Flickertail Girls State Records

In 1947, Mrs. Myrtle Anderson, president of the American Legion Auxiliary (1946-1947), organized the first Flickertail Girls State session. The American Legion Auxiliary is the sponsor of this annual event. The first session was held at Jamestown College in June 1947, when 116 girls attended. It was also held in Jamestown in 1948 and 1949. Since 1950, it has been held in Grand Forks at the University of North Dakota (UND) and throughout the years attendance has risen to 700 or more girls. The Flickertail Girls State program seeks to simulate real life North Dakota politics at city, county, and state government levels. During Girls State, each governmental activity is preceded by a lecture given by a political science faculty member at UND. The staff establishes the government process after consultation with the American Legion Auxiliary. Counselors, who are political science students at UND, work closely with the girls to encourage and enhance their understanding of government functions. The goal is to give participants in Girls State experience in the political process.

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