Legion reaches out to students

Special guest Minnesota Department American Legion Auxiliary President Mary Hendrickson, Cloquet Commander Glenn Wirtanen, Girls Stater Sydney Hall, and Boys Stater Caleb Swanson recently attended a Cloquet American Legion meeting to talk about Boys State and Girls State projects that are a packed week of learning focused on responsible citizenship, leadership, and more. Over one week in June, participants are assigned to mock cities and to fictional political parties. They are immersed in learning about the political process by electing officials for all levels of state government and allowing them to actively run a mock government. Volunteers from the Legion and the Auxiliary ensure the program's nonpartisan governmental, patriotic and civic objectives are carried out through interactive learning. In 2019, the Cloquet American Legion Post 262 sent three participants to Boys State: Jordan Allen, Stevan Blauert and Caleb Swanson. The Cloquet American Legion Auxiliary Unit 262 sent two participants to Girls State: Sydney Hall and Hannah Lundborg. The participants present a report on the week's activities at a combined post and auxiliary meeting.

*************

The Cloquet American Legion Auxiliary presents comic books entitled "Our Country's Flag," sponsored by and distributed by American Legion National Headquarters, to all Cloquet Middle School fifth-graders as part of the auxiliary's education project. American Legion Auxiliary President Penny Buran is shown with two fifth-grade students. The comic book explains the United States flag's history and how the flag is a symbol to the world of our country's independence, of our individual liberty, and of our unity as a nation. They are a learning tool on how to display and respect the flag.