Washington teams have placed within the top 20 at each national championship. 

Participants in the Mock Trial Program learn critical thinking and dispute resolution, practice oral advocacy, and experience planning and preparing a team effort.  They develop a feel for the meaning of justice as they learn to sift truths from untruths and how to evaluate both sides of an issue before making a decision.  The mock trial program adds a special dimension to citizenship education in our state, one that makes students aware of the importance of the law and its far reaching impact on our lives.

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YMCA YOUTH & GOVERNMENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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THE HONORABLE ROBERT F. UTTER AWARD

2011-2012 GOVERNOR'S CABINET 

  

Partner with Y&G as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet and receive a plaque honoring your support and an invitation to our annual Governor’s Cabinet Reception as well as individualized recognition based on donor wishes.

For more information on how you can join Y&G as a supporter at any level contact the Youth & Government office today!

AMBASSADOR ($10,000 and up) Microsoft Corporation   FOUNDER ($5,000 - $9,999) Perkins Coie LLP Key Bank Foundation Lucy Helm Washington Judges Foundation United States District Court,    Western Division YMCA of Greater Seattle   CHAMPION ($2,500 - $4,999) The Boeing Company BP Corporation Bill & Kathleen Collins Jennifer Jolyn & Jason Hellberg Robert & Carolyn Wolfe YMCA of Snohomish County  BENEFACTOR ($1,500 - $2,499) BECU Mike Egan Puget Sound Energy Starbucks Coffee Company Stauffacher Communications Virginia F. Stout WSBA Young Lawyer's Division

ADVOCATE ($1,000 - $1,499) Ahne, PLLC Sam & Linda Bovard Chehalis Indian Tribe David M Fisher Consulting Kevin & Michelle Hamilton Jeff & Candy Havens Thomas & Lee Hoemann Chris & Liza Koenig Les Schwab Tire Centers PEMCO Financial Services Premera Blue Cross Al Ralston Dwayne Slate State Farm Insurance Virginia Stout In Honor of Bill Sieverling Marta & Monty Tolman Vulcan Inc Scott & Cheryl Washburn Washington District and Municipal Court Judges Association Washington Federation of State Employees YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties​​​

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