On March 17, 1941 Forest Huth, Post Commander called upon E.T. Hawkins who spoke on having a boy attend Badger Boys State to be held on the Campus of Ripon College. Commander Huth then appointed a committee of E. T. Hawkins, Oral Berry, and Everette Mc Bain to raise funds to send a boy. On April 18, the committee reported that the Kiwanis Club would sponsor a boy and that the Odd Fellows would share the cost of a boy to attend with Post 106. A motion was made, seconded and passed to make reservations to send two boys. The committee reported that the Masons had tabled a motion to sponsor a boy. May 26, Comrade Hawkins reported that Norman Aelesch and Vernon Lubinski had been selected by the junior class to represent Post 106 at Badger Boys State in June. The June 23, 1941 minutes show that both Vernon and Norman understood what to expect at the session and they returned to a Post meeting on July 7, and gave fine reports. There is no mention of the cost for sponsoring a boy for the 1941 session. Preceding the March 23, 1942 meeting, a film of the 1941 Badger Boys State session was shown. I find no record of a 1942 delegate however meeting minutes reflect one boy would be sponsored at a cost of $20. Badger Boys State was suspended 1943-45 and resumed again after WWII in 1946. In 1946 Ralph Huth, Robert Piehl and Robert Kailhoffer were listed in the minutes as delegates. In 1947 Warren VandeLeest, Tom Duffey, and James Flemming are listed followed in 1948 by Kenneth Wiese, Dale Tubbs and Vernon Schneider. The Badger Boys State sponsorships are now paid from a Sponsorship Fund created from the estate of a very generous woman who left $25,000. to Post 106. In addition a legionnaire Glen Ohm has given $500. a year for five years to be used for sponsorships. This account ensures Seymour will have representatives at Badger Boys State well into the future. Post 106 will sponsor four boys this year along with one boy sponsored by the Black Creek Post. Two legionnaires serve on the Badger Boys State Board of Directors. Russ Hanseter over 25 years in the program served as both Director and Chairman of the Board. John Cumicek, a former Boys State delegate from Seymour has over five years in the program and serves as the Banker and Assistant Storekeeper.This year will mark the 75th session held on the Ripon College campus. As of the 2018 session we have successfully researched the names of all boys sponsored from Seymour High School beginning with the 1941 session at Ripon College.
