The American Legion Auxiliary’s Empire Girls State (ALA EGS) 85th session is officially underway! On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, about 250 citizens and more than 30 staff members arrived at SUNY Brockport from every corner of New York — and they picked a scorcher of a day to do it. With temperatures in the 90s and a real feel pushing 100, there were a lot of sweaty hugs goodbye in the parking lot, but nothing could cool the excitement in the air.

Day 1 Theme: Becoming Brave. Every leader starts by showing up — and today, in 100-degree heat, our citizens showed up ready.

How Does ALA EGS Work?

Qualified high school juniors take part in a week-long government workshop, becoming citizens of a mythical 51st state in which they study local, county, and state political and governmental processes. Over the week, they elect their own officials (county representatives, judges, members of the legislature, state leadership), organize into two parties (Nationalists and Federalists), write, present, and debate bills, and carry out the duties of the offices to which they’re elected or appointed.

This educational program is designed to provide a practical perspective on government structure and operation, where each citizen is an integral part of, and responsible for, the character and success of her government.

Citizens are separated into 9 counties — all named after famous women in American history: Angelou, Anthony, Chisholm, Ginsburg, Mink, Parks, Picotte, Rankin, and Ride.

Settling In

After check-in, citizens met their counselors and fellow citizens in their counties, unpacked, and blasted their fans before diving into the Citizens Manual and county profiles — the foundation for the bills they’ll write and the offices they’ll seek this week. Counties held their first meetings, formed political parties, elected senators and county party officers, and got their committee assignments. Teamwork makes the dream work, even in a heat wave!

Parli Pro… and a Motion for Ice Cream

Then came the fan-favorite Parliamentary Procedure (Parli Pro) workshop — ice cream included. The samples set out as props for the exercise never quite survive the workshop, but with today’s heat, they didn’t stand a chance — melting faster than usual while citizens learned the rules, with the rest safely waiting in the freezer. Once they had the basics down, citizens put them to immediate use, amending and seconding to get everyone their (still-frozen) ice cream.

Opening Ceremony

The evening’s Opening Ceremony in Edwards Hall began with ALA EGS Chairman Steph challenging every citizen in the room:

“Let your voice rise and become heard, and from there, become a leader – in whatever shape that looks like for you, because leadership has no single shape.”

The evening closed with citizens taking the ALA Empire Girls State Pledge, officially kicking off the 85th session.

📰 Girls State Gazette — Issue 1: Becoming Brave Our official daily newsletter covers everything happening inside ALA EGS — election results, legislative action, wellness tips, county news, and more.
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