With only one night left, today was about closing the loop — finishing the work, hearing final rulings, and getting ready to celebrate everything this week has built.

Ride County led this morning’s Flag Raising Ceremony, featuring a bagpipe performance.

Ceremony for the Disposal of Unserviceable Flags

Right after, the Ceremony for the Disposal of Unserviceable Flags brought together one citizen from each county to take part — a solemn, respectful tradition honoring flags that have reached the end of their service.

General Session

The morning General Session opened with ALA Department of New York President Maureen Morgan speaking about her presidential pin and the meaning behind ALA membership.

Afterward, citizens paused for the Blue Star Banner Presentation, honoring citizens and staff with family members currently serving in the U.S. military — a visible tribute to the personal connections many in the room share with those in uniform.

Appellate Court

Citizens then took part in Appellate Court, presenting arguments and hearing rulings from the state’s highest judicial body — a chance to put a week of legal and procedural learning on full display.

Special Legislative Session

A Special Legislative Session was called today after every pesticide-related bill failed to pass yesterday. The chairs and vice chairs of the committees behind those bills got together, worked out a way to amend one of the bills, and brought it back to the floor — where it passed!

Getting Ready for Tonight

The afternoon was all about preparation — a State of the State Ceremony rehearsal, followed by the full ALA Empire Girls State group picture.

State of the State Ceremony

Tonight, all counties gathered for the State of the State Ceremony — a formal celebration of everything this week has built. Citizens were recognized not just for what they accomplished, but for how they showed up for each other all week long.

The Governor took the stage to deliver her address, closing with a line from Ruth Bader Ginsburg:

“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

Several major honors were awarded. Congratulations to Ava W of Ride County, recipient of the Wendy Privitera Spirit of ALA Empire Girls State Award, given to a citizen who exemplified passion, dedication, and teamwork throughout the week. Congratulations also to Julia S, also of Ride County, named this year’s Samsung Scholarship Finalist for her academic excellence and commitment to community service.

Finally, the moment everyone was waiting for: our ALA Girls Nation Senators were announced. Congratulations to Francesca E of Chisholm County and Clover G of Ginsburg County — we can’t wait to see what you accomplish at ALA Girls Nation!

Chairman Steph closed out the ceremony with a reminder that this community doesn’t end tonight:

“There will always be room for you in the pony circle.”

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One Final Night

After the ceremony, counties gathered for one last night of celebrating together before tomorrow’s goodbyes.

Thank You

This week would not have been possible without so many people.

To our counselors, staff, and volunteers: thank you for the countless hours you poured into every county meeting, committee session, and late-night conversation. This program runs on your dedication.

To our families and communities: thank you for encouraging these citizens to step outside their comfort zones and take this week on.

And to our citizens: thank you for showing up with open minds and a willingness to grow. Watching you become engaged, involved, heard, and ready to lead has been the best part of this week.

We can’t wait to see what you all do next.

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📰 Girls State Gazette — Issue 6: Becoming More Our official daily newsletter covers everything happening inside ALA EGS — election results, legislative action, wellness tips, county news, and more.
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